And here's a 130 300Tdi with a volume of 2.8. The car is completely new built on a new frame with a new engine, a new automatic transmission with HD torque converter, a new hub, new HD cardanes from Bailey Morris, new Hd semiaxes from Ashcroft, just a complete new car. The residential superstructure is also new and completed in summer 2021. I'm looking forward to my family trips.

 

I have a 2023 on order P300 110 Base
Status Order Confirmed
Last Amendment Possible 4/13/22
Build Date 5/13/22
Delivery Date 7/8/22

 

I thank you for your honest and I think accurate statements. I totally agree. JLR sells 125,000 cars/suv in the US and i am guessing that less than 10% keep their purchase/lease more than 48 months. With some of the highest depreciation in the industry (depreciate 63% after 5 years) the used buyers are getting a great product cheap. these are the owners who will ever see 6 digit mileage. Repair costs are the real killer of used luxury cars like ours.

 

My guy at the LR/Jag dealership has told me that all the 6cylinder jags he has tried to order got cancelled and not sure when they will resume. Also told me it's be easier to get a V8 powered F-pace than a 6 cylinder(P400).

 

has to be timing. I have an order for a loaded D90X with a last change date of 1/26, committed to build 2/3, and built already... Must have snuck under the wire of this issue...

 

Sorry for the delay in reply-there's a lot happening in the world right now unfortunately.

When we decide which variants of a given model to sell around the world we first consult with the local market for concerns, data and volume estimates. As I recall, the US market preferred to opt for the lower powered PHEV variant when given a choice between the two options. In their opinion, those seeking a PHEV in the US would be more aligned with a higher efficiency powertrain.

However, they had to make that choice in the first place due to battery supply constrains. Other parts of the world need those batteries more than the US market.

Nothing is permanent or written in stone though and it could see the US market down the road.

 

To be honest- at this stage we're relatively unconcerned. This is not a widespread occurrence and most of the customers who purchase our vehicles have little interest in their new Land Rover (which is still under a factory warranty) being manipulated by a non-certified or endorsed entity. Also, the average Defender is transacting close to $80,000 before any markups in the US market and people are opting for many of the key features and options. If it becomes a larger problem we'll simply start changing software protocol (though honestly this a fringe activity at the moment).

People should remember that unlocking software services you did not pay for is not unlike other forms of software theft. You might also think of it like cable TV when you are locked out of various channels that you are not subscribed and find a workaround or a different type of cable box to gain access. We're unlikely to enforce it, but keep in mind that any problems that crop up under warranty related to that system can be subject to rejection.

Be careful who goes poking around with your electronics. If they **** something up you're going to be on the hook for repairs at the retailer and you don't want to have to explain that you were trying to unlock software. Putting that 007 logo on the screen of your standard Defender just screams "this vehicle is modified" to the service staff. Retailers love when something isn't under warranty.

 

I think this is a really far and reasonable response/position from an OEM.

But if I might re-ask the last part of his question.

Has/might JLR given any thought to a customer paying JLR and a dealer to unlock additional features they didn't buy originally (change or thought or priority or perhaps misunderstood what was available).

 

That would be nice, but might well lead to customers buying significantly fewer options up front, and then discovering that they really don't actually miss a lot of them.

 

The short answer is yes, but it's unlikely to happen anytime soon. We tend to bundle features together and that's the most profitable approach to new car sales and simplifies dealer inventory. Maybe you want a heated windscreen but don't care about heated washer jets or mirrors. It doesn't matter- they get bundled so you have to take it all which maximizes profit and simplifies ordering. If people are under the impression you can just "do everything later" we're opening ourselves up to lost money up front. If you do it later then we're splitting costs with the installing retailer as well.

Arguably, there are some items we could probably do without too much trouble and perhaps SOTA. However, we open the door to complaints and criticism if we allow certain features and not others or if people run into problems. You're also going to create retailer confusion on trade-ins when they review the spec of your car and assign it a particular value and then the owner says "Wait wait! I have many features that aren't on the build sheet and they add x value to the car."

Another scenario- perhaps though you don't have a full package but instead just a partial package of software, so now the retailer is doing line items for features and trying to explain to the next customer "well it has part of pack x, but not all of pack x" and the customer says "I want the official full package or a discount."

In the end, do we really need the trouble? The honest answer is no, not right now.