JLR electric commitment excites NZ operation

All Land and Range Rovers, Jaguars set to adopt battery-fed drivetrains.

 JAGUAR and Land Rover intent to undertake a full-strength switch to electric powertrains has left the New Zealand distributor eager to learn more.

Steve Kenchington, Jaguar Land Rover New Zealand’s general manager, agrees the customer base – particularly on the Land Rover side – will need time to digest the implication of today’s announcement from the United Kingdom, but personally it’s exciting news.

“This has come as quite a big surprise to us – a pleasant surprise – in what it might it look like and what they are planning. There is much we don’t know.

“What is most exciting for us is that JLR has now defined the future direction for the brands and that this is happening on the back of a significant turnaround for them.”

The strategy unrolled today is for Land Rover to launch six pure electric models within the next five years while its sister brand is to be reimagined as an all-electric luxury marque by 2025.

How that impacts on the makes’ individual model has yet to be spelled out.

Jaguar Land Rover NZ boss Steve Kenchington is excited by today’s news.

Jaguar is already of course engaging in the EV-sphere with its iPace sports utility, a New Zealand Car of the Year winner that accounts for 10 percent of local Jaguar volume.

Yet it still produces its other cars – the E Pace and F Pace SUVs, the F-Type sports cars and XE and XF sedans – in conventional fossil fuelled form.

Today Jaguar also confirmed the replacement XJ large sedan, which had been destined to come out later this year as an electric product, has been abandoned.

The transition period for Land Rover seems to be longer, but the end game will be even more dramatic. The green badge division has some plug-in hybrids and is about to release an update of the Range Rover Sport locally with a new six-cylinder petrol that could, Kenchington agrees, become the last orthodox conventional fossil-fuelled drivetrain it delivers to market.

Next year it will bring out a new Range Rover and beyond that the next Range Rover Sport, both expected to have a mix of mild and plug-in hybrid drivetrains. 

The prospect of diesel models continuing for much longer seems unlikely, the local man suspects – “I think the latest Ingenium engines we are now bringing out will be the last” - even though this has been a preferred choice in the current Defender – which is about to go to a plug-in hybrid petrol choice – and the Discovery, which could yet be the first Land Rover to deliver the wholly electric promise as a new one is on the drawing board for release within three years.

Alternately, the Evoque and Defender Sport might become early adopters of a battery-pure approach. It’s all speculation at the moment. 

He thinks Land Rover’s petrol engines have a future, but in hybrid formats. “They have certainly put a lot of work into making them more eco-friendly and I suspect we will continue to see the benefit of that in the short to medium term.”

He reminds that the off-road specialist is continuing research into hydrogen fuel cell as well. Last week JLR confirmed that fuel cell powertrain development forms a core part of its ‘Reimagine’ strategy and said it will begin road testing prototypes within the next 12 months. 

Last year, the company detailed its Project Zeus initiative: a serious hydrogen power research project with the aim of developing fuel cell-powered versions of its larger vehicles. It has now reinforced that ambition to prepare itself for "the expected adoption of clean fuel-cell power in line with a maturing of the hydrogen economy". 

For its part, Jaguar Land Rover nonetheless says that all of its brands’ nameplates will be available with an all-electric variant by 2030.

Land Rover should be selling around 60 percent of its cars in pure-electric form by the end of the decade. However, it has stated that its first pure-electric model will be in production in 2024.

Land Rover’s latest model here, Defender, is already being built in a PHEV format.

A company release stated, “In the next five years, Land Rover will welcome six pure-electric variants as it continues to be the world leader of luxury SUVs through its three families of Range Rover, Discovery and Defender. The first all-electric variant will arrive in 2024.”

Kenchington says it is clear that customers have a lot to take onboard and will be asked to alter their preferences: Ironically, he muses, the five-litre supercharged V8 that is the antitheses of automotive Green intent is “selling like hot cakes for us at the moment.”

If a pure electric large Land or Range Rover were magicked into sales-ready form right now, it might still be a hard sell to many brand fans. Many probably just aren’t comfortable with electric.

He says it will therefore be crucial for the brand to mount an effective campaign to convert supporters to the new direction. He thinks it will be achievable, particularly once Land Rover can show that all the historic benefits that associate with its off-roaders will be maintained, if not enhanced, by having a battery-drawn drivetrain. 

“At the moment there’s never been so much demand for big ICE engines; we’ve probably never previously sold as many V8 supercharged as we at the moment.

The successful of EV transition will “come down to how good it is, how efficient it is, what the range is ….

“But if it is going to continue to be a Land Rover in its DNA, then I think people will embrace it. There is no reason not to. We have all driven electric and we know how good it is. If it can still submerge to 900mm in a river crossing and do all the other things our vehicles are really good at then there’s no reason why anyone wouldn’t want to go there.” 

“It is all very exciting.”

The plans for Jaguar are more complex, simply because while it was heading toward electric anyway, much has changed with the XJ limousine being scrapped.

In respect to this, the statement from Jaguar headquarters said it is still possible the XJ nameplate might be retained.

The makes’ supercharged 5.0-litre V8 petrol, used in the Jaguar F-Pace SVR as well as by Range Rover, has been a big seller lately.

 “By the middle of the decade, Jaguar will have undergone a renaissance to emerge as a pure-electric luxury brand with a dramatically beautiful new portfolio of emotionally engaging designs and pioneering next-generation technologies. Jaguar will exist to make life extraordinary by creating dramatically beautiful automotive experiences that leave its customers feeling unique and rewarded.”

Overseas commentators say the XE, XF, E-Pace, F-Pace and F-Type would now appear to have a finite lifespan, with all-electric replacements due by around 2025.

Kenchington says those products present interesting potentials. As much as iPace has found a place in the local market, Jaguar really needs other electric products in more convenient price zones than the $150,000-plus SV has nestled into.

Jaguar is likely to unroll its model specific strategies in coming months, he believes. “But clearly F-Type and F-Pace will go all-electric and you would expect E-Pace to do so as well.”

The $80,000 to $100,000 zone where XE and XF mainly position is an area that he is keen to exploit.

“At the (iPace) price point there is a limited audience but I think there is an appetite for electric and we just have to get to the point where we can produce these vehicles a bit cheaper.” 

Jaguar’s sedans have struggled in fossil fuel formats and yet as much market shift to SUVs suggests orthodox four-door booted cars are a dying breed, he looks to how well Tesla has done with the Model 3 and Model S. 

“From my perspective I’m keen to understand what they will do with the sedan market. It looks like XJ will not go ahead, but what they are going to do with XE and XF is interesting – do they keep both, do they keep one, do they have an XF and a long-wheelbase XF to create an XJ alternate? I just don’t know.

 How important could electric Jaguar sedans be in NZ, given we are so SUV-centric? Conceivably, they shouldn’t be, and yet … 

The iPACE accounts for 10 percent of Jaguar volume in NZ.

“If you look at the performance of Tesla, you’d say ‘quite important.’ Model 3 and Model S have been very successful. It feels to me that electric (in a sedan format) seems to attract.”

“In saying that, it could be that this is because there has not been much to offer in the way of SUVs. Tesla were first into the market, there was nothing else to buy … and you buy what you can. It’s very clear that the SUV segments continue to grow and the sedan segments continue to decline.”

His gut feeling is that Jaguar is probably considering E-Pace, F-Pace and another ‘Pace’ model as yet undisclosed being core to the electric drive. But maybe the sedans could survive. “I don’t know.”

The decisions lading to today’s announcement come after Jaguar Land Rover appointed ex-Renault executive Thierry Bollore to replace former CEO Dr Ralf Speth. The Frenchman started his new post last September but has kept a determinedly low profile as he undertook a full review of JLR’s business, current model line-up and future launch plans.

Today’s new has affirmed that JLR is able to retain all of its current production facilities, thereby quashing rumours that one of its UK factories might have been under threat of closure. 

The Camel’s back

Famous Trophy model reinterpreted by Land Rover.

THE classic that Land Rover had to leave behind in order to move forward has risen from the grave – in its most famous guise.

The British brand has announced the Defender Works V8 Trophy, a modified version of the previous generation version of the company’s iconic four-wheel-drive, which stopped fullscale production in 2016 and was replaced last year by a far more modern model.

The ‘new-old’ edition is built by Land Rover Classic and designed to pay homage to the brand’s Camel Trophy-winning off-road racer from 1989, now a highly sought-after collectible. 

Prices start from over $300,000 for the short wheelbase 90 model – and production will be limited to just 25 examples. It is not known if any will go to customers outside of the United Kingdom.

The original Camel Trophy-winning 1989 was powered by a 2.5-litre four-cylinder diesel engine. This new homage features Jaguar Land Rover’s 5.0-litre V8, which outputs 297kW and 515Nm of torque. The engine is mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox and sends drive to all four wheels via a two-speed transfer box.

Land Rover has added uprated suspension, new anti-roll bars, improved disc brakes with four-piston calipers and heavy-duty 16-inch steel wheels wrapped in mud-terrain tyres.

Buyers also get a range of functional and cosmetic exterior revisions, including a front winch, a roof rack, a snorkel intake and LED spot lamps. There’s also some extra safety equipment, such as underbody protection panels and an externally mounted multi-point roll cage. 

The car’s bodywork is also finished in a similar shade of yellow as the original Camel racer, while its wheel arches, bonnet and rear door are finished in contrasting Narvik Black. LED headlamps also come as standard, along with a heritage radiator grille and special edition “Land Rover Trophy” badging.

The Defender Works V8 Trophy gets a unique clock for the dashboard and an infotainment system designed to look like the original car’s stereo. Land Rover has also added a pair of Recaro seats, trimmed in black leather upholstery and contrasting yellow stitching.

Purchasers also get to compete in an exclusive three-day challenge at Land Rover’s legendary test centre at Eastnor Castle in Herefordshire, England. The event will be the first time customers will drive their new cars and each buyer will receive tuition from a team of seasoned drivers.

Crash test plaudits for Defender and Sorento

Five star results for large sports utilities in NZ market form.

TWO large sports utilities recently introduced to New Zealand have both received five star scores from the nationally-recognised safety ratings agency, one from testing in Europe and the other as result of a process undertaken in Australia.

The Land Rover Defender’s score comes from a test undertaken by European New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) and applies to the long-wheel-based, five-door 110 model that is on sale in NZ, and not the short-wheelbase three-door 90 yet to release.

The Kia Sorento’s outcome was also determined by the European agency, however the score it gets comes with stamp from its Australasian sister organisation, ANCAP.

This is a procedural process but means that the ANCAP rating is only relevant to the 2.2-litre turbodiesel, all-wheel-drive variants – the only choice in Europe - and not any front-wheel-drive, 3.5-litre petrol V6 Sorentos that are built for other places. Those go unrated.

Helping the Sorento achieve its five-star safety rating and 82 per cent score in the Adult Occupant Protection category is the inclusion of a centre airbag, designed to prevent front occupants colliding with one another in a severe side impact.

It is only the third vehicle – and the first family SUV – with such a technology to be tested by Australasian or European safety authorities.

The Sorento received an 89 percent score in the Safety Assist category – the highest since the introduction of ANCAP's stricter 2020 testing protocols – with the safety body celebrating Kia's inclusion of driver attention monitoring as standard, and an autonomous emergency braking system capable of braking for cars turning across intersections.

Kia's new-generation family SUV also earned scores in the Child Occupant Protection and Vulnerable Road User Protection (i.e. cyclists and pedestrians) categories of 85 per cent and 63 per cent respectively.

However, ANCAP's technical report notes 'weak' protection of the driver's chest and upper legs in the frontal offset crash test, and 'poor' protection of a pedestrian's pelvis and head, the latter applying if their head strikes the base of the stiff A-pillars.

The Defender 110 received a solid 85 percent rating in the Adult occupant protection test (scoring 32.5 of 38 points).

 In this test, the Defender scored well in the lateral impact (scoring 15 of 16 points), rear impact (scoring 3.8 of 4 points) and rescue and extrication categories (scoring 2 of 2 points). It was the frontal impact category that the Defender 110 lost points, in scoring 11.7 of 16 points.

In the child occupant test, the Defender scored 85 percent yet again (scoring 41.7 of 49 points). In the Crash Test Performance based on 6- and 10-year-old children category, the Defender received a perfect score (24 of 24 points).

 It scored well in the child restraints (CRS) installation check as well, securing 10.7 out of 12 points. The only area the SUV lost out on was the safety features category (scoring 7 of 13 points), as it doesn’t have integrated child restraints and doesn’t have child-seat mounting points in the middle seat of the second row or in the third row.

The Defender scored 71 percent (38.4 of 48 points) in the vulnerable road users test, with the only major area of concern being the front edge of the bonnet, which provided poor protection to pedestrians. Lastly, it scored 79 percent (12.7 of 16 points) in the safety assist system category.

Defender’s fours hit for six?

They knew the plug-in hybrid petrol drivetrain was coming - the shock news for Land Rover’s distributor in respect to the Defender is hearing the four-cylinder diesels that launched here less than two months are set to be retired soon.

 MORE information about the plug-in hybrid powertrain for the Land Rover Defender has come out, along with shock news – for the local distributor - that the four-cylinder diesels driving the model at present seem for the chop. 

In expressing thought about both, Jaguar Land Rover New Zealand’s top man says while the P400e (above), which blends 44km of pure-electric range with punchy 300kW petrol-fired performance, looks tasty, so much will come to price.

As for the apparent determination to axe the diesels that were front and centre at the national media event for Defender, staged just seven weeks ago? 

Well, that’s come as a shock to general manager Steve Kenchington and he’s been eager to get more information from JLR in the United Kingdom, which appeared to indicate this change in an overnight global release.

If that decision is valid, it’s not clear how much longer this market will be served by the D200 and D240 units that contain in all the launch derivatives.

What is known is that a six-cylinder diesel engine will be introduced in March of 2021. The national franchise already knew that this powerplant would arrive in top line D300 format. It’s the news, broken last night, of less powerful D200 and D250 variants of this unit that has come out of left field. Supposedly, these usurp the D200 four and D240.

Kenchington says there was no indication, when the car hit the market in July, that the four-cylinder option was set to disappear. As of today, he’s still not sure it will. Certainly, the reports have come as a complete surprise.

“It’s a real bombshell. I’m scratching my head on it to be honest. We actually haven’t had any formal notification that the four-cylinders are off the table for us.”

He thinks it all comes back to JLR’s focus on economies of scale and achieving less complexity. 

Defender has been selling brilliantly since release – demand is actually ahead of expectation and the likelihood is at least 350 units being ordered by next March, the end of the local arm’s financial year and just nine months away, when 300 were forecast for the entire calendar year.

He doesn’t think knowledge now that an under-bonnet change is going to diminish enthusiasm for the current engines. 

“If anything, it could be quite the contrary.”

Meantime, the idea of taking a PHEV alongside the current sole petrol choice, a 298kW three-litre six-cylinder (P400) that has 48-volt mild hybrid electrification.

As expected, the drivetrain is from the Range Rover Sport PHEV – so a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine mated to an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery. The combined output of the two systems is 296kW and 650Nm, enough to help the Defender crack the 0-100kmh sprint in 5.6 seconds. It can also tow a trailer up to 3000kg in weight.

It can cover up to 44km on pure-electric power alone and, as electric drive is sent to all four wheels, there’s opportunity for zero-emission off-road driving.

The optimal fuel burn average - under the WLTP testing regime - is just 3.3L/100km, which is the same level as claimed for Toyota’s most efficient car, the Yaris Hybrid, while emitting just 74g/km of CO2. Topping up the battery using a 50kW fast charger, meanwhile, takes just 30 minutes for an 80 percent charge, or two hours using a 7.4kW wallbox home charger.

The diesel drive unwraps in an interesting manner. That the entry six-cylinder will continue with D200 badging might confuse, but has a logic, as it creates identical power as is generated by the current 2.0-litre, 147kW – even though torque lifts, from 430Nm to 500Nm. 

Retiring the D240 designation for D250 is logical, too, as it has 184kW, a 7kW lift, and a than the D240 delivers. Torque climbs to 570Nm.

The top state of tune from the six-cylinder in its flagship D300 tune, meantime, is 221kW and 650Nm. 

The big plus for the six-cylinder is enhanced efficiency, but more in terms of emissions - thanks to 48-volt mild hybrid tech, the D200 and D250 emit 250 g/km.

The story is different in respect to economy. Whereas the four-cylinders’ achieve optimals of 7.6 litres per 100km and 7.7L/100km, the D200 and D250 both average 8.7L/100km. The sixes are sharper in the sprint, though, with ability to hit 100kmh in 10.2 seconds (D200), 8.3s (D250), and 6.7s for the D300.

The new diesels also introduce Intelligent All-Wheel Drive to the Land Rover family: this allows up to 100 percent of engine torque to be diverted to either the front or rear axle if required.

Those engines avail in the current 110 and the incoming shorter 90 body styles, whereas the P400e is available only in the 110 wheelbase, with five or six-seat layouts. The PHEVs also come standard with air suspension and 20-inch alloy wheels.

In some markets, Land Rover has also introduced a new X-Dynamic trim that features a satin black finish for the front and rear bash plates, grille bars, recovery loops and alloy wheels. They also take illuminated tread plates and seats finished in hard-wearing Robustek fabric.

Land Rover has also released more detail on its commercial Defenders, named Hard Top, which maintain only the front seats and convert the remaining cabin space as a fully flat load floor and have a load area partition.

Defender set to lead from front

The old one spent its last years as a niche choice. The new won’t have that luxury – it’s expected to do a big job for Jaguar Land Rover New Zealand.

Paul Ricketts (left) and Steve Kenchington believe Defender will secure up to 30 percent of Land Rover volume within the next 12 months.

THINK Vera Lynn and Adele.

Two huge world-renowned, household name stars but each very much of their own respective times. So much so that no-one would ever imagine the passing of the first would trigger an enhanced allegiance to the other.

It’s the same with the Defender. The old one was such an icon – an automotive Vera, you could say. You’ll never hear Land Rover New Zealand ever say anything less. That it has now gone into history does not demean what it is, what it did, how it should be remembered. 

Of course, at same token, the past is the past and the future belongs to a new Defender. Still hugely rugged off-road, yet obviously from another world in respect to its luxuries, look and tech. Especially tech. It’s jammed with up-to-the-minute assists. One example: ClearSight Ground View technology, which utilises small cameras to film the ground in front of the wheels to show you what you’re about to drive into if you’re off-roading. Personally, I couldn’t get enough of this during the car’s first media drive.

So, yeah, it’s amazingly special. So, even those fans who cannot break away from the illustrious past need excuse the Auckland-domiciled brand for putting their effort into getting the successor line established. 

Though, actually, that’s not the right word. Effort, that is. So far, little of this has been required.

In conversation during the model’s media reveal, Steve Kenchington, the general manager of Jaguar Land Rover’s distributor, Motorcorp, and national JLR product manager Paul Ricketts were delighted to admit the car has so far basically sold itself, with almost every unit in the first shipment of 115 units already accounted for. (Don’t worry, more are coming).

It’s a strong start, one befitting a strong product. On that note, Defender is expected to pull itself out of the rut of niche-dom. It’s back to being what it once was, back in the day before its maker had even discovered the Discovery: A mainstream competitor.

MotoringNZ: “Is it fair to call this your most important model of the past five years?” 

Steve Kenchington: “Without a doubt. I’d suggest it’s probably we will ever have in our careers.”

MNZ: Defender is an icon, but had also become remarkable niche in its it final decade – basically, by then it had fallen out of all workplace use. Taking into account that Land Rover has developed Hardtop models that are designed for work, how challenging will it be the re-establish it in that sphere, or have those days gone?

Kenchington: “I don’t think they have gone. We’re still researching and undertaking some analysis about what we might be able to do with the commercial vehicles. I’d just point out that there is a lot of DNA from the old Defender that has gone into the new one. Which is why I think the pursists are going to love the new Defender. 

“We certainly think we are going to capture some of them (the old model’s fanbase). But we also think this new vehicle is going to provide a much bigger audience.”

MNZ: “On that note, it we look forward to this time next year, what percentage of total Land Rover volume should new Defender be achieving? 

Kenchington: “It’s a quite difficult to say … it’s not a Discovery, even though it reaches into the Discovery price area, and it’s not a Range Rover. Even though we expect a lot of early adopters will be buying the very high spec editions to start, we think the main thrust will be from the D240 in the $115,000 price area. 

“Yes, it will cross over into Discovery, but I think they are two very different customer sets.

“In terms of our overall volume? We’re thinking it could achieve 25 to 30 percent. And 90 percent of that we see as being incremental.”

MNZ: “Just getting back to the  ‘purist’ viewpoint of this car – do you really care if some fans of the old one just cannot see anything to like from the new; does it matter?

Kenchington: “It does to me. Old Defender is an icon and certainly during the design, build and testing phases it was always about trying to create another icon. We want the purists to love it … so long as they understand that it has had to evolve into what it has become today. 

“For the survival of a brand you have got to get volume.”

MNZ: “Speaking of that, you seem to have got of to an excellent start, with almost your first shipment already accounted for. A good sign of it being what the market is waiting for?”

Paul Ricketts: “115 have landed in the country and we expected more than 300 over the next year. The supply chain for Defender is solid. Defender has been a key focus for Land Rover and so, where some of the factories were affected more by Covid, Defender production was able to continue on.”

MNZ: As you say, the Defender plant in Slovakia seems to have escaped the coronavirus crisis. But, of course, car plants in the United Kingdom – from where the majority of Jaguar Land Rover product still sources – were hit. Is there concern that some other product lines by be hit by supply shortages?

Kenchington: “We haven’t seen it. Our volumes are extremely strong at the moment and it’s across all the model line ups. Top-end volume has been remarkably strong, but we’ve seen good sales across Discovery, Discover Sport and Range Rover Evoque and Velar.  We’re getting a really good mix of volume.

“From Defender point of view, we always anticipated 300 for the year but we are already realigning that, to 400 unites, based on the initial inquiry levels we’ve had.”

MNZ: “So the commonly-heard viewpoint from thin industry at the moment about how people are buying cars because they cannot take expensive holidays overseas is ringing true?

Kenchington: “Absolutely. It’s very true.”

MNZ: “Your main thrust in the initial period will be with D240 and the P400, but do you imagine these will be the mainstay choices in the long run? 

Ricketts: “Over this year it will be the D240 SE. Going forward we will have the D300 with the in-line six-cylinder Ingenium diesel and we can see that becoming very strong.”

MNZ: “Keeping with engines, it’s all but confirmed that the line will include another petrol V8 – in SVX guise - and that there is also a plug-in hybrid coming; what can you tell us about those and where do they fit in to your planning?

Kenchington: “We’re really excited … we can’t wait! We don’t know too much about SVX but there is a lot of expectation around it. It’s going to be the very extreme off-road vehicle of the same flavour as the very extreme Discovery that got put on ice because they’ve decided to launch it in Defender first.

“We’re very excited for that and see a strong market for it. Land Rover has established a strong SV (special vehicles) credibility.”

 Ricketts: “We’ve already had lots of customers inquire about the plug-in hybrid. It’ll be available next year with the P300 engine and 100PS of battery.”

Range Rover Sport engine swap

Going straight takes literal meaning with this model in turbodiesel form.

A REVISION that hits the Range Rover Sport for six within the engine bay has been announced.

The biggest element of an update for the model is the retirement of its Ford-sourced V6 turbodiesel for an in-line equivalent that’s Land Rover’s own work.

The unit from the make’s Ingenium family is also a mild-hybrid, and provisions in three formats, labelled D250, D300 and D350. Power outputs range between 183kW and 257kW (D250 and D350).

The D350 is the geekiest, as in addition to using a single twin-scroll turbo and continuously variable valve lift to maximise power and efficiency where it can, it also has 48v mild hybrid tech and an electronic supercharger. The cited 0-100kmh time is 6.5 seconds, and it produces a CO2 output of 237g/km. 

The Sport still continues in petrol-powered options, so all in all it produces with nine different drivetrains, including the plug-in hybrid P400 and the V8-powered P525 and P575.

To mark the arrival of these new straight-six diesels, the Sport also gets a number of new special editions - the HSE Silver, HSE Dynamic Black and the model featuring in today’s images, the SVR Carbon Edition, which as you'd expect is dripping with carbon fibre detailing.

Visible carbon fibre elements include the exposed centre section of the carbon fibre bonnet with integrated cooling vents, the front bumper insert surrounds, main grille and vent surrounds, mirror covers and tailgate finisher. There are extended trim finishers on the SVR-branded steering wheel and a Carbon Fibre Engine Cover. In addition, the SVR Carbon Edition features Exclusive Illuminated SVR Carbon Edition treadplates. It runs on 22-inch five split-spoke lightweight alloy wheels finished in Gloss Black. Subtle? Not in the slightest.

The exclusive 423kW/700Nm 5.0-litre V8 supercharged engine delivers 0-100kmh in 4.5s, top speed of 283kmh and, the brand assures, provisions a “distinctive soundtrack.” The model also has SVR Performance seats, Sports Command driving position and a driver-focused cabin.

Range Rover says this Sport SVR is “the most dynamic Range Rover ever.” Coupled with bespoke enhancements to the chassis, the SVR delivers more dynamic handling without compromising traditional Range Rover comfort or all-terrain capability. The engineers at Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations focused on controlling pitch under heavy acceleration and braking, and the damping hardware is tuned to provide exceptional turn-in, mid-corner grip and body control. 

Other new features across the range for 2021 include an updated infotainment system, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard across, and in-built 4G wifi with up to eight connections. Spotify is now included. There's a new air purification system, which Land Rover says helps with driver alertness and passenger comfort.

The New Zealand distributor has yet to release detail about what models are coming and when.

JLR finance offer set to spur rival actions?

Incentives to jolly up consumer interest in new cars could become a new norm.

Diminished interest in new vehicles seems a certainty this year, the industry believes.

DETERMINATION by Jaguar Land Rover’s distributor to offer deferred payment finance deals on new vehicles has raised interest within the industry.

Thought from onlookers is that it’s a behaviour that can be expected to increase as dealers and distributors work to recover from the drop-off in economic activity, not just the impact of lost trading during Level One lockdown but also to counter the likelihood of tougher times ahead.

 There’s some belief, too, that premium car brands in particular will set the pace with an increasing count of stimulus and relief programmes. In addition to special financing, enhanced warranties might also become a pitch.

The impact of the economic shutdown to contain the Covid-19 pandemic has been especially hard on the car industry.

At international level, assembly lines remain either closed or at least constrained by social distancing requirements and logistics spanning parts supply to vehicle delivery have been unsettled.

Customers keen to sign up for expensive metal facing longer wait times is an annoyance, but the real challenge is what Jaguar Land Rover New Zealand appears to be now preparing for – a prospect of diminished retail spending. 

 The high-end sector is obviously at highest risk if new car sales fall by between 40-50 percent for the remainder of the year, as predicted by some participants.

The $150,000-plus sector was showing clear signs of softening well before coronavirus became a factor; with some signs of decline revealing in early mid-2019.

incoming new Defender is exempted from the opportunity.

In recent weeks, too, there have been examples of prestige car owners divesting their expensive wheels to free up capital – sometimes at no small pain. Talk of high-end product that even in normal times might half in value within the first year  of ownership being divested well below even that is beginning to emerge.

Processes to buoy consumer faith during Covid-19 are also involving mainstream operators.

Hyundai New Zealand set a tone in extending warranties from early April, when lockdown conditions were more onerous, a move that affected more than 2000 vehicles.

It has also instigated Hyundai Assurance, which provides customers who lose their job within the first six months of entering into the finance agreement with the option of deferred interest and principal payments for up to six months. The NZ programme appears to ape one Hyundai first set in place in the United States amid the financial crisis of 2008 and now restored as coronavirus runs rampant there.  

Industry involvers speaking on condition of anonymity in wake of the JLR NZ announcement believe other competitors will likely also be looking at unrolling new and creative of maintaining customer confidence and bolstering sales volume. 

Announcement of the move arrives at an interesting time for the British manufacturer 

It is likely no more than an unhappy coincidence that the local initiative’s announcement came in a period of reports about JLR in the United Kingdom being in talks to borrow more than one billion pounds (more than $NZ2 billion) availed by an emergency coronavirus lending programme set up by the British government.

The marques are represented in New Zealand by Motorcorp Distributors, which founded in 2006. The makes represent in eight dealerships nationally.

JLR New Zealand explains its motivation for the 48 months option arranged through Heartland Bank at a rate of 2.95 percent. is to capitalise on low interest rates and provide business continuity for its dealers.

The deal includes 12 months of deferred payment and is available on Land Rovers and Jaguars already landed in New Zealand and in stock – and thus excludes the new Defender, set to arrive in July or August.

“Our role as an importer is to provide business continuity for our retailer network, whilst passing on any finance terms we can negotiate to our customers,” says general manager Steve Kenchington.

“The 12 months deferred payment offer … allows customers to drive away in their vehicle today whilst incurring no repayments until June 2021.

 “If the customer currently has an existing finance plan with us, they can terminate it, use any additional equity in the vehicle as the required 20 percent deposit and enjoy no repayments for 12 months,” says Kenchington.

“In such unknowing times we understand the need for lateral thought and creative solutions to drive business continuity and adapt to customer needs. 

Observers suggest the scheme is not entirely dissimilar to pre-coronavirus incentives that ask for programmed payments of ‘one third’ over set periods, starting with the initial down payment.

“On that basis, it is all interest-free,” said one. “They (JLR NZ) are covering at least the cost of the interest.”

In this scenario, it was suggested, a weight of risk falls as heavily on Heartland as it might on the distributor, which had reduced some of its risk through seeking a 20 percent deposit.

However, the great imponderable as always in depreciation, which has historically been particularly savage nationally as result of the free market attitude.

“Everything is worth less now than it was before Covid, maybe at least 10 percent, perhaps more.”

So, in respect to the JLR proposal, “it will still be upside down after 12 months because the car is unlikely to be worth 80 percent of its purchase price by then.

“It’s a very strong offer.”

F-PACE has been a solid seller for JLR NZ.

JLR defiance as market toughens

 In the face of black clouds … is one brand channelling the Black Knight?

updated f-type will be at forefront of JLR’s local effort this year.

PRODUCTION lines halted, factories closed, new models delayed, registrations at the lowest since … well, forever in some countries. 

Certainly, it seems fair to suggest the global coronavirus crisis has caused no small amount of pain to the car industry and probability of more discomfort ahead seems unavoidable.

The New Zealand forecast of 2020 delivering around 40-45 percent fewer new car sales compared with 2019’s national tally is actually optimistic compared with others being expressed elsewhere around the world.

In face of all this, what brand would dare demonstrate a degree of stiff upper lip against-whatever-odds’ defiance?

Step forward SVO, the performance division of Jaguar Land Rover.

Primarily taking this moment to celebrate how well it is done in the past 12 months – both globally and in New Zealand – it is also expressing a touch of confidence about the future being … well, if not outright bright, then perhaps ‘less bleak. 

Admittedly, even that level of quiet confidence will jar with how others see it.

And, assuredly, there’s still so much uncertainty about the market condition that what might for now seem to be a reflection of the spirit that kept Britain chipper after Dunkirk might yet equate to the outright nutsy ballsiness of the famous Black Knight of Monty Python and the Holy Grail movie fame who, you might recall, was so staunch in his refusal to give up that, even when reduced to a limbless torso, he wanted to fight on claiming those injuries were but a flesh wound.

Still, SVO having achieved record worldwide sales for the most recent fiscal year reminds that the Brit battler is making good gains in a sector where Mercedes-AMG and BMW’s M Division in particular have long held the high ground.

That success has been particularly felt on New Zealand soil, where the Kiwi pick of the very fast, very powerful, very loud and quite expensive versions of Jaguar Land Rover road cars and sports utilities has been a model that has impacted significantly everywhere, the F-Pace SVR.

Jaguar NZ general manager Steve Kenchington can be rightly proud that the $157,900 supercharged V8 flagship has nabbed 35 percent of local F-Pace volume, a rate that puts up well above the global average. 

Of course, as impressive as the local effort’s cited 175 percent year-on-year climb in volume sounds, it pays to bear in mind that the total count of SVO product sold here comes to a modest count. 

That just 157 units across the Land Rover and Jaguar portfolios in total came from the SVO operation reminds how exclusive this option is. Also, how expensive.

roaring f-pace svr has been a stalwart in this market.

What imprint the hottest F-Pace can present in the future is less certain. The car’s 404kW/680Nm 5.0-litre eight-cylinder is set to soon be discontinued, with Jaguar switching to an alternate engine from BMW. 

Perhaps what’s especially plucky, all the same, is brand sentiment that, once we put this coronavirus issue behind us, Kiwi enthusiasts will again be keen to rev up their buy-in these understandably expensive products.

According to a local spokesman: “The demand (for SVO) is such that when we enter a more normalised world post Covid-19, we will be keen to restart SV specific drive days for our customers.”

There’ll be a new hero to try on those occasions, in the form of the updated and extensively re-engineered F-Type.

Meantime, Kenchington reckons the strong sales in the New Zealand market reflect Kiwi’s love for SV products “and their more sophisticated buying habits when it comes to performance vehicles.”

“While the SV product range has assisted Jaguar Land Rover New Zealand’s total sales growth over the last 12 months, the introduction of new technologies in electrification have meant that we are also able to offer the likes of World Car of the Year Jaguar I-Pace.

“Being able to deliver such strong innovation in quite different parts of the market is a testament to the incredibly hard work and innovation that is taking place at our factories,.”

rang rover svr product has also resonated

The F-Pace aside, SVO has identified the Range Rover SVAutobiography as another particular winner that helped towards total sales of over 9500 cars.

But about that I-Pace. SVO ‘s overall boss, Michael van der Sande, has confirmed that his division is set to launch its first all-electric car within a few years.

However, in spite of SVO developing and running the I-Pace in the e-Tophy race series that supports Formula E, the battery crossover will not be the first electric car to receive an SVO makeover.

Speaking to Britain’s Auto Express magazine, van der Sande said: "We will be developing electrified versions of our cars, be that fully electrified or plug-in hybrids.

“I-Pace is not on that path, but there are various other things we are working on which we can’t talk about, but we’re very interested in electrification. That’s why we get involved in the eTrophy. 

“The technology transfer, the learning applies to that car and other cars but we’re not planning an SVR I-Pace at the moment.”

Part of that reason could be because the I-Pace sits on its own unique all-electric platform that won’t be used for any other JLR product.

The new XJ luxury sedan, to be unveiled later this year, will be the first car to make use of JLR’s new MLA architecture that’s set to be used across the entire large Jaguar and Land Rover product line-up in the coming years.

SVO’s boss has suggested it makes more sense for his division to work on that platform, making an XJ SVR a possibility, with the high-performance technology then rolling on to other all-electric models.

Another all-electric, full-size Jaguar J-Pace SUV and an as-yet unnamed Land Rover crossover are also ikely to use the MLA electric car platform.

Evoque, Disco Sport plugged but not priced

The old adventurer has a fancy new tool in its off-road kit – but whether it’ll chart a course here comes down to price.

EVEREST-rated sleeping bag and tent, multi-tool, freeze-dried food but perhaps no need for a jerry can of fuel as you’ll be heading into the rough with a three-cylinder petrol engine with electric motor that’ll give a Toyota Prius a run for ultra-efficiency.

The announcement of plug-in hybrid versions of the Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Discovery Sport remind this famous off-road brand is packing for new kinds of adventures these days.

This greater involvement with electric drivetrains won’t just touch into the small, more city-favoured cars. It is highly probable Land Rover is set to introduce new mild-hybrid six-cylinder diesel engines to the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport within a few months effectively spelling an end to the V8 diesel. 

However, the big push starts with the smaller cars, just-revealed in the United Kingdom.

And set to show in New Zealand when exactly? Jaguar Land Rover New Zealand says it certainly has interest in the product – but not the price the maker is setting for it.

 Says product manager Paul Ricketts: “We are currently in pricing negotiations with the central team on these models.

“The pricing we have at the moment does not allow for the models to be competitive in New Zealand.”

Exactly what premium those P300e variants hold is anyone’s guess, as UK pricing has yet to be made public.

These editions are the first to use Land Rover's new Premium Transverse Architecture, which allows them to use plug-in technology for the first time and despite perception about this drivetrain approach being a touch ‘lite’, the maker categorically assures it’ll survive exploration outings of the Ureweras and Central Otago. 

The hybrid system combines a 149kW turbocharged three-cylinder 1.5-litre petrol engine with a 81kW electric motor fed from a 15kWh battery stack, tucked under the rear seats.

The combined power output of both cars is 230kW, with 540Nm of torque. That's good enough for the Evoque to achieve 0-100kmh in 6.1 seconds and the Land Rover in 6.6s. 

Claimed fuel economy and emissions are an eye-opener. Just 1.4 litres per 100km with emissions of just 32g/km, while the slightly larger, heavier, Discovery Sport scores 1.6 litres per 100km and 36g/km of CO2. Both cars can travel for more than 60km on a fully-charged battery - 66km for the Evoque and 62km for the Discovery, both capable of speeds of up to 135kmh on battery power alone.

It’s a technology leap that has been tackled with typical Land Rover ingenuity. The engine is effectively an Ingenium four-cylinder with a pot lopped off the end, which makes it 37kg lighter than the donor. 

The PHEV technology marks a major change in Land Rover's four-wheel drive technology. For the first time on a four-wheel drive Land Rover model, there's no transfer box, and no propshaft going to the rear wheels. Instead, the rear of the car uses Electric Rear Axle Drive (ERAD) tech. The electric motor drives the rear wheels at speeds of up to 135kmh, after which it's decoupled to reduce transmission drag and save even more fuel.

There's also a new brake-by-wire system which maximises brake energy recuperation, and an on-board 7kW charging system for topping up the battery. Both cars can rapid-charge from 0-80 percent in 30 minutes. From a domestic socket, charging takes six hours and 42 minutes, while from a 7kW home charger box, it takes one hour and 24 minutes to reach 80 percent.

When running in hybrid mode, the vehicle's electronics use Predictive Energy Optimisation (PEO) tech, which combines inputs from the steering, throttle, and brake as well as localised GPS data and the sat-nav destination to best juggle the mixture of petrol and battery power.

The engine drives the front wheels through an updated eight-speed automatic transmission.

Nick Rogers, Jaguar Land Rover Executive Director of Product Engineering assures the models still meet traditional requirements.  

The drivetrain lends “fantastic all-wheel drive capability and the perfect blend of performance, depending on your driving style” while the cars maintain “the same awesome capability and composure with all-electric driving and stunning efficiency, both on- and off-road.”