Jaguar Land Rover to build cars in China

Jaguar Land Rover has announced it is to start building cars in China.

Coming as the all-new Range Rover is launched in London, JLR has confirmed it has found a suitable factory site just outside Shanghai.

New 2013 Range Rover launch: full details

On Bing: see images of the Range Rover

It is expected that either the Freelander or Evoque will be built there, once final approval has been given by the Chinese Government.

The move is in part an effort increase the appeal of Land Rover products to Chinese buyers, who face large import taxes on foreign made cars.

It won’t be the first time JLR products will be built abroad. The Freelander is already built in Pune, India from kits sent out from the UK, and the Defender is built in Kenya.

The new site, however, would be the company’s first full manufacturing plant outside the UK, and would use Chinese made parts.

Due to its complexity, manufacture of the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport will remain in the UK – a move also likely to keep the flagship car’s elite status in the rapidly expanding Chinese market, as those taxes will make it prohibitively expensive to all but the newly emerging billionaire classes.

JLR is insisting that this new facility will in no way threaten jobs in the UK. It has recently invested £370 million in its Solihull plant to accommodate production of the new Range Rover.

It is also eyeing up expansion opportunities in Brazil, Saudi Arabia and Russia.

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Road Test Review: Range Rover Evoque 2.2 TD4 (2011 onwards)

New 2013 Range Rover launch: full details

On Bing: see images of the Range Rover