路虎复兴传奇

    路虎车主通常都非富即贵，他们中的绝大多数人最多只是开着路虎越野车到去马球赛场的停车场，而绝不会真正地去越野，他们只是买了一堆永远也用不上的机械性能。许多人都是全款购车，因此租赁的利率也相当低。对于这些阔佬来说，燃油经济性不是问题：路虎揽胜运动版每加仑汽油只能行驶14英里。

    2011年，路虎揽胜极光的上市拉开了路虎品牌复兴的序幕，而揽胜极光也是塔塔接手路虎之后推出的首款新车。极光倾斜的车顶导致后车窗面积减小。这样的设计虽然牺牲了实用性，但却大大提升了造型的时尚性。路虎将揽胜极光定位成风格时尚的都市紧凑级SUV，广告拍摄地点也由展示越野性能的野外改成了时代广场。揽胜极光全新的定位也受到了消费者的欢迎和追捧，上市一年后的销量便达到了80,000台。

    接下来亮相的便是路虎旗下的全新旗舰车型——揽胜。这是自2002年以来，路虎揽胜首度改款，也是揽胜自1970年问世以来的第四代车型。实践证明，慢工出细活：得益于铝制材料的大量运用，重达3吨的全新一代路虎揽胜成功“瘦身”900磅。虽然新款路虎揽胜借鉴了揽胜极光的某些设计语言，但却依旧保持着家族的传统造型以及蚌式车顶。“人们花10万美元就是为了买一辆看起来与众不同的车型，而全新款路虎揽胜看起来的确是更为独特，”卡德维尔说道。“在滚滚车流中更加显眼。”全新的设计也吸引了新生代明星，包括克里斯蒂娜•安吉莱拉、杰西卡•辛普森以及卢达克里斯等。

    今年8月，随着路虎揽胜运动版的上市，路虎最终交出了漂亮的三连胜。新款路虎揽胜运动版体积更小，重量更轻，设计风格也与前两代车型截然不同，还凭借着出色的动力性能一举成为路虎旗下最畅销的车型。测试人员在赛道测试中发现，路虎揽胜的性能甚至超过了比它轻1,800磅的福特野马GT车型。

    虽然路虎品牌已经实现复兴，但它长期积累的品质问题却导致路虎老款车型在J.D. Power的新车可靠性排行榜上垫底。路虎高层坚称其质量正在逐步改善，同时指出，在J.D. Power最新发布的新车购买后90天质量投诉调查报告中，路虎的排名已经从第28位上升至第21位，仅次于宝马和沃尔沃。这项调查发布较早，尚未包含全新一代路虎揽胜和揽胜运动款，因此，路虎的实际排名还可能会进一步上升。

    鉴于大众的时尚口味不停在变化，路虎也必须要彻底解决质量可靠性和燃油经济性问题，以为未来可持续的增长打下基础。而目前，路虎却在往相反的方向前行。这家公司刚刚在比佛利山庄举办了一场奢华炫目的活动，推出了加长轴距的路虎揽胜黑标限量版，新款车型有着更为宽敞的后排腿部空间以及更加丰富的舒适性配置，售价185,000美元起。这恐怕是《唐顿庄园》剧中格雷厄姆伯爵和克劳利家族在鼎盛时期才能消费得起的奢侈品。（财富中文网）

    译者：唐昕昕

    Land Rover buyers are unusually well-heeled. For the vast majority who never take their vehicles farther off-road than the parking paddock at a polo match, they are buying far more mechanical capability than they will ever need. Many pay cash, and lease rates are exceptionally low. And for deep wallets, mileage is not an issue: The Range Rover Sport gets just 14 miles per gallon.

    The Land Rover revival began with the launch of the Evoque in 2011, the first new model produced under Tata's ownership. With its tapered roof shrinking the side window glass, the Evoque's design sacrificed some utility but more than made up for it in style. Rather than taking the compact SUV on safari to demonstrate its off-road capabilities, Land Rover positioned it as a hip, urban vehicle and photographed it in Times Square. The new association resonated, and 80,000 Evoques were sold worldwide during its first year of production.

    Next came the redesigned flagship Range Rover, the first makeover since 2002 and only the fourth since it was introduced in 1970. The time was well-spent: Engineers knocked off as much as 900 pounds from its three-ton weight by making it largely from aluminum. Some of the design details from the Evoque were carried over, but the new Range retained the familiar upright stance and clamshell roof of its forbears. "People looking to spend $100,000 want a distinctive vehicle, and the new Range Rover looks more distinct than ever," says Caldwell. "It is easy to spot in a crowd." The redesign attracted a new generation of celebrities, including Christine Aguilara, Jessica Simpson, and Ludacris.

    Land Rover completed a trifecta in August with the launch of the Range Rover Sport (above). Smaller and lighter than its namesake, it split the design difference between its two predecessors and went on to become the brand's bestseller because of its blistering performance. On a drag strip, testers found that it could outperform a Ford Mustang GT that weighs 1,800 pounds less.

    The Land Rover renaissance has come despite a legacy of quality problems that has left its older models at the bottom of the J.D. Power reliability ratings for three-year-old vehicles. Land Rover executives insist that quality is improving and point to the latest Power survey of complaints after 90 days of ownership, in which it climbed from 28th to 21st , close behind BMW and Volvo The survey came too soon to include results from the new Range Rover and Sport, so Land Rover's ratings should continue to climb.

    Given the fickleness of fashion, Land Rover will have to permanently put to rest its issues with reliability and fuel economy in order to build a solid foundation for future growth. Just now, it is headed in a different direction. The company recently staged a lavish Beverly Hills event at which it introduced the Long-Wheelbase (LWB) Autobiography Black edition Range Rover with more rear-seat legroom and elaborate comfort controls. Its base price: $185,000. It is a creation the Earl of Grantham and the rest of the Crawley family might have enjoyed in their salad days.