You could well have Rs 5 crore to splurge on this car and yet not be able to get your hands on it. Since Range Rover’s Sawai Collection is limited to no more than 18 pieces, six each for the cities of Jaipur, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer. And that’s perhaps the direction that luxury is taking, these days.
At Jaipur’s Rambagh Palace, Range Rover’s three models were unveiled with a backdrop of traditional Rajasthani jaali motifs, which are visible in the cars’ design language as well. As you would expect, Sawai Jaipur comes in a pink reminiscent of the Pink City, Jodhpur in a beautiful blue hue, while Jaisalmer displays a sandy golden tone, representing the sandy landscapes of the desert city. Bespoke elements run as a leitmotif through the three editions and you will see a commissioning plaque placed in the centre console, a metal limited edition number of the car on the tread plate and 24 carat gold lining on the Range Rover lettering on the front, as well as new champagne wheels, which have never been seen before in India. On the inside, the seat stitching features three distinct jaali styles of the three cities, with the RR monogram cleverly woven into the lattice pattern. A pop of white comes through with the white enamel controls and knobs on the centre console.
The interiors of these Range Rover Bespoke cars are tastefully done in dual-toned palettes, and packed with little touches of design and technological opulence. But while there is enough information detailing the features of these limited edition Range Rovers widely available on the Internet, it is important to highlight the significance for the Indian market. For a legacy global brand to be releasing three models inspired by three Indian cities, is a reflection of the demand from the Indian uber-luxury consumer. While the brand has not disclosed how many pieces have been sold, we hear unconfirmed reports that more than half have been copped. However, from the look of it, this limited edition format, with a strong design story, clearly has takers in India, where bespoke offerings are being understood, Indian design appeals and where materiality takes centre stage.
Two big pieces of India-specific news coming in from Jaguar Land Rover in one week - starting with the announcement of the Made in India Defender — priced at upwards of Rs 99 lakh — followed by the Sawai Edition at Rs 5 crore — which interestingly is the third India-centric Range Rover limited edition released in recent times. That is definitely indicative of a new direction. In uber-luxury, its not always about the price point but about the scarcity — the limited edition — an element of money can’t always buy. In that respect, Range Rover seems to be going bullish in India and recognising this segment of customers that go beyond the ‘off the rack’ automobile. Create small batches of something extraordinary, and there will always be a segment of people to buy.