JLR's future: CEO Adrian Mardell on the future of Jaguar, Discovery, and Defender Sport

author: FutureCar Staff    

Adrian Mardell's journey to becoming CEO of JLR has been anything but quick. After 32 years, nine months, and four days with the company, he has finally taken on the top role. His appointment came as a surprise following the departure of his predecessor, Thierry Bolloré, after just two years and four months. Mardell initially stepped into the interim CEO role and was officially confirmed as CEO last month. In a short period of time, he has made a significant impact on the company and its workforce, uniting them and providing a clear vision for the future. The board has remained the same, with some minor adjustments, and this stability has led to growth, with the company seeing a positive balance sheet for the first time in a while. However, JLR still faces challenges, such as earning money to reinvest in the business, resolving supply issues, reinventing the Jaguar brand, addressing product overlap, and improving its reputation for quality.

Mardell's approach to tackling these challenges is centered around teamwork and empowering those around him. He believes in complementary skills and ensuring that each person recognizes their leadership or expertise in certain areas. He acknowledges that he may not be a technical expert in the boardroom but brings business expertise to the table. He also emphasizes the importance of understanding consumer preferences and tailoring the company's offerings accordingly. JLR's decision to have four brands instead of two reflects this approach, as it allows for a wider range of options for consumers. While supply challenges still exist, Mardell is confident that the company is becoming profitable even with constraints in supply.

One area where JLR is focusing on securing a strong supply is batteries. Mardell is pleased with the deal Tata, JLR's parent company, has struck with the UK government for a Gigafactory in Somerset. This will ensure a reliable battery supply for the company's electric vehicles. JLR is also committed to electrification and plans to launch six new battery electric vehicles before 2026. The all-electric Range Rover will be available later this year, with deliveries starting in 2024. The company's partnership with software giant NVIDIA will also contribute to advancements in technology, with new platforms like JEA and EMA being developed for future models.

In terms of JLR's product lineup, Mardell reveals plans for expanding the Defender family and creating other vehicles within it. He hints at the possibility of a smaller all-electric Defender, potentially called Defender Sport. However, the future of the Discovery model is less clear, as JLR executives are still figuring out how to reinvent it. Mardell confirms that the Discovery will not be based on the MLA platform but will instead utilize the EMA platform. This platform switch may lead to a pause in production for the Discovery until a new all-electric model is launched.

Mardell also discusses the future of the Jaguar brand, revealing the brief given to the design team. The new Jaguars will embody the words "exuberant, unique, fearless, and progressive" and will have a distinct design language. They will be part of a family of Jaguar models, with a focus on a wider wheelbase to match the brand's exuberance. To achieve this, a dedicated Jaguar architecture will be necessary. Mardell dismisses recent comments from JLR's chief creative officer, Gerry McGovern, about the brand's lack of equity and mediocrity, stating that recent brand studies have shown Jaguar's appeal and popularity.

As JLR looks to the future, Mardell acknowledges the challenges posed by new brands from China and the company's historical reliability issues. He sees these challenges as opportunities to curate JLR's offerings and gain more clients. Improving quality and reliability is a key focus, with an executive director appointed to oversee performance and quality. Mardell acknowledges past shortcomings in quality and emphasizes the importance of giving engineers enough time to ensure product readiness. He believes that JLR is moving in the right direction and that the data reflects improvements in reliability.

Overall, with Mardell at the helm and a united team, JLR is poised for a bright future. The company's product lineup is competitive, and efforts are being made to address challenges and improve quality. JLR's commitment to electrification and innovative partnerships will contribute to its success in the evolving automotive industry.

FutureCar Staff