Land Rover’s Freelander Brand Set For Revival Through Chery

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and Chery recently signed a letter of intent (LOI) to expand their product options in China's electric vehicle (EV) market. This collaboration capitalises on both parties' complementary strengths: Chery's strong position in the Chinese automotive sector and JLR's unrivalled heritage and design experience.

Under the proposed new licensing arrangement, the Chery-JLR Joint Venture (CJLR) will produce an advanced portfolio of EVs based on Chery's EV architecture, exclusively under the Freelander brand.

This move is consistent with our recent story in which Chery Chairman Yin Tongyao said that JLR will adopt the M3X and E0X modular designs. These are already used in premium Chery models such as the Exlantix ET, Exlantix ES, Luxeed 7, Luxeed R7, Exeed RX and Chery Tiggo 9.

Yin Tongyao further stated that Chery and JLR are developing an innovative collaboration strategy to support both companies' future growth. Meanwhile, JLR's CEO, Adrian Mardell, stated that this move demonstrates the company's commitment to China and strengthens its operations there.

The Freelander brand will be reintroduced under licence, ushering in a new strategic phase for Chery-JLR and establishing a new posture in China's rapidly rising New Energy Vehicle (NEV) market.

The new Freelander EV will be manufactured at CJLR's Changshu factory. These versions will be sold in China first, with hopes to expand globally in the future.