Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is set to unveil plans for an Americanised version of its Defender model, aimed at breaking into the $80billion (£59billion) US pick-up truck market. The move, expected to be finalised in the coming weeks, marks a strategic pivot by chief executive PB Balaji following last week's announcement that up to 4,000 jobs could be cut worldwide, as the carmaker battles a "perfect storm" of challenges including a major cyber attack, US tariffs and growing competition from cheaper Chinese brands.

The new Defender pick-up would be built in the US through a joint venture with Stellantis, owner of the Ram brand, which sold around 430,000 vehicles in America last year. Roughly three million pick-ups are sold annually in the US, about one in five car sales, and the deal is intended to head off fears that JLR might otherwise cede production of its best-selling model entirely to an American partner. JLR, which also makes Range Rover and Discovery models, employs 34,000 people at three UK sites and supports a further 120,000 jobs in its supply chain; it says it needs to save £1.7billion over two years, partly due to US tariffs of up to 27.5 per cent and the fallout from a cyber attack estimated to have cost £1.9billion.