Interview: Elizabeth Hill of Jaguar Land Rover

As the over-used quote attributed to Henry Ford about the public asking for faster horses is often used to illustrate, the automotive industry has a deserved reputation for anticipating and second-guessing drivers’ appetites.

And at a time of profound change for the sector, when car-makers are taking the lead on a range of truly game-changing disruptive technologies – Ford’s words are perhaps as relevant now as they were when he allegedly uttered them.

But while it’s certainly true that the car industry is quicker than many other sectors to introduce new innovations, it would be wrong to suggest, as some critics of its eager adoption of change complain, that its approach to new products is some kind of top-down ivory tower exercise. Indeed, an often overlooked and increasingly important part of the automotive product development process is the time spent looking at cars that are already on the road, talking to the customers, and building the lessons learned from these vehicles into subsequent generations.