Kenya: Jaguar appoints Inchcape as local distributor

UK’s largest automotive manufacturer, Jaguar Land Rover has appointed Inchcape as its new distributor for the Kenyan market.

The global automotive distributor will take over the existing Kenyan showroom as well as a planned new workshop facility to ensure the transition will not inconvenience Jaguar and Land Rover customers.

Many of the employees, including the management team who have benefitted from extensive training in Jaguar Land Rover processes and systems under previous distributors, RMA Motors Kenya, have been retained, to further ensure continued support for Jaguar and Land Rover customers.

The appointment of Inchcape is the result of a tender process after Jaguar Land Rover amicably concluded its distribution agreement with RMA Motors Kenya recently. RMA Kenya was first appointed as a distributor in 2013 but is now opting to consolidate its focus on developing other retail businesses in South East Asia.

“Jaguar Land Rover is greatly looking forward to its new partnership with Inchcape in the Kenyan market. The group brings with it a wealth of automotive experience, not only in the premium segment but also with the Jaguar and Land Rover brands in particular,” Richard Gouverneur, Managing Director of Jaguar Land Rover South Africa and sub-Sahara Africa said.

Inchcape currently handles product planning, brand positioning, logistics, marketing, network management, sales and aftersales for 30 OEMs including Toyota, BMW, JLR and Subaru.

“We are delighted to have secured this contract to be the brand custodian for Jaguar and Land Rover in the dynamic and exciting market of Kenya. We believe that our success demonstrates the value we bring to Jaguar Land Rover as its trusted partner for the full range of distribution and retail requirements in their end markets. It also creates a very attractive platform for Inchcape to grow further on the continent of Africa”, Ruslan Kinebas, Emerging Markets CEO at Inchcape said.

Inchcape’s experience in the automotive field spans a massive 93 years. The group operates in 31 countries across five continents, and represents the Jaguar and Land Rover brands in 12 markets including Kenya.

In 2017 Jaguar Land Rover sold 621,109 vehicles in 130 countries, with more than 80 per cent of our vehicles being sold abroad.