U.S. Jaguar new-vehicle franchise count drops 25% in 2023, Land Rover adds stores

The number of U.S. Jaguar new-vehicle franchises dropped by one-fourth last year, Automotive News' dealership census found, as JLR offered dealers extra inventory of Land Rover SUVs for giving up their Jaguar points.

The reduction in Jaguar dealerships is part of JLR's plan to reposition the brand as ultraluxury, with a smaller footprint akin to that of Aston Martin and Bentley.

Jaguar shed 49 franchises from Jan. 1, 2023, to Jan. 1, 2024, and began this year with 146 franchises, according to the census.

Jaguar said 39 of those new-vehicle franchises that went away are in dealerships that now sell certified pre-owned vehicles and are service centers, and nine are service-only locations.

"Transformation of Jaguar into an all-electric modern luxury brand is on track," JLR said in a statement. A new line of EVs is expected beginning in 2025.

Jaguar, owned by Tata Motors, lost one standalone store in 2023, while its average new-vehicle sales per franchise, or throughput, rose by one to 48. Jaguar U.S. sales last year fell 9.2 percent to an estimated 8,284 year over year.

Meanwhile, Jaguar's sibling brand Land Rover added to its U.S. retail network last year. Land Rover's franchise count increased by two to 202, and it added three standalone stores last year for a total of 18 as of Jan. 1. Its throughput was 323, up by 39 year over year. Land Rover's U.S. sales in 2023 totaled an estimated 64,855, up 15 percent from 2022.

Those giving back Jaguar franchises included publicly held auto retailer Group 1 Automotive Inc., which resigned its Albuquerque, N.M., Jaguar franchise. Group 1, of Houston, ranks No. 4 on Automotive News' list of the top 150 dealership groups based in the U.S., retailing 154,714 new vehicles in 2022.

Dan Fields, chairman of the JLR Retailer Cabinet and president of Fields Auto Group, said his group last year surrendered Jaguar sales franchises in Waukesha, Wis., and Asheville, N.C., and he pivoted to use available space as Range Rover showrooms. Both dealerships continue to offer Jaguar service.

Brendan Harrington, president of luxury multibrand dealership group AutoBahn Fort Worth in Texas, is another dealer who returned a Jaguar new-car franchise, Autobahn Jaguar Fort Worth.

Harrington now services Jaguar vehicles, sells wholesale and customer pay parts and retails certified pre-owned Jaguars in the same building where he houses his Land Rover service and parts and CPO sales. Harrington's Jaguar dealership was converted into a Mini dealership that AutoBahn Fort Worth acquired last year from Group 1.

"While we are very bullish on the present and future of Land Rover, Jaguar's future as a super premium electric vehicle brand was less clear to us in our market," Harrington said in an email to Automotive News. "We've heard the new Jaguar EV designs are gorgeous, but have not seen them. It was an easy decision to accept the additional Land Rover models that came with the Jaguar surrender, and focus our attention on those great vehicles."

Harrington said that he would add the Jaguar franchise back if the brand "re-emerges on par with Land Rover."

Richard Truett contributed to this report.