The reborn Freelander brand, which revives the famous nameplate for a new family of Chinese-made models, will arrive in the UK before the end of the decade – and the first will be a chunky but rakish crossover designed by JLR chief creative officer Gerry McGovern.
The new brand is the result of a tie-up between JLR and its long-term manufacturing partner in China, Chery, which will engineer the cars using its own electrified platforms. Announcing the Freelander’s return in June last year, JLR said the Chery collaboration creates “mutually beneficial prospects for the future”.
Production of the debut crossover model will begin in late 2026, appearing first in China before global exports begin. It will be sold initially with a plug-in hybrid powertrain but EV and range-extender (REx) versions will follow.
Although it will be built by Chery in Changshu – where the car maker already produces local-market Range Rover Evoques and Discovery Sports – the styling of the cars will be overseen by McGovern, the man behind the original Freelander designs.
Autocar understands the first model will blend the rakishness of high-riding performance coupés like the Porsche Macan with chunky off-road design cues. It is believed that the intention is to make the car stand out in an ever more crowded SUV market by using the aesthetic of an off-roader on a more streamlined shape.
By giving the car a younger, more confident silhouette, Chery can better differentiate the Freelander from JLR’s own incoming Defender Sport model (pictured below), which will shrink the blocky shape of the bigger car for a wider audience when it arrives around 2027.
The Freelander will be underpinned by Chery’s T1X platform, which is used by a range of Chery brands, including recent UK arrivals Omoda and Jaecoo (the 7 pictured below).
The platform has a variable wheelbase so can accommodate a range of cars from larger SUVs, such as the Range Rover Velar-sized Chery Tiggo 9L, to crossovers, like the Nissan Qashqai-sized Omoda 3.
JLR has yet to indicate which types of models will make up the new Freelander family. However, it has previously said the new Freelanders will be seen as “independent from both Chery’s existing portfolio and JLR’s modern luxury House of Brands”, which is made up of Defender, Discovery, Jaguar and Range Rover.
But it is known that the first Freelander will arrive initially as a plug-in hybrid. Chery offers a range of PHEV power outputs and the Freelander is likely to package the high-power system from the new Omoda 9 mid-size SUV.
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A key element of Freelander II is that it was / still is a very good, reliable, capable, well-designer, good sized and practical car, due in no small way to the involvement of Ford Motor as it was, built in Halewood, on the Focus platform with, primarily, the Ford diesel engine etc. It's predecessor Freelander I was dreadful (pole vaulting detched prop-shaft et al) in comparison, the Freelander name dumped as it came across as far too weak to support JLR's insatiable appetite for massive prices.
So, as dreadful as this development is, at least JLR are comfortable that it plays around with a badge name which it dumped long ago, in favour of "Evoque" and "Discovery Sport".
What's the purpose of the fugly render of it's so obviously far from the test mule?
My thoughts exactly!
Not for JLR, surely. They're virtually perpetuating China's car dumping program at they're own expense.