The Freelander name went quiet in 2015. JLR killed it off to make room for the Discovery Sport and the Range Rover Evoque, chasing higher margins in the premium tier. A decade later the name is back, and this time it belongs to an entirely new standalone brand, built out of a joint venture between JLR and Chinese manufacturer Chery.
The reveal happened on 31 March 2026 at a dedicated event in Beijing, ahead of the car's public debut at the city's international motor show. The timing was pointed: that same day, the CJLR factory in Changsu built its very last combustion engined Range Rover Evoque. One era ended as another was announced.
The debut model is a mid sized off road family SUV, previewed at the launch by the Concept 97, a name that nods to the year the original Land Rover Freelander first went on sale. According to Autocar, the production version is expected to reach showrooms with few changes from the concept, apart from the pillarless reverse opening rear doors. The interior seats six in a two plus two plus two layout, with a display spanning the full width of the dashboard and a large central touchscreen.
Under the skin sits a new 800 volt electrical architecture. RushLane reports that the platform supports pure electric, plug in hybrid, and range extender drivetrains, giving the brand flexibility to sell the same basic vehicle across markets with very different charging infrastructure and buyer expectations. The cabin will run Qualcomm Snapdragon processing and Huawei's Qiankun advanced driver assistance system, complete with LiDAR support.
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On pricing and detailed specifications, range, battery size, performance figures, the company has said nothing yet. What it has said is that this car will not be the only one. The brand is planning to launch a new model every six months for the next five years, which would put up to ten vehicles into the Freelander lineup before the decade is out.
Freelander CEO Wei Lan addressed the question of whether this is simply a Chinese car being rebadged for export. According to Autocar, Lan told the launch event:
"From its very first day of existence, every Freelander product is conceived and calibrated for the diverse demands of markets across the world. We are not exporting a Chinese car to the world but we are building a world car, for the world, from the very beginning."
Lan also confirmed, as Electrek reports, that prototypes have already undergone extensive testing in Europe and that the car has been engineered to meet Euro NCAP rules from the outset. Export variants will not be direct adaptations of the Chinese specification but separate, market specific derivatives.
European sales are confirmed. UK timing has not been announced but is expected after the Chinese launch later in 2026, with British showrooms likely to follow in 2027.
The design pulls consciously from the original. Carscoops notes that the angled D pillar references the three door 1997 model, while the pixel style LED daytime running lights echo the facelifted 2003 version. The front carries a large Freelander script across it. There are no Land Rover badges anywhere on the car.
That last point is the real story. The original Freelander made 4x4 ownership accessible without the bulk or the price of a full scale off roader. Its successor keeps the name and the visual attitude but sits entirely outside JLR's own brand architecture, a sibling to Chery's Omoda, Jaecoo, and iCar lines, dressed in British heritage.
Whether European drivers care about that distinction, or whether they simply see something familiar and feel the pull of a name they once knew, is the question the brand has roughly three years left to answer.
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