This marks the beginning of a strategic phase for CJLR, with Freelander becoming a brand reborn under license from JLR. The vehicles will be designed collaboratively by Chery and JLR's Creative teams, positioning them in the rapidly growing China mainstream New Energy Vehicle (NEV) market.
Additionally, Tata Motors' electric vehicle arm, TPEM, has also partnered with JLR to develop the "Avinya" series of premium pure electric vehicles using JLR's Electrified Modular Architecture platform.
The Freelander brand is being revived under the CJLR Joint Venture (a collaboration between Chery and Jaguar Land Rover) for the Chinese market. The new Freelander electric vehicles will be designed collaboratively by Chery and JLR's Creative teams.
The Freelander EVs will exist alongside CJLR's current models, marking a new chapter for the joint venture. These electric Freelanders will be sold through a separate dealer network within China, with the potential for future global exports.
This JV positions the auto companies competitively within the booming Chinese electric vehicle market.
The Freelander brand has an interesting history. Originally, it was associated with Land Rover, a British luxury SUV manufacturer, before getting acquired by Tata Group. The Land Rover Freelander was a compact SUV produced from 1997 to 2014.
The Land Rover Freelander was introduced in 1997 as Land Rover's entry-level model. It was positioned below the larger Discovery and Range Rover models. The Freelander was popular for its practicality, versatility, and comfortable ride. It came with various engine options, including petrol and diesel variants. Features included hill descent control, terrain response system, and a panoramic sunroof.
The Freelander paved the way for Land Rover's compact SUV lineup. In 2015, Land Rover replaced the Freelander with the Discovery Sport, which continued the compact SUV legacy.
As mentioned earlier, the Freelander brand is being revived under the CJLR Joint Venture (a collaboration between Chery and Jaguar Land Rover) for the China market.
Chery, a Chinese automaker, has made a significant development in recent years. Ranked as China's No. 8 automaker by sales volume in 2022, Chery is now eyeing European markets. It joins other Chinese automakers like BYD, Xpeng, and Nio in expanding beyond China as competition intensifies
In first quarter of this year, the Geely Group (which owns brands like Volvo and Lotus) became the first Chinese carmaker to enter the global top 10 sales chart. Geely secured the 10th spot, surpassing Germany's Mercedes-Benz Group and BMW. Its sales volume increased by 27% year-over-year.
Other Chinese companies are also catching up. BYD, Changan Automobile, Chery Automobile, and SAIC Motor all secured places in the global top 20 sales chart during the same period.
Chery's global brands include Chery itself, Exeed (a luxury brand competing with Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz), Omoda, and Jetour. These brands offer electric, plug-in hybrid, and internal combustion power trains.
Moreover, Chery has also explored entering the U.S. market multiple times. While assembling cars in the U.S. has been challenging for Chinese automakers due to complexities, Chery continues to consider it.
Founded in 1997, Chery is relatively new compared to some other Chinese automakers. Its main products include passenger cars, SUVs, and commercial vehicles. Chery started exporting cars in 2001 but still has a limited global presence.
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