In June 2023, JLR launched its new House of Brands strategy with four core brands: Jaguar, Range Rover, Discovery and Defender. A year later, a fifth brand has been created, or re-activated, but which will operate, at least initially, outside the company’s UK home—developed and produced in China, by Chery.
Chery has been JLR’s Chinese partner for more than 12 years and the joint venture (JV) company CJLR produces a number of JLR models under contract in Changshu for the Chinese market. With the end of the Jaguar E-Pace, XE and XF, and the Evoque and Discovery Sport in the latter stages of their life cycles, CJLR needs new products to fill the factory. According to Automotive World’s Datablast, CJLR made less than 49,0000 JLR models last year and is expected to make just under 46,000 this year. This is where Freelander comes in: a new range will be developed to utilise the factory much better than now. The Freelander name had previously been used for Land Rover’s entry model between 1997 and 2015 when it was replaced by the Discovery Sport.