How the Range Rover Evoque has changed JLR for the better

The Jaguar Land Rover success story rolls on, but the impact of the Range Rover Evoque on the successful company we know today cannot be overstated.

It was daring enough as a concept car in 2008 when it was revealed, let alone as a production vehicle in 2011. Parent firm Tata Motors took a huge risk in putting it into production, particularly given the global financial crisis that was gripping the world and, not least, JLR’s own problems, with at one point a decision having been taken to close one of its three factories in the UK.

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In 2009, Land Rover made just 144,371 cars in total. By 2012, the Evoque’s first full year of production, Land Rover’s sales had more than doubled to 303,296 units.

In 2016, it reached 434,582 units. The Evoque has been a smash-hit success, providing not only huge sales but also huge profit margins, with most customers regularly parting with well over £40,000 for the high-spec models in the range. Not bad for a model that has its origins in a previous-generation Ford Focus.

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Not only did the Evoque transform the financial fortunes of the company, it altered the mindset, too.

Mark Tisshaw

Title: Editor

Mark is a journalist with more than a decade of top-level experience in the automotive industry. He first joined Autocar in 2009, having previously worked in local newspapers. He has held several roles at Autocar, including news editor, deputy editor, digital editor and his current position of editor, one he has held since 2017.

From this position he oversees all of Autocar’s content across the print magazine, autocar.co.uk website, social media, video, and podcast channels, as well as our recent launch, Autocar Business. Mark regularly interviews the very top global executives in the automotive industry, telling their stories and holding them to account, meeting them at shows and events around the world.

Mark is a Car of the Year juror, a prestigious annual award that Autocar is one of the main sponsors of. He has made media appearances on the likes of the BBC, and contributed to titles including What Car?, Move Electric and Pistonheads, and has written a column for The Sun.

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Peter Cavellini 16 December 2017

Hmmmmm.....!

Only one this side of the Pomd to market an SUV with a Ragtop.....!

Phil R 30 November 2017

Yes, anything with a RR badge

Yes, anything with a RR badge on it will sell, but when the concept came out in 2008 it blew everyone's doors off. That they managed to keep it as close as they did for production was brave as hell, so all credit to them. Yes the other cars in the range have followed that style, but given it's success stylistically, would you deliberately make the others worse looking cars?

wheelman 28 November 2017

The design function left the Customer Service team behind.

JLR has rightly achieved some considerable success based on world-class design. Julian Thompson, Callum and McGovern have built teams that have transformed the company, backed by solid investment. Unfortunately the customer services team still seems to think its the 1970's and the Winter of Discontent.

289 28 November 2017