Jaguar Land Rover eyes China in drive for Britishness with Velar

If you have been driving on the road of Britain over the past decade, it won't have escaped your notice that the shape of cars has changed.

Where once, the highways were full of saloons and hatchbacks, they now reverberate to the sound of sport utility vehicles - SUVs, as they are universally known. Big, high cars that look like they're built to go off road, and occasionally do. Where once they considered a niche desire, the SUV is now entirely mainstream.

Some manufacturers have come to all this rather late - it still feels a little odd that Bentley builds a 4x4. But Land Rover - or Jaguar Land Rover as it is now - has been making off-roaders for decades, selling them to fans around the world.

And now there is another model in the range - the Range Rover Velar, launched today.

It is bigger than an Evoque, smaller than a Range Rover Sport, and unashamedly proud of its British heritage.

Dr Ralf Speth has been the the chief executive of Jaguar Land Rover for seven years, a Bavarian who has overseen the rejuvenation of this British brand.

We spoke just before the car was unveiled, and he was unequivocal: "British engineering gives us something different from our competitors - it gives us a different look, a particular status and cachet. It reflects British lifestyle."

This isn't just the marketing speak of a car executive. Across British industry, and especially in the luxury sector, there is a movement to promote this idea of Britishness as being something vibrant, important and aspirational. And nowhere more so than in China.

At least 20% of the Velar's sales will be made in China, where its British heritage carries particular weight.

Kirk Wilson is the chief executive of the China-British Business Council. For years, he's been based in Beijing, promoting British businesses.

"It is about innovation and style - it's more than just heritage, it's people buying into the Union Jack," he said. "There is a sense that the Union Jack on a product brings independence, a sense of innovation and freedom."

But does it? Haven't we heard this all before - this mantra of reaching out to China in pursuit of new markets? The answer to this is yes, plenty of times, but now there is an added urgency to the debate.

The Brexit referendum, followed by the fall in the value of the pound, has thrown an onus on to exporters, and particularly to those who look beyond the shores of Europe.

Few understand the challenge better than Burberry, the British fashion company that has put a particular emphasis on selling to the Far East (Kuala Lumpur: 5029.KL - news) .

Around 35% of its sales now come from China and Hong Kong and when I spoke to the company's chairman, Sir John Peace, he said the value of having a British brand was "increasingly important".

He said: "As I go around the world, the idea of 'Made (Paris: FR0010328302 - news) in Britain' is starting to matter a gread deal.

"We have wonderful brands - great automotive and fashion brands, and many others. But it's not up to the Government to pick a winner from them.

"It's time to create an environment where the winners emerge. From a Burberry point of view it's a challenging and exciting time for the future."

It is a model of trade that many will find fascinating - of strengthened ties with new markets, and especially China, an onus on high-quality products and a debate about exactly what we mean by the word "Britishness".