Jaguar Land Rover flaunts British ambience

The seductive design, powerful performance and agile steering and refined drive make a British Jaguar Land Rover stand out from other premium cars in the market, including German vehicles, according to Dmitry Kolchanov.

“The unique aluminum technologies we have ... with that lightweight technology, you get high fuel efficiencies and, of course, with that 1,999 cc-engine, the performance is very impressive,” said Kolchanov, Jaguar Land Rover  Regional Director, Overseas Marketing Sales and Service, who is in charge of overseas marketing sales and service except four markets -- the U.K., U.S., Europe and China.

Kolchanov made the comments about the Jaguar XE, the newly introduced entry-level sedan, during an interview with The Korea Herald after Seoul Motor Show’s media preview.

Besides the Jaguar XE, the British carmaker introduces the Land Rover Discovery Sport, the other entry model at the motor show, and two special models-Jaguar’s F-type Project 7 and Land Rover’s Range Rover Sport SVR, both of which are developed by the company’s Special Vehicle Operations team.

“The Jaguar Land Rover is still designed and engineered in Britain. There is something quirky about being British and if you get inside the car, there is a sense of drama and occasion,” added Del Sehmar, head of international PR liaison.

Such an attraction has driven the growth of Jaguar Land Rover in Korea -- the brand has achieved an average of 40 percent growth over the past five years. From the best-selling XP sedans to the F-type sports cars and Range Rover luxury SUV, 6,664 units were sold in 2014.

At the motor show, the company introduced new high-end models, such as the F-type Project 7 and Range Rover Sport SVR, alongside the Jaguar XE.

“Korea is still a relatively small market, but in terms of potential, it has a lot to offer,” Kolchanov said, explaining the company’s strategy of adopting cars at both ends of the price scale.

“Having entry models is very important because it opens up the territory of customers who will progress through their life cycle. We encourage them to buy the next model and grow with us for many years to come. Having an F-type sports car is equally important because it shows what the brand is capable of doing,” he said.

The company is now planning on investing 150 billion won into strengthening its customer service and sales network, on top of its newly-extended parts logistics center, in an effort to further penetrate into the fast-growing Korean market.

The British automaker will also strengthen its financial services and credit programs for younger customers, who may not have a large disposable income.


By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)