Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and Chinese automaker Chery are set to revive the Freelander nameplate under their joint-venture umbrella, with the first new model scheduled for a global debut on March 31. The relaunched Freelander will anchor a fresh range of electrified SUVs, initially targeting the Chinese market with plans for potential global expansion.
The reborn Freelander will be positioned as a unique model line separate from JLR's core luxury brands such as Jaguar, Range Rover, Discovery and Defender under its "House of Brands" strategy. It will sit in a different segment and will be sold through a network of Chery-run dealerships, rather than traditional JLR outlets.
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Production will take place at the Chery-JLR joint-venture plant in China, and the new SUVs are expected to replace locally produced models such as the Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque, which are slated for discontinuation in China this year.
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The new Freelander range will be built on a Chery-developed platform, widely believed to be the T1X architecture used across several Chery-group SUVs. The first model is tipped to be a plug-in hybrid SUV that combines SUV-like proportions with a coupe-inspired roofline, along with a distinctive front lighting signature.
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While Chery leads platform development, JLR will oversee design and overall positioning, drawing inspiration from the original Freelander. The company describes the new family as echoing the original spirit of Freelander but updated to suit tech-savvy, premium-oriented Chinese buyers.
The Freelander name traces its roots to JLR's compact premium SUV launched in 1997, which was notable for being the brand's first monocoque-based 4x4 and helped define the compact premium SUV segment. It spanned two generations before being phased out in 2015 and replaced by the Discovery Sport. With the unveiling on March 31, the Freelander badge returns to JLR's portfolio after nearly 10 years, this time as the face of an electrified SUV range under the JLR-Chery partnership.