My day at the RMA Motors showroom in Nairobi

Car spotting in Nairobi traffic doesn’t do me justice AT ALL, I feel conned each time; I spot a car, think about taking a picture, then as I reach out for my phone, a huge blue bus comes and stops smack in your view; killing the chances of you getting that bomb shot for the gram.

I like taking my time to get things done perfectly, so I lock out a whole day just to take pictures of a clean, posed car with no license plate (cause weeeeeh, the issues!) Again, locking down a showroom visit can be quite the hassle but I appreciate the few who understand the mechanics involved.

Where else should I have spent my day than at RMA Motors, the authorized dealers for Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles?

I was met by a few cars tagged “Approved” right outside the showroom. What this means is that a car bought from RMA then used for a while can be taken back, thoroughly tried and tested to JLR’s standards and sold at an affordable price only if they meet the threshold.

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The showroom set up back in 2013 is split into two, the Jags to the left and LRs to the right (Judging from logo placement; OCD people will understand)

The Jaguars

As I was chilling at the lounge, I got distracted by a breathtaking view of the long wheelbase edition of the Jaguar XJ. This car, baptized XJL (L for LONG) is actually quite long and has a 5 litre V8 engine on it, talk of luxury and performance being a match made in heaven!

Then there was the XE 20d, a sportish looking saloon/sedan under the luxury brand.

Then lastly, I saw what has mostly been referred to as Jaguar’s first SUV. The F-Pace.

 

The Land Rovers

 

An era of compact SUVs: The Jaguar F-Pace RSport and the Land Rover Discovery Sport

Two cousins walked into a bar; one brought the drinks and the other brought the hype… that was their recipe for a great night out.

See… The Jaguar Land Rover alliance is one that brought two brands that champion their own spheres say Jaguar on the luxury sedan segment and Land Rover on the Off-road SUV division. Then Jaguar decided to have a taste of what it feels like to build an SUV, their very first one being the F – Pace.

A compact SUV by definition; is a class of small sport utility vehicles that is larger than mini SUVs but smaller than mid-size SUVs. (Have I lost you? Hallo… are you still there???)

These two compact SUVs tickled my fancies in different yet similar ways (I know, it’s confusing to be in such a situation).

Discovery Sport

Whenever the colour of the exterior and interior complement each other, you end up liking what you see . That was the case with this car’s Indus Silver exterior and cirrus interior. The model has an AKA, L550.

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Standard features include:

• 2.0 GTDi Petrol engine
• All terrain progress control
• Analogue audio broadcast
• Ambient Lighting – High line
• ATC air conditioning
• Reverse parking aid
• Rear view camera
• RF Conv-panorama roof
• Navigation – SD Card
• 7 seat configuration
• Fresh air heater
• Service plan (opt out option available) 5 year/100,000km
• Warranty 5 year/150,000km

Jaguar F – Pace

This particular one was in an ammonite/corris grey exterior  and a Veneer – Gloss Black interior. The RSport bagde is seen A LOT… (Just to make sure you don’t miss it). What it means is that the car is a little sportier than your regular F-Pace.

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Standard features include:

• 3.0L SC V6 Petrol engine
• Dual zone climate control
• Ambient lighting
• Analogue audio broadcast
• Rear view camera
• RF conv-panorama pwr/open
• Rain sensor- front w/wpr
• Front parking aid
• Cruise control
• 3 button configurable dynamics
• Service plan (opt out option available) 5 year/100000km
• Warranty 5 year/150000km

That is what a day well spent sounds like! Oh yeah… I put together a video too. ENJOY… will you?