Some familiar model names are disappearing with the switch to electrification, the biggest scalp so far being Ford’s Fiesta and also some continued questions over perhaps the most famous car name of all: Golf.
JLR, as Jaguar Land Rover has formally renamed itself, has some incredibly powerful nameplates of its own, including Range Rover and Defender. We already knew these two models would be pushed forward as brands themselves (along with Discovery, although that’s more a work in progress), which is logical given the strength of the pair and how Range Rover in particular is already effectively a brand in its own right.
What wasn’t clear until now was the role Land Rover itself would have in all this. Last month, it was confirmed the Land Rover brand would take a new role as a “trust mark”, as chief creative officer Gerry McGovern describes it, underpinning the Range Rover, Defender and Discovery brands rather than being pushed forward and promoted as the main brand.
This new role will see it essentially become a technology underpinning these brands and a guiding force in the background. Its name will remain attached to the likes of the All Terrain all-wheel drive system and the wider software and technology that will appear on the three brands under the Land Rover umbrella.
However, contrary to reports on social media (most likely a case of two plus two making five), the Land Rover brand will not disappear from the cars, and the cars will still carry the Land Rover name and badges. But it will be a more back-seat role, the brand name not communicated alongside the models, nor appearing as prominently in dealerships or in advertising for the models.
Speaking today during the firm's full-year earnings report, CEO Adrian Mardell categorically denied reports that the Land Rover name would be retired: "I really want to reiterate and put this on record that the Land Rover mark will remain. Among its many attributes, Land Rover is rightly synonymous with off road credentials, with technology capabilities, with significant and huge safety features.
"It is still integral to our business. It will remain visible on our vehicles. It will remain on our websites, in social media and at our retail sites. Contrary, of course, to some recent reports after our April discussions."
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