The Range Rover is moving closer to Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Aston Martin in ways other than price and performance. The shopping experience is also starting to look familiar to consumers in that rarefied air.
With the 2023 Land Rover Range Rover starting at $106,000, and fully loaded ones selling for more than a quarter-million, Land Rover dealers are taking a page from ultraluxury brands' retail playbooks.
A growing number of Range Rover customers are no longer driving home in new models chosen from dealer inventory. Instead, they are commissioning their vehicles to be built using Land Rover's Bespoke program, which offers a large palette of colors, upholstery options, wheels and trim items, such as wood appliques and ceramic shifters.
Land Rover Princeton in New Jersey has seen its Bespoke orders for Rovers jump from almost zero before the pandemic to nearly 5 percent today. Part of the growth is a result of the chip shortage and other issues disrupting regular production. The dealership's general manager, Steve Bergamo, has deftly capitalized on the inventory shortage situation. The sales staff conveys this message to customers: Since you'll have to wait for your vehicle anyway, why not order the exact one you want and not settle for something close? It's a pitch that is being heard.