THE NEW GRANGE JAGUAR LAND ROVER SWINDON DEALERSHIP. New car news blog.

The new Grange Jaguar Land Rover Swindon dealership held a launch night on Thursday (13th Sept) to celebrate the official opening.
To mark this event the dealership held an open ceremony with guest speaker – former England rugby star, and Jaguar Land Rover Ambassador, Jason Robinson OBE.

This new “state-of-the-art” dealership is aiming to change the whole experience when visiting a main dealer showroom.

I will walk you through it….. When entering the main doors you have the option to turn left to the Jaguar showroom, or right to the Land Rover showroom.
The first thing I noticed, when standing in both parts of the showroom, was the huge amount of natural light being used. What with that, and the very high ceiling, I felt uplifted and think that it gives the showroom a more natural feel than those with fake strip lighting beaming down. The whole interior design of this dealership is minimalistic and free from clutter. It has a warm colour scheme with modern clean lines….again good for the mind set. So, importantly It felt very welcoming…. isn’t that what a customer wants their first impression to be?

Something I found very inviting was that there were no intimidating sales desks in the showroom.
They have introduced some rather comfortable privacy areas (booths) where you can either talk…. or just have some thinking time to soak up the whole brand experience.

There is an area in-between the 2 showrooms which merges them together. In this space you can pick up some (very cool) magnetic exterior and interior colour swatches – pictures here.

I was informed that, in the very near future, they will introduce a computer program which will allow you to be able to view your desired vehicle colour and specification on the big TV screen (again, very cool).

In this area you even get to sample the JLR new car “aroma” (a mix of new leather & wood) thanks to an automatic-style air freshener pumping the room with this scent (nice touch).

What really impressed me were the 3 indoor vehicle handover bays. Gone are the days when you would pick up your new vehicle on the forecourt….being exposed to the elements.

In here, you get to see your new vehicle “up close and personal” under very clear and bright lighting. This is where the staff can clearly handover the vehicle and answer any questions that you may have regarding your new purchase….all whilst in a clean (warm) and professional (one to one) environment.

Service Customers.

Service customers can use the new 3 lane Drive – In Service.

So, you just drive in where a member of the service team will greet you and hand over your keys. They will take your relevant details and then park the car for you. Imagine that? So much more efficient and simple. No more wondering where to park, or waiting around for the service reception.

Pictured here is an Jaguar E-Type, Jaguar XJS and old Land Rover in the Drive – In Service area (taken at the open event).

So, after you have left your car for its service you can grab a coffee and relax in the service department waiting area whilst your vehicle is in the hands of a fully qualified JLR technician.

Pictured here is the pristine workshop with 16 ramps and 2 MOT bays.

When walking through (or sitting in) the customer appointed areas, it felt like a business/upper class lounge at an international airport.

A refreshing, relaxing and calming experience which JLR and the Grange have focused on and really does pay off.

Something that was mentioned in one of the speeches (at the start of the evening) was that they want new and existing customers, or simply just the curious…. wanting to know what all the fuss with JLR products is about, to pop in and have a look/chat about the brand over a tea or coffee in a friendly, relaxed environment.

For me, a car dealership has to have a welcoming attitude ….not just with the premises and the way it looks inside, but with the staff too. I found that the staff here were true ambassadors for the JLR brand.

With this philosophy this dealership is no longer a place that a customer will only visit when they need to buy or have their car serviced. It is a place that is inviting you to be part of the JLR family….and that should be at the core of any car dealership.