Range Rover House Goes on the Road

Brands have long reserved their most exclusive experiences for their highest-spending customers. Of late, efforts to reach this selective group have gone into overdrive, with Range Rover launching Range Rover House. The Range Rover House concept is “where our customers and clients come together and feel like they are a part of the team,” says Richard Agnew, director of brand communications and insights.

“But also, they get the opportunity to see new product first. Of course, it would be rude of us to not let them order one and buy one as well.” Miami, Dubai, Park City, Saint-Tropez, Sydney, Courmayeur, and Whistler are all destinations Range Rover has chosen to play house.

The very first Range Rover House took place in 2022 in a modernist mansion overlooking Monterey Bay amid the buzz of Monterey Car Week. In the picturesque setting of Carmel-by-the-Sea, Range Rover owners and enthusiasts came together to be immersed in the brand’s ethos. At that first activation, the 2023 Range Rover SV Carmel edition was released, a run of 17 SUVs with a bespoke satin bronze exterior and plenty of luxurious interior fixings. The 2024 Carmel Edition saw the ticket price rise to $371,000 (U.S.) with an ultra-limited run of only seven—all sold. “Today, brand equity is so important. It’s the lifestyle that’s associated with a vehicle,” says Joe Eberhardt, president and CEO JLR North America. “Curation is key to understanding clients, where they live, how they travel, what they do is absolutely essential, and then provide them with experiences that connect at that level. And that’s what you see with the Range Rover House initiative.”

Range Rover is a great success story. The iconic British luxury SUV has been a symbol of elegance and off-road prowess for over five decades. Since its debut in 1970, it has continuously evolved to meet the demands of the modern world yet remained true to its origins: a four-by-four vehicle that fuses design with off-road capabilities, allowing drivers to adventure in rugged terrain while sitting in the lap of luxury. “The demand is insane,” Agnew says of the double-digit year-on-year growth. “We are building as many [Range Rovers] as we can. The waiting list just keeps getting longer and longer and longer.”

Recently in Paris, the setting for the Range Rover House was the Katara Presidential Suite at the landmark hotel Le Royal Monceau Raffles Paris that was transformed into a haute auto atelier. Selecting Paris for a Range Rover House may seem obvious, but there is a link with the City of Light, Agnew points out: “The very first Range Rover, the Suffix A two-door classic, was exhibited in the Louvre with a beautiful little description [that read] ‘An exemplary piece of industrial vehicle design.’ ”

That description still rings true. At the Range Rover House Paris, the Evoque had pride of place in the hotel’s street-level gallery. The vehicle (which has significant off-road capabilities) has perfect proportions for the city: only a little bit longer than a Volkswagen Golf, but with levels of refinement and luxury of a full-size Range Rover. Now, in its third generation, the Evoque has undergone subtle modifications. Its distinctive silhouette remains with a new front grille design and revised headlights. So too a new set of paint finishes. Inside is the notable difference with a floating 11.4-inch curved glass touchscreen that offers full digital control over key vehicle functions—so no climate control buttons or nobs—which takes some getting used to. While the first-generation Evoque featured a similar engine that produced 237 horsepower, this new engine clocks in at 246 horsepower.

Range Rover executives are tight lipped on where the next Range Rover House will be. “You want to be in a place that attracts,” says Eberhardt. “The ultimate goal is to provide a platform, a lifestyle where we can curate communities that share their passion for cars and everything else.”