FREELANDER TO RETURN AS JLR-CHERY BRAND

A Chinese-built family of models will be designed by JLR and engineered by Chery

- DAVID FRANCIS

The reborn Freelander brand, which revives the famous nameplate for a new family of Chinese-made models, will arrive in the UK before the end of the decade - and the first will be a chunky but rakish crossover designed by JLR chief creative officer Gerry McGovern.

The new brand is the result of a tie-up between JLR and its long-term manufacturing partner in China, Chery, which will engineer the cars using its own electrified platforms. Announcing the Freelander's return in June last year, JLR said the Chery collaboration creates “mutually beneficial prospects for the future”.

The debut crossover model is slated for a launch in late 2026 or early 2027, appearing first in China before global exports begin. It will be sold initially with a plug-in hybrid powertrain but EV and range-extender (REX) versions will follow.

Although it will be built by Chery in Changshu - where the car maker already produces local-market Range Rover Evoques and Discovery Sports – the styling of the cars will be overseen by McGovern, the man behind the original Freelander designs.

Autocar understands the first model will blend the rakishness of high-riding performance coupés like the Porsche Macan with chunky off-road design cues. It is believed that the intention is to make the car stand out in an ever more crowded SUV market by using the aesthetic of an off-roader on a more streamlined shape.

By giving the car a younger, more confident silhouette, Chery can better differentiate the Freelander from JLR's own incoming Defender Sport model, which will shrink the blocky shape of the bigger car for a wider audience when it arrives around 2027.

The Freelander will be underpinned by Chery's TIX platform, which is used by a range of Chery brands, including recent UK arrivals Omoda and Jaecoo.