Jaguar to invest $3 billion in joint venture with Chery

Leading domestic carmaker Chery and Indian-owned luxury carmaker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) announced Wednesday that they have reached an agreement to set up a joint venture in China.

The two sides will hold equal shares in the new company, according to a press release posted on Chery's official website Wednesday.

The press release, also seen on JLR's official website, said the agreement follows extensive talks between JLR and Chery on establishing an equal partnership company.

The scope of the proposed joint venture will include the production of JLR- and joint- venture-branded vehicles, the establishment of a research and development facility, engine manufacturing and the sale of vehicles produced by the joint venture, the release said.

"Demand for Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles continues to increase significantly in China and we believe that JLR and Chery can jointly realize the potential of these iconic brands in the world's largest car market," JLR's CEO Ralf Speth and Chery's board chairman and general manager Yin Tongyue said in a joint statement.

"Our ambition is to leverage the respective strengths of our two businesses - in research and development, technological innovation, manufacturing excellence and local consumer knowledge - to offer Chinese customers the most advanced, highly efficient products featuring the very latest technologies," the statement said.

The terms and conditions of the commercial agreement are not being disclosed for now.

Chery was founded in 1997 and has since emerged as one of China's largest and most productive automotive manufacturers. Chery is also one of China's largest vehicle exporters, selling vehicles in over 60 countries.

Chery's products include passenger cars and SUVs, as well as engines and transmissions. In 2011, Chery recorded sales of 643,000 units, ranking sixth among China's passenger vehicle manufacturers.

JLR is the largest maker of premium vehicles in Britain.

In 2005, sales in China accounted for 1 percent of combined Jaguar and Land Rover sales. The country is now JLR's third largest market and is still growing and annual sales in 2011 increased by 60 percent to 42,000 units.

The JLR Chery tie-up is the latest in a series of partnerships between domestic companies and foreign giants seeking to boost presence in China.