Jaguar Land Rover Halts Production of Its Own Vehicles in China to Focus on Chinese Rebrands | Carscoops

      The Freelander name is set to make a comeback as a new brand aimed at the Chinese market with the support of Chery.

      Jaguar-Land Rover (JLR) will cease production of its own vehicles in China next year due to substantial losses. A fresh lineup of models designed for the Chinese market will be introduced under the Freelander brand. These Freelander vehicles will be constructed on a platform provided by Chery and may eventually be available internationally.

      JLR is withdrawing from its own model production in China and will start rebranding Chinese-manufactured platforms starting in 2026. This decision comes in light of an $18.7 million loss incurred by its joint venture with Chery in the previous fiscal year.

      On Jaguar's front, production of the XE, XF, and E-Pace, which are currently produced at a factory shared with Chery, is set to conclude in September. Additionally, Land Rover will stop manufacturing the Range Rover Evoque and the Land Rover Discovery Sport in China by the end of next year.

      The Freelander name is making a return, but with a new focus. Reports from AutoNews indicate that JLR and Chery are preparing a new range of models tailored for the Chinese market under the new Freelander brand. This lineup will be based on the Chery T1X platform, which has been developed in collaboration with JLR since 2016. The modular T1X platform currently supports various Chery, Tiggo, Omoda, and Jaecoo SUVs.

      The first model under the Freelander name will offer a plug-in hybrid drivetrain. Although JLR will be involved in the design process, these Freelanders will be built on a Chinese platform and will target the market with “Chinese attributes” and “Chinese costs,” which, according to JLR CFO Richard Molyneux, makes it “ideal for the Chinese market.”

      It is anticipated that Freelanders will be sold alongside larger imported models like the Range Rover and Defender, which are higher-priced and less impacted by competition from local manufacturers.

      Molyneux mentioned to investors that the challenging year is a result of most models nearing the end of their product cycles, a challenge faced by other brands as well. The Chinese market has proven particularly tough for foreign car manufacturers. Brands like Audi’s “AUDI” subsidiary are exploring new strategies to capture local buyers while utilizing domestic technology.

      Despite last year’s loss following a profitable $47.8 million during the 2023 fiscal year, JLR's sales in the first four months of 2025 have started to improve due to increased demand from the U.S. However, China, which was once JLR's largest market, is now ranked fifth, indicating not only a weak performance but a broader decline amid emerging competition.

      Although not yet confirmed, there is potential for the Freelander brand to expand globally. Through JLR’s somewhat complex “house of brands” strategy that includes sub-brands like Range Rover and Discovery, it’s conceivable that the China-centric Freelander brand could be marketed internationally.

      “It has the potential to go global,” Molyneux noted, which may align with Chery’s ambitions to expand further into international markets. Last year, Chery was recognized as China’s largest vehicle exporter, shipping 1.14 million vehicles.