► CAR’s intel dossier on the new Freelander
► Reborn nameplate blends JLR design and Chery engineering
► Launches late 2026 in China; other markets to come
We’re not out of old names yet, it seems, as JLR looks to its Chinese business partner Chery to resurrect a badge we thought was properly dead. Just as Dr Frankenstein screamed ‘It’s alive!’ after flipping the switch, the reborn Land Rover Freelander will be a mish-mash of Land Rover design and Chery technology under the skin.
The original idea was floated in 2024 as the two automotive giants announced closer ties for the next era of electrification. At the time, then-CEO of Jaguar Land Rover Adrian Mardell said: ‘We believe that working together to develop new models of collaboration for the world’s largest and fastest‑growing electric vehicle market, combined with the appeal of the Freelander brand, promises a very exciting future.’
All very businessy, and more than a little cryptic. It wasn’t until a 2025 investor presentation that more info on Freelander’s revival was released, with a single image of the nameplate presented to those in the audience (pictured above). ‘The Freelander is set to return,’ said Qing Pan, president of JLR China, during that call. ‘Under our joint venture with Chery, the new vehicles will reflect the ambition to break free from convention, with innovative engineering, leading ADAS [advanced driver assistance systems] and more smart features. The new Freelander will cater to freedom-seeking customers who are young at heart and looking for moments of joy.’
Again, very corporate – and something that was more designed to excite investors than potential customers. But, piecing together information from various sources, an attractive prospect is taking shape.
We expect the new Land Rover Freelander to echo the look of the Ford Bronco Sport, combined with design cues from the Land Rover Defender, but all aimed at a more road-focused buyer. That’s the same general idea that gave us the original Freelander in 1997, thriving through two generations but then being replaced by the Discovery Sport.
Qing Pan said the Freelander will embody ‘the original spirit of the Freelander, but brought up to date with a design to appeal to the discerning, technologically-savvy Chinese consumer.’
Yin Tongyue, chairman of Chery Automobile, has confirmed that JLR will use the E0X platform currently deployed by Chery’s Exeed brand, which sells hybrid and electric SUVs in China and other markets including Russia. E0X is constructed from aluminium, runs on 800 volts and uses a double-wishbone front, multi-link rear suspension set-up.
Land Rover will have access to electric power configurations ranging from a 249bhp single-motor rear-driven set-up to twin-motor all-wheel-drive versions with more than 450bhp at their disposal. Exeed also claims that cars using E0X underpinnings are capable of efficiency figures better than five miles per kWh.
Although the platform can house range- extender powertrains, using a turbocharged 1.5-litre engine as a generator, JLR claims to be focusing on battery-electric versions. Although China – the world’s largest EV market – will get the Freelander first towards the end of 2027, it will almost certainly launch in other markets from the following year. ‘It holds the potential for global expansion,’ Pan said. ‘This represents a bold step into a different segment, complementing our existing JLR business and unlocking growth.’
And don’t think the returning badge will appear only as a five-door SUV. Amid all of the noise surrounding Gerry McGovern and the enormous cyber attack that has left JLR reeling in 2025, it’s working hard to establish Freelander as another pillar in its ‘house of brands’ that currently consists of Range Rover, Defender, Discovery and Jaguar.