Land Rover says Range Rover branding is “in flux right now”

Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, SUV, Marketing/Advertising, Land Rover, Luxury, Off-Road

Range Rover Evoque

Land Rover Range Rover Evoque – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Range Rover Evoque will be priced somewhere around $45,000. That would be about $8,500 more expensive than a Land Rover LR2 and about $3,500 less expensive than an LR4. But the Evoque’s full name is technically the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque and it wears a Land Rover badge on its rear valance – whereas brands like Toyota, Honda and Nissan don’t put their badges on their respective luxury lines. With this initial overlap in price, and Range Rover possibly going even lower with a sub-Evoque Mini rival, we asked Land Rover if it was working to get any more separation with its Range Rover brand.

“Dealers will add Range Rover branding to their towers,” said Skip Pavlik, Land Rover product manager, referring to the signage outside dealerships that will indicate three brands now – Jaguar, Land Rover and Range Rover, instead of just Jaguar and Land Rover. Pavlick also said that “the issue is in flux right now.”

“Land Rover is more utilitarian, Range Rover is the top end of luxury,” said Wayne Kung, Jaguar-Land Rover’s manager of national product communications. “You don’t lose any capability with the Range Rover, but the Evoque especially is about unabashed on-road and urban driving.”

It was Pavlik who pointed out that “the Evoque started off as a Land Rover concept, the LRX, and it still has a Land Rover badge.” When we asked if that badge would be there in three years, neither Pavlik nor Kung could say. The price issue, however – Range Rovers that are inexpensive, by comparison, to Land Rovers – isn’t seen as posing any problems for the Land Rover line. “Price is secondary,” said Pavlik. Added Kung, “They’re different customers.”

Gallery: Paris 2010: Land Rover Range Rover Evoque

Land Rover says Range Rover branding is “in flux right now” originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 12 Feb 2011 13:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Chrysler wants ‘S’ branding to appeal to youth market [w/poll]

Filed under: Sedan, Chrysler, Design/Style

2011 Chrysler 300

The average age of those who buy new Chryslers? Sixty-two. That’s not good for a brand that’s looking to expand into new markets and thereby increase sales. Invariably, such a strategy means younger buyers will need to be lured into the showroom.

Chrysler 300S badgeIn order to entice younger buyers, Chrysler reportedly plans to enhance its so-called ‘S’ sub-brand, starting with the refreshed 200 sedan (the old Sebring) and the more heavily revised 300, that Chrysler says will appeal to those who want something a little more “edgy.”

Exterior chrome will be blacked-out, interior wood will be replaced with carbon fiber and traditionally staid interior colors will now be offered in brighter red hues. There won’t necessarily be any modifications to the car’s driving characteristics, as this is intended to be a styling exercise only.

Automotive News reports that an S version of the 200 will go into production this spring, followed an an unspecified time by the 300. Think it’s a good idea? Let your opinion be heard in our completely informal poll below.

View Poll

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]

Report: Chrysler wants ‘S’ branding to appeal to youth market [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DeLorean branding coming to Microsoft, Mattel and more

Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Design/Style

Delorean with Microsoft and Mattel

DeLorean Motor Company recently teamed up with Nike, to bring us a limited-edition sneaker modeled after the iconic, gullwing DMC-12. The Nike Dunk 6.0 DeLorean was limited to just 1,000 pairs and they sold out as soon as stores flipped the sign from CLOSED to OPEN. If you’re a fan of the DMC brand but were unable to snag a pair of kicks, don’t fret, because the Texas-based automaker reportedly has big plans to expand its brands.

According to Forbes, the DeLorean team is partnering up with companies like Mattel, Microsoft and Now & Zen. This means a line of DMC-branded toys, clothing and … WinAmp skins? We’re not quite sure what DeLorean and Microsoft are working on, but if the DMC brand stays hot, then the two could produce DeLorean-themed computer mice and they’d sell like hotcakes. Wait… we’d actually buy one of those. Quick, someone call RoadMice.

[Source: Forbes | Source Image: TheSelvedgeYard]

DeLorean branding coming to Microsoft, Mattel and more originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Dec 2010 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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