Huge change for legendary brand

In what could signal a monumental change in direction, Jaguar Land Rover has farewelled the designer responsible for some of its most iconic models.

Gerry McGovern, who served as a design director at JLR since 2004, was responsible for a design renaissance at the company. He led the design of the brand’s comparatively successful era in the 2010s, which included the Range Rover Evoque, Land Rover Discovery Sport, Range Rover Sport (L494) and Discovery 4.

McGovern recently oversaw the design of the controversial, but successful, new-generation Defender, which replaced the brand’s historic original ladder-frame Series models in 2019.

His last design to make it to the public realm is perhaps his most controversial yet, the Jaguar Type 00 concept. It was said to be inspired by Renaissance architecture, and at the time was seen as a harbinger for a re-booted Jaguar for the electric era.

The concept and its associated reveal video was not well received by the public. Jaguar said its evolution would move it into an ultra-premium market segment rather than the BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi rival, which it had previously been.

A four-door Porsche Taycan rival, which has been spotted testing, is expected to be the first model in the brand’s new electrified line-up using styling cues from the Type 00 concept.

McGovern’s reported exit comes amidst corporate change for Jaguar Land Rover, with a new CEO taking up the reins after recent management departures.

The new leader, PB Balaji, was appointed from JLR’s parent company, Tata motors. He was the Indian giant’s CFO previously, and the departure of McGovern shortly after his taking the reins could indicate a change in direction for the storied automaker.

Other massive changes in store for the brand include the incoming re-boot of the Freelander marque as a sub-brand, leveraging the company's joint-venture with Chinese giant Chery.

The incoming range of Freelander SUVs are expected to use Chery's next-generation E0X platform, which is designed to more cost-effectively support electrified powertrains, and the SUVs will initially be built at the JV's Changshu plant in China.

Land Rover has had a decent year so far in Australia, with sales up 8.3 per cent. By far its best seller is the Defender, which is up 22.6 per cent until the end of October, moving 3379 units.

Its next most popular model is the Range Rover Sport (1982 units, up 7.3 per cent), while the full-size Range Rover, Velar, Discovery Sport, and fifth-generation Discovery have all amassed less than 400 units this year.

Jaguar, meanwhile, has dwindled to just 479 units total this year, moving just 13 units in October, mostly of remaining stock of the F-Pace SUV. The brand has no new product on the immediate horizon for Australia, suggesting its prolonged hiatus will continue.