Range Rover, Defender and Discovery to lose ‘Land Rover’ name

British car giant Jaguar Land Rover has confirmed that the original name ‘Land Rover’, which has been used since the off-road legend’s inception in 1948, is being controversially discarded.

The range of 4X4 ​​models will be sold with standalone nameplates meaning vehicles including the Range Rover, Defender and Discovery will lose the 75 year old Land Rover branding.

Land Rover will instead be used as an umbrella ‘Trademark’ and while the famous green oval badge will appear on grills, the name will no longer appear prominently on the front of retailers.

Instead, over a rectangular black arc will be the names of the individual vehicles such as Range Rover or Defender, without the ‘Land Rover’ oval, a company spokesman said.

Jaguar Land Rover also announced that with immediate effect going forward, the company will be officially known as JLR, which will be its new overarching corporate identity.

JLR insisted it would not scrap the traditional green oval Land Rover badge, but that it will be much less prominent and relegated to a minor role as a so-called ‘Trust Mark’.

The badge will continue to appear on the grille of its 4X4 vehicles and in the interior and on certain branded parts, JLR insisted.

It added: ‘Land Rover will stay. It’s strong, it’s known, and we’ll use that collective power to give our brands authenticity and purpose. The Land Rover name will remain on our vehicles, reinforcing our off-road credentials and technological capabilities.”

Professor Gerry McGovern, JLR’s design chief, said the move to drop the Land Rover name from the wider vehicle range was made for ‘clarity’ as customers already referred to their vehicles as this, rather than ‘Land Rover Range’ Robber’.

How well this resonates with customers who regularly refer to their Land Rover Defender or Land Rover Discovery remains to be seen.

Announcing the final phase of its restructuring and relaunch, JLR also highlighted a £15 billion investment over five years in the brand’s industrial footprint, vehicle programs and the development of autonomous, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies.

With Jaguar becoming an all-electric manufacturer of premium cars in 2025 – with a GT grand tourer the first of three new models – the marque said its Halewood plant in Merseyside will become an electric-only production facility.

The British car giant confirmed that since the company was founded in 1948, the original ‘Land Rover’ name for the company’s off-road vehicles has been controversially shelved to be used only as an umbrella ‘hallmark’.

The Defender will no longer have Land Rover for its official name, JLR confirmed

Discovery models will also lose the Land Rover name from their official name

The Wolverhampton Engine Manufacturing Centre, which currently makes petrol and diesel engines, will also undergo changes and be renamed the ‘Electric Propulsion Manufacturing Centre’.

Bosses also confirmed that the next-generation mid-sized SUV architecture it launches will be purely electric, with pre-order books for its battery-powered Range Rover opening later this year ahead of its arrival in 2025.

It will be built at the Halewood electric vehicle-converted factory in a move that “further confirms JLR’s commitment to the future of the UK motor industry,” the brand said.

However, the future of the Castle Bromwich factory in Birmingham is less certain.

The manufacturer said: ‘In positive news for the future of the historic Castle Bromwich site, JLR confirmed that its stamping facilities that prepare pressed bodywork for JLR’s vehicles will be expanded to play a key role in the electric future of the company, providing bodywork for the next generation of electric vehicles.”

But it later noted: ‘JLR continues to explore options for other parts of the Castle Bromwich site.’

JLR’s Halewood factory in Merseyside (pictured) will be an electric-only production facility

However, the future of JLR’s Castle Bromwich facility in Birmingham is less certain. Bosses said they are considering their options

Professor Gerry McGovern, JLR’s design chief, said the move to remove the Land Rover brand from the wider vehicle range was made for ‘clarity’ as customers already referred to their vehicles as this, rather than ‘Land Rover Range’ Robber’.

Chief executive Adrian Mardell reaffirmed the company’s commitment to its Reimagine strategy, which he believes will reposition the company as a highly profitable, electric, modern luxury carmaker by 2030.

He added that the brand had already made great strides in reducing debt and increasing the profitability of every car sold.

Many of the 40,000 employees will be retrained for an electric future, but he couldn’t rule out changes in the workforce.

Mardell said: “Two years ago we launched our Reimagine strategy and we have made great strides since then, including the launch of two new acclaimed modern luxury Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models, joining the Defender family, to which a record demand.

“We achieved this while coping with the headwinds of the pandemic and chip shortages, and successfully ramped up production of our most profitable models to post a profit in the third quarter.”

He added: “Today I am proud to announce that we are accelerating our electrification path, making one of our UK factories and our next-generation midsize luxury SUV architecture fully electric.

“This investment will enable us to deliver on our modern luxury electric future, develop new skills and reaffirm our commitment to be net zero carbon by 2039.”