Sri Lanka one of the fastest growing markets for Jaguar Land Rover: Asia Pacific MD

Sri Lanka has raced to become one of the fastest growing markets for the world-famous Jaguar Land Rover brands, its Asia Pacific Region Managing Director Robin Colgan revealed yesterday in Colombo. 

“We are excited about the progress and the potential in Sri Lanka, which has quickly become one of the fastest growing markets for us. Sri Lanka is a real success story. We have doubled our volumes,” Colgan said. 

Jaguar Land Rover, the UK’s largest automotive manufacturing business, is built around two iconic British car brands - Land Rover, the world’s leading manufacturer of premium all-terrain vehicles, and Jaguar, one of the world’s premier luxury sports saloon and sports car marques.  

Success for the two brands has been possible by a decision about a year ago to manage the Sri Lankan business directly from Jaguar Land Rover’s regional headquarters in Singapore. Sri Lanka is among 10 Asia Pacific markets to have this arrangement based on future potential.

According to Colgan, this move ensures dedicated marketing, sales and service support for valued customers in Sri Lanka. “This means Jaguar Land Rover isn’t even one step removed from the customer,” he told journalists at the launch of The Jaguar and Land Rover Owners Clubs, a unique customer loyalty program by SML Frontier Automotive, the sole agents of Jaguar and Land Rover (JLR) in Sri Lanka. SML Frontier Automotive Chairman Sumal Perera was also present. 

Colgan attributed the success so far in Sri Lanka to a great partnership with SML Frontier Automotive and the skills set of Sri Lankans apart from Jaguar Land Rover’s own “fantastic innovative and new products.”

It was pointed out that the Sri Lankan market has seen three new launches by Jaguar Land Rover in a year (including Range Rover Velar and Jaguar XF) when other markets and brands may only manage one. I can assure there is more to come,” the Asia Pacific Region Managing Director revealed. The first plug-in range will be launched early next year. 

Since stepping up its Sri Lanka strategy, Jaguar Land Rover, together with SML Frontier Automotive, has enhanced the ownership experience via a world-class showroom at Colombo 7. The Sri Lanka push will be further strengthened by revamping the service centre in Boralesgamuwa to regional standards and a body shop facility. 

Colgan said that Sri Lanka’s technical team is also excellent. Noting that Jaguar Land Rover has four levels of technical certification globally, the Sri Lanka team has two members qualified up to Level 3 and one qualified up to Level 4 who did well in a regional technical competence contest recently in Singapore. “So Sri Lanka already has an excellent technical skills base,” he added. (NC)