Shiny badge, shaky faith — Can Land Rover find redemption in Korea?

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Shiny badge, shaky faith — Can Land Rover find redemption in Korea?

Published: 30 Apr. 2025, 16:51

SARAH CHEA
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Robin Colgan, managing director of JLR Korea, talks about his plans to regain customer trust in the Korean market during a press conference in central Seoul on April 30. [JLR KOREA]

In Korea, Land Rover ownership comes with a bittersweet joke: If you spot a Land Rover on the road, it's either en route to the shop or fresh from one.

Chronic reliability issues and poor after-sales service lie at the heart of the self-deprecating humor, and this is what JLR Korea vows to fix to rebuild customer trust and revive sales.

“Some customers find our communication inconsistent and that managing their ownership experience can feel unnecessarily complicated and make them do a lot of hard work,” said Robin Colgan, managing director of JLR Korea, during a press conference in central Seoul on Wednesday where he introduced the new so-called One Strategy aimed at boosting customer service.

“And that's why we have developed a new approach, a strategy designed to resolve those remaining pain points and to redefine what a premium ownership experience means in Korea.”

The latest Range Rover SUV [JLR KOREA]

Land Rover’s sales have been on a steep decline since 2018, on the back of mounting customer complaints and dissatisfaction regarding mechanical issues such as water leakage problems. It sold a total of 4,437 cars in Korea in 2024, down 12 percent compared to the previous year, according to data from the market tracker Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association. Compared to its peak of 11,772 units in 2018, the British brand’s annual sales plummeted 62 percent.

Jaguar even exited the South Korean market in 2023 after shuttering all of its dealerships amid plunging sales.

The One Strategy includes an extension of its warranty to five years from the current three years. A “One Care” app will also be offered, which is designed to provide comprehensive access to essential vehicle information, including model details, warranty status, service history and upcoming maintenance. Users can also book service appointments in real time or request repair estimates for accidents directly through the platform.

The One Store is also an online showroom, allowing users to browse vehicle information, check real-time inventory and place preorders without having to actually visit a showroom.

“We know that product is fundamental, but ownership experience is where loyalty is really earned. Ownership is not just a phase after the purchase but is the most important part of the customer journey,” Colgan said.

“We have to take responsibility for the management of their ownership experience, we have to do the hard work for them.”

Colgan also said a pure Range Rover EV will hit Korean roads in 2026, but didn’t give specific details on Jaguar’s comeback as an EV-dedicated brand. Initially, he said Jaguar will come back with an EV-only lineup in 2025.

BY SARAH CHEA [[email protected]]