Is a d5 a great deal right now?

Just read that Tata has taken the biggest write-off (loss) in Indian history. They are actively seeking private partners to infuse cash into JLR or to sell off part of the business.

JLR May disappear in a year or two.

They blame Brexit (JLR is a very British marque) for declining sales, cost of electronics, loss of Chinese market...
everything except crappy optics that destroyed the last vestige of LR heritage.

The most expensive RRs are selling well but that can’t carry the company.

J West started a discussion on JLR elsewhere on here and I mentioned on there that as long as I've been buying British cars (1975 Spitfire and it was British Leyland back then) they have had financial troubles. It's a shame because they have such a great potential.

When the first LR3 ads appeared they featured terrain response, which was one of the first systems to offer different programs for different surfaces. I was immediately impressed as we drive through snow most winter weekends on ski trips, VT mud in spring and sand on a beach in summer. Perfect fit for us so I went and bought one. I eventually traded it in for a new LR4 for my wife. Then I liked the LR4 so much, I bought one for me as well.

When the first D5 ads appeared they featured seats that could be folded up and down via Bluetooth on your phone. My immediate reaction was "Why?". The LR4 seats work perfectly and fold flat. LR priorities had changed and I knew the D5 was in trouble from the start. The interior looked too nice and maybe it shouldn't carry a muddy mountain bike inside, or building supplies or a wet dog. And speaking of the dog, what idiot forgot to put AC vents in the way back for the dog?!

PaulLR3 said:

And speaking of the dog, what idiot forgot to put AC vents in the way back for the dog?!

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This.

The same idiots that took away a proper split tailgate.

It’s almost like they hired someone who did not love the Lr4 to design the next one.

Fuji4 said:

It’s almost like they hired someone who did not love the Lr4 to design the next one.

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Exactly. And now LR4 owners don't want to buy a D5. And X5, Q7, XC90 & GLS shoppers aren't buying the D5 either as they had hoped. And most Explorer/Highlander/Pilot/Travere shoppers don't want to spend the extra $10K-$20K on a D5.

The slowest selling LR's are the Discovery 5 and Velar. Still expect some models to be dropped as JLR works its way through the financial issues but I do not expect them to go out of business. Either Tata will figure it out, another investor will join the 'team' and/or the British government will step in.

Wouldn't be surprised to see the Velar dropped while the Discovery poor sales are addressed with a redesign. Also wouldn't be surprised to see the current D5 resale value suffer because it has not been well accepted.

mpinco said:

The slowest selling LR's are the Discovery 5 and Velar. Still expect some models to be dropped as JLR works its way through the financial issues but I do not expect them to go out of business. Either Tata will figure it out, another investor will join the 'team' and/or the British government will step in.

Wouldn't be surprised to see the Velar dropped while the Discovery poor sales are addressed with a redesign. Also wouldn't be surprised to see the current D5 resale value suffer because it has not been well accepted.

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Agreed. A D5 that has dropped to near $40k now will be down to $20k in another few years. I wouldn't touch that with someone else's money, much less mine.

The names "Land Rover," "Range Rover," and "Jaguar" are too valuable to go completely out of business. If nothing else, I could see Fiat buying Land Rover and turning it into the high end Jeep lineup, sort of how Lexus is to Toyota.

Agreed on all points..

I think Land Rover lost its way when over-analyzing what people wanted. They tried to break into new markets with multiple lines of sleek-looking pseudo-trucks, and spent a mountain of cash doing so. A Land Rover has a beautiful history of being a boxy truck that is made for exploration, and McGovern detouring from that is going to **** them..

The Ford Mustang and Jeep Wrangler are perfect examples of how a vehicle can move into the future while showing its heritage. Land Rover has fallen flat on its face in this realm- I put a thousand miles on a D5 and it could have been branded as a BMW for all I knew. Let's relate this to business: The the 2019 Wrangler is rated as the worst two row mid-sized SUV by Consumer Reports, and my local dealer is sold out of them. JLR needs need to figure this lesson out, and fast..

JLR is now suffering from financial hypothermia due to people not wanting these vehicles- on a global scale. They need to re-ignite sales if they are going to survive, and this new Defender is the last match in the matchbox.

I hope they strike it wisely.