Sydney, Australia, 26th May, 2017: When it comes to cars and driving, Queenslanders are discovering the finer things in life such as Jaguar and Land Rover. In the past few months several retailer outlets for those prestige British brands have undergone dramatic changes with revitalisation programs mirroring the increasing level of interest.

Renewal and refurbishment have been the name of the game throughout the Sunshine State with retailers from the Gold Coast to Cairns revamping and revitalising retail facilities to showcase the cars in their true light.

In almost every case the changes have been dramatic, outlining not only the determination of the retailer group to build on the successes of the products they sell. They also see their refurbishments as futureproofing exercises, preparation for the continued sales growth that will accompany the arrival of the models still to come.

The success of Jaguar's F-Pace as winner of the World Car of the Year awards, its victory in the Women's World Car of the Year awards and its World Car Design of the Year accolade point to a strong future for the brand while on the Land Rover side of the ledger Discovery Sport is an Australia's Best Cars class winner, Evoque's popularity is unstoppable, the midsize Range Rover Velar will soon be here and Defender's replacement is on the horizon.

And then there is I-Pace . . . . .

The confidence in the marques is emphasised by David Russell, Dealer Principal of Toowoomba Jaguar Land Rover. "The brands have some real promise and there are good things on the horizon," he said, citing the reason behind the rural Queensland city's new retail premises.

The $1.5 million building is expected to be finished in September, at which point it will be filled with up to 10 new Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles.

Recognising the vibrancy of Toowoomba, David wants the new outlet to be a one-stop shop from the showroom all the way through to the modern lounge, courtesy car availability and shuttle bus service.  "We want this new centre to have everything you get in a modern metropolitan dealership," he said.

Down the range, at Brisbane City Jaguar Land Rover, dealer principal David Crosdale is still enjoying the smell of new paint at the Breakfast Creek Road dealership, which opened its doors in late March.

David describes the $15 million development as a "hybrid, somewhere between a complete green field site build and a major redevelopment". Regardless, the 12-car showroom (with another 20 outside) is the "full-blown JLR facility", showcasing the present while preparing for the future.

Right now, workshop space is still shared with other sections of the group but using factory-trained Jaguar and Land Rover technicians. A dedicated workshop, he says, is still some 18 months to two years away.

"Regional growth potential is huge, F-PACE is doing amazing things for us, all-new Discovery arrives in July and we have RR Velar here in October. We are really excited by it all," he said.

On Queensland's famous Gold Coast, Bruce Lynton Jaguar Land Rover, led by dealer principal Beric Lynton, is working at full pace on a purpose-built, $9 million, 6000-square metre total site redevelopment which, when finished, will house the group's head office, a 14-car showroom complete with delivery bay, café, sales offices and spare parts section, 12 service bays (with another 10 in a side annexe) and panel shop.

"It's a new building, a total redevelopment on our existing site," Beric said. "The Gold Coast is a great growth market and we want to cater to that. Our customer lounge, for instance, will not only be comfortable and have Wi-Fi but will also have a kitchenette so we can serve snacks. It will possibly even have a barista."

Development is surging ahead with JLR dealers in Queensland's far north, too, where Cairns Jaguar Land Rover Dealer Principal Richard Jaska is also enjoying the new paint smell.

Richard's new dealership – a 15-week, full renovation costing $1 million ("the shell was there but we pulled everything else apart") – was finished at Easter, giving the regional city a six-car showroom (two Jaguar and four Land Rover, reflecting the region's SUV interests) and a service area with four dedicated bays.

"We've been a Land Rover dealer for 15 or 16 years, a Jaguar dealer for 10 years," Richard said. "We understand our customers; we know what they want and we can give it to them."

Buyers in Townsville also want to know about the classy Brits. "Jaguar Land Rover cars have a great level of refinement and they are aspirational vehicles," Brett McDonald, Townsville Jaguar Land Rover Dealer Principal and Tony Ireland Group General Manager, said.

Brett and his staff have finished their big redevelopment, a six-month job that has given the city a retail outlet with a six-car showroom complete with delivery area and four dedicated service bays.

The newest kid on the block, Rockhampton Jaguar Land Rover, has been a member of the JLR family since September 2016 and is already showing itself to be a good custodian of the marques.

Dealer principal Simon Weigh said getting a new franchise meant creating a new building to showcase the brands.

"Technically, what we did was a renovation on an existing, 30-year-old building that had already gone through a few incarnations," Simon said.

"It has two levels so we have space upstairs for car storage but, importantly, the building has a degree of heritage in Rockhampton.

"Just like the building, we didn't want a vehicle franchise that didn't suit the town. The Land Rover brand particularly suits the regional Queensland market and Jaguar is getting a lot of interest.

The "Rockhampton Reno", which opened with the appointment of the franchise in September last year, has an eight-car showroom (which will have three Jaguars and five Land Rovers on display much of the time), three service bays, a fully automatic car wash and good green credentials courtesy of solar power for the building and three underground tanks holding recycled water for the car wash.

"We've certainly seen a lot of interest in Jaguar and Land Rover in the Rockhampton region and in a few years' time there will be a great deal more," Simon added.

And that opinion reflects the general optimism of Queensland's Jaguar Land Rover retail group which has taken a 'big picture' look into the automotive crystal ball and seen an exciting future for the brands, both regionally and nationally.

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