A new chapter in the downfall of foreign car manufacturers in China. Jaguar Land Rover is attempting to salvage the situation by introducing a new product line under the name Freelander, with the assistance of its partner Chery.
A few months ago, JLR (Jaguar Land Rover) announced the separation of Land Rover into three distinct brands: Range Rover, Defender, and Discovery. These three labels now require an influx of products with distinct identities to sustain them. And it doesn’t end there, as the British group is now resurrecting the name Freelander.
The small Land Rover born in the late 90s under BMW’s patronage will not be revived as it was, but its name will be used in partnership with the Chinese group Chery for a new product line. Essentially, JLR will soon cease production of the Evoque and Discovery Sport (which are not selling well) in its joint venture and replace them on the production lines at the Changshu factory with new vehicles named Freelander. The Range Rover, Discovery, Defender, and Jaguar models will only be imported.
This new Freelander range will be entirely based on Chery technologies. Particularly mentioned are the M3X platform for plug-in hybrids, and especially the E0X platform for electric vehicles. The E0X platform is currently used in models such as Exeed Sterra ES and ET (soon to arrive in Europe under the Exlantix brand) or Luxeed S7 and R7 developed with Huawei. JLR will mainly have input on design, sales, and marketing aspects.
The arrival of these Freelander models in Europe remains somewhat hypothetical and may not be logical as the manufacturer is still struggling to build a cohesive range for its different brands, apart from Range Rover. However, nothing is excluded, and the Freelander models could have a future in export markets.
Panic on Board
This move confirms that non-Chinese car manufacturers are all seeking solutions to try to salvage the situation in China. Their market share is shrinking rapidly due to the increase in sales of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles (up 47% in May) and the Chinese manufacturers maintaining an 80% market share in this vehicle category. Even in electric vehicles, foreign manufacturers struggle to attract customers and are forced to offer huge discounts on their latest models…
All of them are trying to integrate local technologies to appeal to customers who now have more faith in their national manufacturers than in historic foreign brands. However, this strategy still needs to prove its effectiveness… Why would a customer buy a Freelander knowing that it uses Chery technology, when they could just as easily buy the original Chinese model directly from Chery, Exeed, or Luxeed dealers…