Jaguar Land Rover opens Evoque production facility in China

Jaguar Land Rover has announced that its new manufacturing facility in China is now ready for production.
The plant is part of a $1.8 billion USD joint venture with China’s Chery Automobile Company, providing over 4.3 million square feet of space to build three different JRL models.

The Range Rover Evoque is the British automaker’s first vehicle to be built at the facility. The Freelander is expected to follow next, ahead of the Jaguar XE, however the additional models have not yet been officially confirmed.

“Since its launch, one in five Range Rover Evoques have been sold in China,” said JAguar Land Rover chief Dr. Ralf Speth. “Our decision to manufacture the Range Rover Evoque in Changshu is a result of our commitment to bringing more Chinese vehicles to Chinese customers.”

The plant has been designed to support an annual production of 130,000 units annually by 2016, eventually requiring a staff of more than 2,000 workers. The first Evoques are scheduled to roll off the assembly line by early 2015.

China is Jaguar Land Rover’s largest single market, accounting for more than 100,000 vehicles in 2013.