The Freelander returns, but it's not a Land Rover...

The new-generation, China-built Freelander will be revealed on 31 March, according to the joint-venture partnership responsible for its development. Chery Jaguar Land Rover (CJLR) posted on Chinese social media site Weibo this week saying: “It’s true, it’s here!” with the hashtag #SeeYouOn331FREELANDER”.

Accompanying the announcement was a single teaser image showing the headlight of the new model. The picture reveals a fresh DRL design, comprising four separate elements housed within a squared-off frame. The car’s boxy arches, tall bonnet and large door mirrors can just about be made out in the blurry image.

Eventually, the Freelander brand will spawn a range of all-new, tech-filled electric cars designed specifically for the Chinese market – all without the Land Rover badge. The new Freelanders could make their way to the UK later down the line.

Land Rover introduced the original Freelander in 1997 as a ruggedly handsome compact SUV, and launched the Mk2 in 2006, but this was succeeded by the Discovery Sport a decade later. Meanwhile over in China, JLR has had a joint venture with the automotive giant Chery – owners of Omoda and Jaecoo – for more than a decade, which it hopes will be revitalised by these forthcoming Freelander EVs.

The collaboration between Chery and JLR leverages the individual strengths of the two companies. JLR insists that Freelander will be a standalone brand, distinct from JLR’s ‘House of Brands’, which currently include Range Rover, Defender and Discovery. It'll use a Chery platform and Chery technology, but major on JLR’s expertise in design.

Chery currently builds the Chinese-market long-wheelbase versions of the Range Rover Evoque and Discovery Sport, but those cars will be replaced by new Freelander-branded models. 

The first new Freelander will launch in the second half of 2026, according to JLR’s head of China, Qing Pan. It will be a “full-size SUV echoing the original spirit of the Freelander, but brought up to date and designed to appeal to the discerning and technologically savvy Chinese consumers.”

This as-yet-unnamed model will be the first member of a new Freelander family of SUVs, which will all be built under licence, and based on Chery’s own flexible EV architecture. It’s understood the profits will be shared 50:50 between the partners in the joint venture. 

Ex-Jaguar Land Rover CEO Adrian Mardell revealed last year: “Of course, these will be cars designed with [JLR’s] involvement, but off a Chinese platform with Chinese tech and the Chinese cost base, so should be absolutely perfect for the market there. This will allow the joint venture and [JLR’s] plant in Changshu to flourish over time.”

No specific details about the new Freelander models have been announced yet, but we do know they’ll be “mainstream electric vehicles”, possibly with up to six seats. With the rapid development of EVs in China and the country’s emphasis on tech and connectivity, we expect these Freelander models to be sleek and futuristic, with large digital interfaces and lots of cabin space. 

While the new EVs are designed specifically for the Chinese market, they have global potential – but with the caveat that it's “dependent on business cases and various other things,” according to Mardell. He also added that they wouldn’t be launched in other territories for a year or so after sales begin in China. No comment has been made by Mardell’s successor, PB Balaji, since he took the reins at JLR in November 2025.

Prices haven’t been announced, but the car’s positioning should see it undercut the current Defender, which starts from around £60,000. Of course, exchange rates and export costs would see a significant premium placed on local prices in China if the car was offered in the UK and Europe.

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