Freelander, the standalone car brand developed through a partnership between Chery and Jaguar Land Rover, has confirmed plans to enter the UK as part of a phased international expansion, Autocar reported on October 6. The brand will first enter the Middle East and North Africa, followed by Australia and New Zealand. The UK and other European markets are planned for the third phase.
Freelander has not announced a UK launch year or named the company that will import its vehicles. Its first model is the Freelander 8, a large plug-in hybrid SUV. Chief executive Wen Fei has said vehicles developed for Europe will be new derivatives tailored to local requirements rather than simply modified versions of the Chinese-market models. [Autocar]