Jeep And Land Rover Could Become Cousins As Stellantis And JLR Partner Up For U.S. Market Cars

The two longest-running off-road SUV brands are about to become at least distant cousins. Jeep and Land Rover have been making rugged off-roaders since the '40s, on either side of the Atlantic. Now, both of their parent companies, Stellantis and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), are joining forces to "collaborate on product development in the United States."

OK, so nothing specific is set in stone just yet, as the two companies only signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), so they can explore ideas without any specific binding obligations. The idea is that both sides see potential opportunities to partner up, be it with technology or product lines, and they'd like to officially take a closer look. However, there seems to be real intent to develop products together and, more importantly, for the U.S. market. 

"As we continue to evolve JLR for the future, collaboration will play an important role in unlocking new opportunities. Working with Stellantis allows us to explore complementary capabilities in product and technology development that support our long‑term growth plans for the US market," said JLR CEO PB Balaji in a recent statement. 

"By working with partners to explore synergies in areas such as product and technology development, we can create meaningful benefits for both sides while remaining focused on delivering the products and experiences our customers love," said Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa

It's unclear exactly what sort of product technology each brand wants from each other, especially on the Stellantis side. It has 14 brands under its loving care, so I'm not sure what other tech or products it really needs. However, I can see JLR wanting to borrow some of Stellantis software or EV tech, or maybe chassis technology for some of its less off-road-focused vehicles. I don't know if the Brits could ever stomach something like a Defender riding on the same platform as a Jeep, but perhaps some of its less rugged vehicles like a future Range Rover Velar. Or perhaps this is to help JLR get Jaguar back on track as an EV brand.

All I know is that if the two brands build cars together, the reliability and recall headlines will write themselves.