BMW and Jaguar announced not long ago that they will be working closer together in the future. BMW is to offer engines to the British car maker and they will reportedly also develop electric motors together. Today, a new report from Autocar claims that the two will expand their relationship even further. According to the magazine, future Jaguar and Land Rover models could use some of BMW’s underpinnings as well.
Apparently, Jaguar is planning to launch a couple more small crossovers to try and bolster sales. Usually, in order to do so, a car maker would have to develop a new platform for them from the ground up. That won’t be the case here as Jaguar is looking to use BMW’s FAAR platform for its upcoming models. That’s not all though. According to the same report, some Land Rover models might go down the same route.
The upcoming Range Rover Evoque and the Discovery Sport are said to be borrowing some of BMW’s underpinnings as well as a completely new model that would become the new entry-level choice. Alongside the underpinnings, the new cars will also use BMW engines in both traditional and hybrid guises. This last model could revive the Freelander name according to Autocar, something fans will probably frown upon.
These moves are definitely a sign that the investments needed to keep going forward under the current legislation are pretty high. Car makers have to look for new ways to move forward while also remaining profitable in the long run. Joining forces is one way to do that and we’ve seen more and more manufacturers go down that road, even among rival brands. Whether it’s going to be a successful way to move forward remains to be seen but it should be interesting to see how this develops.
[Source: Autocar]
