DRIVING FORWARD

Here’s a question for you. What was the hottest‑selling luxury brand in the U.S. in 2011? If you said Land Rover, go straight to the top of the class, writes Chris Marchand, Executive Vice President, Operations, Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC.

With our 2011 sales up a remarkable 20 percent, we scored the largest improvement, percentage‑wise, of any of our competitors. Better than BMW, better than Mercedes‑Benz, better than Porsche, Lexus and Audi.

Land Rover is on a roll right now. Last year was our best sales year since 2007 with precisely 38,099 vehicles finding new buyers. The Range Rover Sport continued to be our volume leader ‑ up 24 percent from 2010 ‑ followed by our flagship Range Rover model ‑ up 11 percent, and the re‑designed Land Rover LR4 saw a 12 percent gain.

Add to these the success of our new 2012 Range Rover Evoque. It hit the market running in October, and in just three months, accounted for 2,244 sales. Demand continues to far exceed supply.

So why did Land Rover have such a landmark year? It’s down to a multitude of reasons. First and foremost, our current line‑up is the strongest we’ve ever had, offering that unrivaled combination of luxury, capability and value.

The dramatic changes we made for 2010, with new 5.0‑liter AJV8 powerplants, fresh exteriors and interiors, and greatly‑improved quality, really changed the perception that buyers had of the Land Rover brand. Further improvements for the 2011 models only added to its appeal.

We also saw a rebound, from an economic standpoint, in some of our key markets. While the Northeast has always been a Land Rover stronghold, 2011 saw solid sales increases across the country but particularly in those areas hardest hit by the recession ‑ in South Florida and along the West Coast.

I also think all the pre‑launch publicity for the 2012 Range Rover Evoque helped increase the awareness of the Land Rover brand in general. So far our new luxury compact SUV has collected more than 50 key awards and recognitions ‑ Motor Trend’s 2012 Sport/Utility of the Year and Autoweek’s “Best of Best” Truck award to name just two. That increase in brand awareness has been reflected by a significant boost in showroom traffic.

I believe our customers continue to gain confidence in our vehicles when they see the Range Rover Sport and the Range Rover Evoque winning top Residual Value Awards from Automotive Lease Guide in 2011.

There’s also a renewed focus, enthusiasm and energy within the company these days. Last year saw us make several senior management changes that allowed us to bring in key managers from other parts of the luxury business. Fresh ideas and out‑of‑the‑box thinking is paying off.

One thing is for sure; expect this momentum to continue as we drive forward in 2012. These are truly exciting times at Land Rover, and we have a lot more on the horizon. Keep checking in; 2012 is shaping up to be another exciting year for the brand.