Jaguar Land Rover Sees Long-Time Partner Chery Market Direct Rival Model in U.K.

Jaguar Land Rover’s long-time commercial collaborator, Chinese auto giant Chery, is about to field a direct competitor to its products in the U.K.

The companies, whose engineering relationship goes back 12 years, signed an agreement only in June this year over their joint venture, CJLR, to build a new electrified Freelander compact SUV for the Chinese market.

Now, Chery’s premium off-road Jaecoo brand will market its Jaecoo 7 midsize SUV in January priced from just £29,435 ($37,303) undercutting Land Rover’s own direct competitor, the Range Rover Evoque, by nearly £11,000 ($13,940).

The Jaecoo 7 will be sold in gasoline and plug-in hybrid powertrain versions. It shares the same platform with Chery’s entry-level Omoda 5 but is modified to be 4 ins. (102 mm) longer at an overall length of 14.7 ft. (4,481 mm).

The entry-level model will feature a 147-hp 1.6L turbocharged gasoline 4-cyl. driving the front wheels with 203 lb.-ft (275 Nm) of torque and an official economy of 31.4 mpg (US)(7.5 L/100 km). An all-wheel-drive model with the same power unit will be priced from £32,850 ($41,631).

There’s also an all-wheel-drive PHEV version employing a 1.5L turbocharged gasoline 4-cyl. which, with the electric motor, claims a total power output of 203 hp and 229 lb.-ft. (310 Nm) of torque.

The motor draws power from an 18.3kW battery that gives the model an electric-only range of 56 miles (90 km). Jaecoo claims an overall range of 745 miles (1,200 km).

This model also claims serious off-road capabilities with seven driving modes, approach and departure angles of 21 degrees and 29 degrees and a breakover angle of 7.9 ins. (201 mm).

Also boasting an integrated power braking system from Bosch to mimic a locking differential, the Jaecoo 7 PHEV will be priced from £35,065 ($44,438).