Jaguar Land Rover & Chery in business

The joint venture between Jaguar Land Rover and Chery Automobile in China is now official and will see new production and R&D facilities in China.

Jaguar Land Rover has now received official approval for its joint venture in China with Chery Automobile from China’s authorities – something we predicted as long ago as February 2011 – which will see both JLR and joint branded cars rolling off production lines in China. The JV will be known as Chery Jaguar Land Rover Automotive Company Ltd.

China is already JLR’s third biggest market (after the UK and U.S.) with sales up around 80 per cent already in 2012, and this new JV – which is part of a investment in China by JLR – will see a new manufacturing plant in Changshu, near Shanghai, which will include a new R&D centre and engine plant.

But it won’t just be Jaguars and Land Rovers rolling off production lines in China, JLR and Chery will be building cars for a domestic brand for China tailored to local customer demand (which, as far as we know, won’t be called Rand Lover) as a required part of the approval for the JV.

Ralph Speth and Chery’s Yin Tongyao issued a joint statement:

We are delighted to have reached this milestone, achieved thanks to the understanding and foresight of the Chinese authorities and we want to thank them for recognising the potential of our joint venture in the fast-growing Chinese market.

Together, we will now begin working in close collaboration on our partnership plans to harness the capabilities of our respective companies, to produce relevant, advanced models for Chinese consumers.

All of which could do wonders for JLR’s production numbers in the next few years.