All-new Range Rover Sport to be launched in New York
JAGUAR Land Rover has announced it will debut its all-new Range Rover Sport at the New York Motor Show later this month.
The firm will give the vehicle its global premiere in a ground breaking live drive through Manhattan on March 26.
New York remains the largest single market for the Sport so the company has chosen the launch to reflect this. The launch also takes place just three months after its flagship cousin, the all-new aluminium Range Rover went on sale.
The Sport announcement comes as latest sales figures for February show JLR sold 26,855 vehicles last month, an increase of 3% on the same period last year. During the first two months of the year the company sold 61,732 vehicles, up 18%.
February sales were up in almost every major market: 20% in Asia Pacific, 20% in North America, 15% in the UK, and 6% in Europe. In China, sales were down by 22% which it said reflected the Chinese New Year falling in February this year and January last year.
The original Sport proved to be one of JLR’s most successful products. Launched by the company when still under Ford ownership, it quickly captured the imagination of off-road drivers eager for a sportier performing vehicle.
So popular was the vehicle that when Range Rover celebrated the 40th anniversary of the luxury offroader in 2010, it announced that of the one million to roll off the production line at Solihull during the four decades, sales of the Sport accounted for a quarter of the total, despite only being launched in 2005.
Land Rover said the new Sport would be its fastest, most responsive and most agile vehicle to date.
More Sports are sold in New York than any other metropolitan area in the world and the model is North America’s best-selling Land Rover product.
Reflecting its grasp of social media as an important marketing tool, the event will be broadcast live by JLR to global audiences via a dedicated microsite – www.newrangeroversport.com. The move is a first for Land Rover and those registering on the site will receive a personal invitation to watch the live reveal on March 26 as well as exclusive extra content and information.
The all-new Range Rover Sport is the latest addition to the new Range Rover family and the third Range Rover model to be launched in two years following the new flagship and the hugely popular Evoque.
John Edwards, Land Rover Global Brand Director, said: “The all-new Range Rover Sport takes the model to another level. It is Land Rover’s most dynamic vehicle yet and showcases the best of British design, engineering and technological innovation.”
The firm pledged at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this month that it would be showcasing eight new or facelifted models during 2013.
