New Freelander Concept 97 previews six new models, but don't call them Land Rovers
The Freelander name will be used for new range of electric and hybrid cars, but there’s no Land Rover badge in sight
An all-new concept car previewing the much-mooted China-built Freelander has been revealed in Shanghai – ahead of the car’s debut at the Beijing Motor Show later this month. A production version will arrive later this year, ahead of five further models that its maker claims will be developed for (and sold in) global markets in the future.
The new-generation Freelander is inspired by Land Rover’s iconic off-roader, but will be completely devoid of Land Rover branding – despite being the product of a Chery-JLR joint venture. The collaboration leverages the individual strengths of the two companies; Jaguar Land Rover’s design expertise, and Chery’s advances in battery and platform technology. JLR insists that Freelander will be a standalone marque, distinct from the maker’s ‘House of Brands’, which currently includes Range Rover, Defender and Discovery.
During the concept car’s global reveal, Freelander global CEO, Wen Fei, said: “In 2024, JLR and Chery signed a strategic cooperation agreement, establishing our commitment to deploy a new brand, adopt a new model, and wage a new campaign on the global stage.
“Freelander shall stand as an independent brand in its own right, to bear a new mission for a new era. [It will] address a new generation of discerning customers and take its rightful place at the pinnacle of global premium.”
The Freelander Concept 97 has a distinctly Land Rover look and feel to it, with a bluff front end, boxy, squared-off design and flared arches with extensive cladding. The unique daytime running-light signature is apparently inspired by the triangular rear quarter windows of the original three-door Freelander – a feature replicated on the concept’s side profile.
“Every enduring brand carries within it an immortal legend, and Freelander is no exception,” Fei said. “The name ‘Freelander’ was born in 1997. From the moment of its launch, Freelander achieved remarkable success; endlessly imitated yet never surpassed.”
Looking at the car’s profile, Freelander aficionados will notice the Mk1-inspired three-spoke alloy wheels and side steps. The concept car gets a set of rear-hinged doors – a feature not expected to reach production when the final design is unveiled later this year.
Unlike its nineties Land Rover namesake, the concept has no spare wheel attached to the tailgate. Big Freelander lettering is emblazoned across a section of contrasting silver trim, which itself sits above a silver scuff plate. An oversized roof spoiler completes the concept car’s look.
Inside, the Concept 97 gets a large central screen with a bank of physical switches beneath it. An additional display runs atop the dash and along the base of the windscreen – a little bit like BMW’s new Panoramic Vision iDrive display – bookended on either side by a set of small speakers. A tall and wide centre console, plus large door-mounted armrests, cocoon the driver and front-seat passenger.
The Freelander is a three-row SUV, although in concept guise it sports just six seats with a pair of captain’s chairs in the middle, separated by another tall armrest. Those sitting in the rearmost row look to get a compromised view out, thanks to the triangular side-window design.
Eventually, the Freelander brand will spawn a range of six all-new, tech-filled electrified vehicles – each without a Land Rover badge. All will be so-called “new-energy” vehicles, based around a single platform supporting an 800-volt electrical architecture.
“To precisely address the demand of global markets, we have established a product roadmap that is as ambitious as it is capable of delivery,” Fei said. “This is not a blueprint to be admired from a distance, but a declaration to the world: Freelander will conquer every market with the most formidable product capability on earth.
“Beginning in 2026, we will introduce a matrix of all-new models over five years, spanning large and full-size SUV segments, each endowed with SUV capability and compatible with extended-range, plug-in hybrid and pure-electric powertrains. This breadth is designed to serve the diverse needs of markets across the globe. Our inaugural model will make its world debut in China in the second half of this year.
“Thereafter a new model will follow every six months; a relentless cadence of innovation designed to ignite global markets and establish Freelander as the defining leader in premium SUVs for the new-energy era,” he said.
Prices and market positioning for the new Freelander haven’t been announced – aside from the fact the brand will operate in the “premium” space. Historically, the Freelander name has been attached to affordable, go-anywhere SUVs, suggesting the new model should 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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