- Land Rover is reintroducing the Freelander name as a new EV brand tailored for the Chinese market.
- The cars will be made by the Chery Jaguar Land Rover (CJLR) joint venture, utilizing Chery’s platform.
- The plan is to eventually export the Freelanders globally, offering a range of affordable EVs.
The Land Rover Freelander compact SUV may have been absent from JLR’s product catalogs since 2015, but its name is set to make a comeback in a new line of EVs. These Chinese-built models will result from the Chery Jaguar Land Rover (CJLR) joint venture, leveraging Chery’s EV architecture. Initially launching in China, there are plans for global exports of the new Freelanders.
The two companies signed a Letter of Intent with the goal of strengthening the CJLR product offering in China. Freelander will be marketed as an independent brand with “an advanced portfolio of electric vehicles”, separate from the existing offerings by Chery and JLR.
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The announcement describes the new products as “mainstream EVs,” suggesting they will be competitively priced. The new Freelanders will be designed with input from both Chery and JLR design studios. It remains unclear whether the lineup will be limited to SUVs or if it will also include lower-profile offerings.
Adrian Mardell, JLR’s CEO, described the agreement as “an important strategic step for JLR, one which underlines our ongoing commitment to China and complements our existing business in China”. Yin Tongyue, Chairman of the Chery Group, added that the Freelander brand will “provide China and global consumers with a unique electric vehicle experience.”
Land Rover Freelander
The new Freelanders will be produced in the city of Changshu in eastern China, at the existing CJLR factory. The joint venture has been active for 12 years and currently produces the Land Rover Discovery Sport, Range Rover Evoque, and Jaguar E-Pace, as well as the Jaguar XF and XE sedans in long-wheelbase form.
The Freelander lineup will initially be available through a “distinct network” in China. However, the companies have indicated that the EVs are planned for global export in the future. Currently, there is no information available regarding the timing of the new brand’s launch.
The original Freelander debuted in 1997 as a compact unibody SUV (a first for Land Rover) available in three-and five-door bodystyles. The Freelander 2 followed in 2006 riding on a Ford-sourced unibody architecture. The SUV remained in production until 2015 when it got discontinued in favor of the Land Rover Discovery Sport.
