Jaguar Land Rover has opened its first UK ‘statement site’, in south-west London. It will serve as the brand’s flagship store in its home market.
Following the opening of a similar facility in Munich last year, the new multi-million-pound, five-floor facility in Sunbury-on-Thames, near Heathrow, took two years to build and is spread over 17,000 square metres.
Like a conventional dealership, it will showcase new and used models from Jaguar and Land Rover - more than 130 at a time - but will also house a display of the two firms’ historic models, a Special Vehicle Operations commissioning suite and lounge, family lounges, quiet zones and a café.
The service department, located on the second floor, features a body shop, 26 vehicle ramps, two MOT bays and a cosmetic repair area. Customers can deliver or collect their car from a fully covered, three-lane reception area.
The company, which will trade at the site as Guy Salmon Jaguar Land Rover, said it plans for the facility to provide “a real destination for new and returning customers”.
Guy Salmon South West London previously employed 145 people across its retail and servicing departments, but this new building is said to have “created many more job opportunities in the area”.
A ‘living wall’ situated in the main reception embodies Jaguar Land Rover’s ‘Destination Zero’ ambition to achieve a future of zero emissions, zero accidents and zero congestion. Efficiency-boosting features such as waste-water recycling, EV chargers and extensive insulation minimise the building’s impact on the environment.
Jaguar Land Rover UK managing director Rawdon Glover called the new site a “significant addition” to the brand’s UK dealer network and said the design and technology used in its construction will reduce its environmental impact.
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