Chery is developing an upcoming battery electric, range-extended, and plug-in hybrid full-size luxury SUV to be produced at the Chery Jaguar Land Rover plant in Changshu as the first vehicle sold under the new Freelander marque named after the Land Rover Freelander.
Overview
The Freelander EV serves as the first brand of the marque of the same name. It is a full-size SUV measuring at least 5100 mm in length. It was initially developed for Exeed before being transferred over to Freelander.[1]
Design
The design of the Freelander EV and the Concept 97 were influenced by the original Land Rover Freelander. It has an inclined D-pillar that was also used for the 3-door version of the original Freelander. The black trim on the front end and the headlights were influenced by the Freelander's 2003 facelift. The hood, grille, and skid plate of the Concept 97 are finished in aluminum.[2]
Features
Photos from a crash test revealed that the Freelander will use a LiDAR sensor at the front. A solid-state LiDAR will also be mounted at the rear. The Freelander will come with Huawei's Qiankun advanced driver-assistance system. The interior uses a three-spoke steering wheel, a floating central touchscreen, and a second screen that has been compared to that of the screens in Avatr vehicles. An electronic column shifter comes standard as well as a hollowed-out center console and dual wireless charging pads.[3]
Powertrain
The Freelander is expected to produce up to 553 hp .[1] The batteries will be supplied by CATL. It will be offered in BEV and EREV form.[4] A plug-in hybrid version is also expected and is reported to use a dual-motor setup.[5]
History
On 19 June 2024, Jaguar Land Rover partnered with Chery to build new vehicles on the latter's E0X platform under the Freelander brand. Prior to this announcement JLR had said it would use the E0X and M3X platforms for plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles. A letter of intent for building vehicles under the Freelander brand was signed on the same day.[6]
An early design of the E0V (the codename for the Freelander EV) was revealed on November 12, 2024.[1]
On 29 April 2025, it was revealed that a trademark for Freelander was filed in Australia.[7] The following month, on May 14, 2025, it was confirmed that it would arrive as a plug-in hybrid initially and that it would be styled by Gerry McGovern, then-chief creative officer of Jaguar Land Rover.[8]
The first spyshots of the Freelander EV were released on August 1, 2025, when a prototype was spotted testing in Suzhou.[9] By November 2025, 150 Freelander prototypes were built by JLR and Chery.[10]
On 21 January 2026, it was confirmed that the brand would first launch in the Middle East due to a shift in the Freelander marque's strategy.[11] On March 24, 2026, it was announced that the Freelander brand would be revealed in Shanghai on 31 January.[12] The Freelander EV was accidentally unveiled via crash test photos on 26 March 2026.[3] Official teasers for the Freelander EV were shown on the same day that the reveal date was announced.[13]
The Freelander Concept 97 was unveiled on 31 March 2026, alongside the Freelander marque itself. The Concept 97 serves as a preview of the production version of the Freelander.[14]
References
- Denis Bobylev. First Freelander car from Chery & Land Rover is a three-row 5.1-meter SUV CarNewsChina, November 12, 2024^
- Thanos Pappas. Land Rover Let The Freelander Go. China Brought It Back As An Electrified SUV Carscoops, March 31, 2026^
- Miao Liu. Chery-Jaguar Land Rover’s global model Freelander SUV spotted in leaked crash test photos CarNewsChina, March 26, 2026^
- Liu Miao. Freelander reborn: Chery and Jaguar Land Rover launch global NEV brand, unveil first concept model CarNewsChina^
- Massimo Grassi, Jeff Perez. A Classic Land Rover Name Is Making A Comeback Soon Motor1^
- Denis Bobylev. Jaguar Land Rover and Chery will build Freelander-branded EVs on Chinese platforms CarNewsChina, June 19, 2024^
- Ben Zachariah. Land Rover’s Freelander Spun-Off as Chinese Brand CarSauce, April 29, 2025^
- Freelander due UK return as electrified 4x4 with JLR design Autocar, May 14, 2025^
- Kumeran Sagathevan. Freelander Returns As Chery and Land Rover’s New EV SUV Carz Automedia Malaysia, August 1, 2025^
- Shivani Sharmma. Freelander SUV Set For A Big Comeback As JLR Confirms Electric Plan For Every Brand By 2030 - Details Inside TimesDrive, November 19, 2025^
- Denis Bobylev. JLR and Chery to launch Freelander brand in the Middle East this year as strategy shifts CarNewsChina, January 21, 2026^
- Freelander set to launch in Shanghai on March 31 as Chery-JLR brand goes global GlobalChinaEV, March 24, 2026^
- Cristian Agatie. The Freelander Returns as Six-Seater Electric SUV From Chery-JLR, Full Reveal on March 31st Autoevolution, March 24, 2026^
- Felix Page. New 2026 Freelander revealed as rugged electric off-roader Autocar, March 31, 2026^