Land Rover Jiguang powers into luxury SUV segment

Christopher Brown, executive vice-president of Jaguar Land Rover China, poses with new model. [China Daily]

The car was previously showcased in Europe and the US. The company expects to create another, even bigger, storm of interest by bringing it to China.

On show are two versions of the Evoque: a coupe and a five-door version. The company said sales will kick off in China in the second half next year.

Christopher Brown, executive vice-president of Jaguar Land Rover China, also unveiled the Chinese name of the Evoque at the show - Jiguang, meaning polar light.

"Polar light is created by a moment of inspiration in nature - a light of great beauty that touches all who see it, inspiring and evocative just like this new Range Rover," he said.

Brown said he hopes the name Jiguang will bring the same emotional feeling to the Chinese customers as Evoque does to Western consumers, reflecting the "exclusivity of the car" and its "urban elegance".

"We believe we are actually going to create a new segment (with the product) that is exclusive to us," Brown said, noting that the car will definitely appeal to a new group of customers that are "young, socially adventurous and have a genuine appreciation of style and design".

"They may have considered a Land Rover at some time in their life. Today we've got the product to fit their lifestyle," he said.

With a 240 hp 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine and a body made with special lightweight materials, the Evoque is also "an excellent demonstration of the marque's commitment to environmental sustainability", Brown said.

Land Rover now imports all five nameplates in China - Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Freelander, Discovery and Defender.

The all-new Range Rover Evoque will "undoubtedly make a major contribution to Land Rover's continued success in China", Brown said.

Last year, China became the third-largest market for Land Rover worldwide with delivery of more than 11,500 cars.

In the first 11 months this year, Land Rover's sales in China has rocketed 101 percent to more than 20,000 units as it benefits from the "very strong SUV market in China", Brown said.

He noted that growth also came from the brand's own efforts in bringing its best and latest product to the Chinese market and expanding dealer network in the country.

This year, Land Rover has brought its 2011 Range Rover, 2011 Range Rover sport, Discovery 4 and Freelander 2 to the market in China. It also launched the Defender in March.

According to Brown, Land Rover will have 60 dealer outlets in China by the end of this year and a total of 100 by the end of 2011.

"We are starting to reach into markets where we didn't have representation before, but have customers, so we obviously want to bring the Land Rover brand to them," he said.

To support rapid expansion of its dealer network, the company put great effort in dealer training and building parts warehouse in China, Brown said.

Last summer, Jaguar Land Rover set up a parts distribution center in Beijing and a training academy in Shanghai.

More facilities will be opened next year, according to the company.

Brown said they will also continue to bring the Land Rover to Chinese customers by establishing experience centers, organizing test drives and other lifestyle-oriented events.

"We continue to see passion for the brand is shared more and more in China - we are very excited."

According to Brown, both in the third and fourth quarter this year, Land Rover's plants in Britain made "significant increases in production allocation for China" to meet the current demand and plan for next year.

Its January-to-November tally of 20,000 is the actual number of cars delivered to customers, while Land Rover still has 7,000 orders from China waiting in line, Brown said.

Encouraged by the increasing demand and huge growth potential, the company has a plan to manufacture vehicles in the country.

"But it is very early in the process - there is really no news to report at this time," Brown said.

He noted that the company is in a process of implementing a long-term strategy in the country. "Jaguar and Land Rover are very committed to China and attach great importance to the Chinese market."

The managing director of Jaguar Land Rover's China operation since 2005, Brown took his position as executive vice president four months ago and is now responsible for communications, corporate affairs and regulatory planning.

"I've been very fortunate to be able to lead the commercial side of Jaguar Land Rover in China for five years. Now I am even more fortunate to be able to try to lead the business in a different way," Brown said.

In his view, Chinese government has made strong effort in managing the automotive industry, so with his rich work experience in the nation, Brown has to help understand the local market and policies to align the company to the future trends.

He also noticed the traffic congestion in China's big cities. Brown said that there are many ways to manage urban traffic and car companies have to be involved and be part of the transportation solution by offering better products instead of limiting customer choice.