Remember the Land Rover Freelander from the nineties and noughties? Well, it's back... kind of.
Formerly the smallest model in JLR's line-up between 1997 and 2015, Freelander has officially returned more than a decade after its disappearance - but as a standalone brand.
And it's not going to sit alongside Jaguar, Range Rover, Discovery and Defender in the company's line up.
It will be sold separately as part of a contentious joint venture between the British car maker - now under Tata's Indian ownership - and Chinese giant, Chery, the parent group of Jaecoo and Omoda.
At its unveiling at the Beijing Auto Show this weekend, the marque is pitched as a 'British premium intelligent all-terrain brand'.
And it's going to be a significant operation, with the promise of six models by the end of the decade.
While the vehicles are designed by JLR and show many of the hallmarks of its existing models, they won't have any of the Tata-owned car maker's branding and will be built in China with the domestic market very much in mind.
The first car in the line-up to be shown is the Freelander 8 - an enormous family SUV that looks remarkably like the current Defender. And it could still yet come to Britain...
Freelander is coming back after more than a decade away. But it isn't being sold as a Land Rover...
The original Land Rover Freelander debuted in 1997. But the name returns in 2026 as a standalone brand that has been formed in a partnership between JLR and Chinese firm, Chery
While the original Freelander - sold across two generations - was a compact SUV providing the least expensive entry into JLR's stable of luxury models, the new Freelander 8 is a very different proposition entirely.
At 5.1-meters long, it's slightly bigger than the current Land Rover Defender 110. However, with seven seats, it will offer the practicality of the larger Defender 130.
It will exclusively be powered by electrified Chery drivetrains, with the 8 set to launch with 'range extender' setup.
This will see a petrol engine function solely as a generator for the battery, the latter of which will supply the power to all four wheels. However, conventional hybrids and a full EV could follow.
All will be underpinned by an 800V electrical architecture providing DC charging speeds up to 350kW.
And it should be capable off-road too.
Bosses have stated it will have a 'world’s first intelligent all-terrain system' made up of nine adaptable driving modes and clever locking differentials that deliver power to the wheels where it is needed most. The underside is also fully protected.
It should also be plush, with dual-chamber air suspension bolstering its capabilities away from the tarmac but also providing a cushioned ride on long journeys.
The 8 is just the initial ripple of a tidal wave of new models, with Freelander set to debut a new car every six months over the next three years.
The company gave a sneak preview of what its vehicles will look like with its 97 Concept (97 being a nod to the original Freelander's debut) at the Shanghai Motor Show in March - and the 8 retains many of its styling cues.
The first new model is the Freelander 8. And it's huge. At 5.1-metre long, it is bigger than a Land Rover Defender 110
Freelander's styling chief is a former Land Rover designer. The car maker has dubbed itself a 'British premium intelligent all-terrain brand' despite the vehicles being produced in China
The brand will use the triangular-shaped rear window - a nod to the 1997 3-door Freelander - for its future models
On the outside, the silhouette is very much in the ilk of the current Defender; a jacked-up body, boxy 'Castle Body' proportions, and blocky LED headlights that have 8,000 pixels per cluster. Even the Freelander branding stamped on the upper grille section and across the flat boot door are very JLR-esque.
It is also taking some of the design lineage from the original Freelander, including the triangular side window, which it says will be a 'defining brand element' for all models.
Like most of its Chinese rivals, the interior will be gadget packed and filled with technology.
The cabin boasts a dashboard-wide digital upper screen than spans from behind the steering wheel across to the passenger door. This includes the driver's instrument cluster as well as vital information, like navigation instructions.
Lower in the dashboard is a tablet-style touchscreen as well as an array of conventional buttons for frequently adjusted settings, like the temperature controls.
The Series 1 Freelander (left) launched in 1997 as a compact SUV with three doors. The Freelander 2 (right) emerged in 2006 with a conventional design that didn't prove as popular
The company gave a sneak preview of what its vehicles will look like with its 97 Concept at the Shanghai Motor Show in March - and the 8 retains many of its styling cues
While the Concept 97 had rear-hinged 'suicide doors' similar to a Rolls-Royce, the Freelander 8 debuted in Beijing at the weekend uses a more conventional setup
Phil Simmons, a former Land Rover designer, is the company's design hub director to retain the brand's connection to JLR.
The company says the brand will have four pillars: 'British Unconventionality, Contemporary Premium, Creative Intelligence and Expressive - while staying true to the pioneering spirit born with the original Freeland in 1997.'
Lucia Mao, the brand's CEO, added: 'British craftsmanship is not just about heritage - it's about bringing timeless design to life in a contemporary way.
'Every line, every surface, every intelligent feature of our vehicle is a statement of who we are: a British premium intelligent all-terrain brand, fully reborn.'
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Will it be sold in Britain?
Freelander says there could be around 1,000 prototype mules deployed across the globe to test the car's capabilities ahead of launch.
There is no indication on pricing as yet, though the 8 will debut as a premium option when it goes on sale first in the Middle East.
The company has also remained tight-lipped regarding whether it could be sold in the UK, production of right-hand-drive variants has been given the green light and it has been homologated for Europe with a variety of powertrains, according to Auto Express.
As such, there is a possibility Chery could add Freelander to its current brand like-up in Britain, which includes Chery, Jaecoo, Lepas and Omoda to date.
Auto Express claims sales could start in the UK in the second half of this year, though won't be sold in JLR dealers.
It will likely undercut the Defender on price, meaning it will need to start below £60,000.
From the front, it's easy to mistake the new Freelander 8 for a Defender, with its boxy design and square headlight clusters
While the Freelander shares a number of styling cues with the Defender, the Chinese models will not display any Land Rover branding at all
JLR-Chery partnership
The cars will will be produced at the Chery-JLR facility in Changshu, which has received $1.5billion investment in preparation, including advanced robotics and other upgrades to the manufacturing technology.
Mao said the brand is 'not a continuation' of the outgoing Freelander but a 'leap forward'.
She added: 'The legend is not stuck in the past. It is stepping into a new chapter, and the Freelander 8 proves exactly that.
JLR - which is owned by Tata Motors of India - and Chery's partnership dates back to 2012.
The companies initially struck a deal to build a research and development centre and engine production facility in China as part of a licence to manufacture JLR vehicles and new models.
The most recent deal between the two, announced in June 2024, saw JLR agreed to license its Freelander brand to Chery to develop electric vehicles using the Chinese group’s platform.
Former JLR CEO Adrian Mardell - who was replaced by the incoming PB Balaji in November, had said: 'We believe that working together to develop new models of collaboration for the world’s largest and fastest‑growing electric vehicle market, combined with the appeal of the Freelander brand, promises a very exciting future for CJLR [Chery Jaguar Land Rover].'
Earlier this year it was reported that Chery is in talks to utilise a JLR factory in Britain that's currently operating at 'undercapacity' to build its own brand cars.
Sources familiar with the deal told the Financial Times that the proposals are backed by the UK government, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer discussing the matter during his Beijing visit earlier in the year.
The UK has been actively courting Chery to make its vehicles in Britain for the last few years, the sources said.
