The first new Freelander model in more than a decade will be revealed "in the coming months", JLR has confirmed.
Set to be a tech-led, electrified, full-size SUV, it will hit road in the second half of 2026.
As reported, the car will be the first of a new range of models to wear the Freelander badge as part of an effort by JLR to renew its business in China.
While Freelander models will at first be sold only in the Chinese market, there “potential for global expansion”, JLR China president Qing Pan said previously.
Now JLR is readying the car for a public debut, it confirmed during its quarterly results briefing on Friday (14 November), suggesting an unveiling as early as January.
The cars will be developed as part of a joint venture between JLR and its Chinese joint venture partner Chery.
Chery is developing the Freelander electrified range using an in-house-developed "flexible" platform, Pan said.
Autocar has learned that the platform will be Chery’s T1X, which underpins cars from the company’s Jaecoo, Omoda and Chery brands.
The first model is set to be a plug-in hybrid with a design that blends chunky off-road visual cues with a Porsche Macan-style coupé shape.
It will “echo the original spirit of Freelander but brought up to date to appeal to discerning, technologically savvy Chinese consumers,” Pan said.
The new Freelander will give Chery JLR's factory a replacement for the Land Rover Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque, production of which will end this year.
It will sit in different market segment from JLR’s imported high-end models in China, such as the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Land Rover Defender.
JLR has said the new Freelander will be sold in a network of its own dedicated, Chery-run dealerships.
Freelander doesn't come under JLR's luxury-focused ‘House of Brands’ marketing and sales strategy, which effectively splits Jaguar, Defender, Discovery and Range Rover into as stand-alone brands.
In the UK and mainland Europe, a Chinese-built Freelander could cannibalise sales of the cheaper models based on JLR's new EMA EV platform, such as the upcoming replacements for the Evoque and Discovery Sport. That would make the business case for selling Freelanders in those markets harder to justify.
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And I thought that the "3rd generation" Freelander was the Evoque, a quintissential hairdresser's car. It looks like it's been squashed, it's available as a soft-top and 4wd is an optional extra.
The mareting department is certainly cranking up the Bull-S level, will thief-proofing and reliability be more important?
Is that what JLR does now? Logo's and 'branding'.
How about some actual cars?
It's ridiculous isn't it, all this house of brands crap and previewing of cars that are many years away. I remember reading a long article with some JLR bloke about how many horizontal bars goes into each models grill, all about brand recognition.
As you say, just build some cars damnit. Nice, comfy reliable ones and you'll grow, employ people and make some money. Something's gone horribly wrong at JLR, how could they just let Jaguar die like they did, such an iconic brand and they just fumbled it away.
Look at the bright side: it will be the most reliable JLR product ever. While still too expensive, it be priced much closer to what it offers.
Their logo will be the most reliable JLR product ever, their car won't.