Land Rover Cars

Summary

Land Rover, the British car maker, is recognized for giving the world some of the most powerful and luxurious SUVs in last century. Centralized at Whitley, Coventry, in United Kingdom, it has been a trademark of luxury and strength across the world. In year 2008, it was acquired by the legendary Indian car maker Tata Motors. One of the pioneer makers of SUVs with four-wheel drive system in the world, Land Rover holds a very special place among automotive enthusiasts.

The nameplate called Land Rover was first used by the Rover Company for a very specific automotive design in year 1948. After that, the company designed and manufactured a number of four-wheel-drive cars. The list included the Development, Defensive Player, Freelander, Variety Rover Game, Variety Rover, and the Variety Rover Evoque. At present, Land Rover cars units are manufactured at its’ Solihull and Halewood located production plants. All its research and development tasks are carried out at its Gaydon and Whitley located technological advancement centres. It was the year 1994 when Rover Group was taken over by BMW. Later in 2000, BMW broke Rover Group and marketed the Land Rover Honda Engine Company. In year 2006, Honda purchased the Rover from BMW by paying a price of £6 million. And finally it was July 2008 when both Land Rover and Jaguar were acquired by Tata Motors.

Executive Management

Tata Motors finalized Dr. Ralf Speth as the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of Jaguar Land Rover in year 2010. However, JLR's activities and operations in India are being taken care by Tata Motors itself. Mr. Rohit Suri, the Vice President of Jaguar Land Rover India has a significant role to play in all big and small decisions of the company in our country.

Indian Operations

Land Rover hasn’t started with local assembling of its cars in our country. All Land Rover models in India are imported as Completely Built Units (CBU). However, one model the Freelander SUV gets imported in form of Completely Knocked Down (CKD) kits. These are then assembled at Land Rover’s Indian facility located in Pune. To meet the rising demand of its models in India, the British car maker is expected to shift some its manufacturing operations in India soon.

Products & Services

Land Rover owns a healthy sales network in our country. Currently the company holds dealerships across all major cities of India including New Delhi-NCR region, Mumbai, Jaipur, Pune, Chennai, Bangalore, etc. Currently, Land Rover owns more than 20 dealerships across the country.

Environmental Initiatives

Land Rover recently came up with its Diesel based ERAD Hybrid technology which was part of its multi-million-pound project, and was supported by the British Government's Energy Saving Trust. The e-terrain technology also known as the Integrated Electric Rear Axle Drive technology will permit the vehicle to make a move without depending on engine ignition. Land Rover showcased the ERAD technology in the 2008 London Motor Show using a pair of Freelander 2 prototypes. The advanced hybrid system is designed as a modular and scalable system that can be implemented across the wide range of Land Rover engines and models.

The British SUV specialist also showcased the LRX hybrid concept at the 2008 North American International Auto Show held in Detroit. The car is installed with a ERAD technology power train that will enable it to run on electric motor at speeds under 32kmph. In year 2013, the company also revealed an All-Terrain Electric Defender at the Geneva Motor Show. The car leaves zero emissions and has been developed only for research purposes. The vehicle was capable of producing 70Kw and 330Nm of torque and has a range of up to 80kms or in a low speed off-road use it can run for 8 hours before recharging. It is expected that new Land Rover electric or hybrid cars will make their way to our market.

Founder & First Car

The designing of initial Land Rover vehicles began taking shapes in year 1947 under Maurice Wilks, chief designer at the company. The style of its first car was derived from a Second World War American Jeep. The first Land Rover prototype, was named as 'Centre Steer', was produce over a Jeep axles and Chassis. Initial vehicles of its cars were offered in different tones of light green and featured ladder-frame section. Later BMW transferred its ownership to Ford Motor Company, and the Land Rover came to be associated with Jaguar. In several countries, both Jaguar and Land Rover share a common sales and distribution network. That said, the Indian auto major, Tata Motors, acquire JLR in 2008.

USP

Land Rover cars in India are loved for bearing the most advance mechanics along with amazing off-road capabilities. Almost all Land Rover models come with the most perfect combo of performance, comfort, power and luxury. To take its market share to next level, Land Rover has expanded a good dealership network across a number of cities in India. The British car manufacturer is also working over various engine technologies. The new fleet of fuel efficient Land Rover cars is expected to arrive India soon.

Resale Value

Land Rover cars in India are reckoned for offering most genuine off-roading experiences to thier customers. The cars also have a large demand among motor enthusiasts seeking luxury, strength, performance, and above par off-road capabilities.

Competition

Land Rover, the British premium SUV maker, has been facing tough fight from the German trio of luxury carmakers - BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz. Another close competitor that has emerged in last few years is the leading Swedish carmaker - Volvo.