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Freelander (hereinafter referred to as "Freelander") was once a classic compact luxury SUV series under Jaguar Land Rover (JLR). In June 2024, Jaguar Land Rover and Chery Auto signed a strategic cooperation agreement, announcing that "Freelander" officially transforms into an independent luxury new energy vehicle brand. In March 2026, the Freelander global brand strategy was officially launched in Shanghai, marking the return of this iconic name to the global stage with a new electrified posture. The new brand is operated by Chery Jaguar Land Rover, integrating the luxury design heritage of UK Jaguar Land Rover with the technological advantages of China's new energy vehicle industry chain, positioning itself as "Luxury Technology All-Terrain SUV".
The history of Freelander can be traced back to 1997, when it was introduced as an entry-level model for the Land Rover brand, pioneering the compact luxury SUV segment. The first-generation Freelander (L318) retained the European best-selling SUV model for consecutive years due to its unique combination of off-road capability and urban commuting. In 2006, the second-generation Freelander (L359) was released, further enhancing the sense of luxury and on-road driving quality. In 2014, with the reorganization of the Land Rover brand lineup, the Freelander series was replaced by the Land Rover Discovery Sport and officially retired from the historical stage.
In June 2024, under the "Reshaping the Future" strategy, Jaguar Land Rover announced the licensing of the Freelander brand to Chery Jaguar Land Rover, utilizing Chery's electrification platform to develop a new series of electric products. On March 31, 2026, the Freelander independent brand held its global premiere in Shanghai, unveiling the Concept 97 concept car which previewed the first mass-produced vehicle, clarifying its strategic position as an independent electric brand.
The Freelander brand plans to launch six new models within the next five years, covering multiple technical routes including Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV), Extended-Range Electric Vehicle (EREV), and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV). Its product naming system is expected to distinguish levels using numbers.
Freelander 8 (Freelander 8): As the flagship launch model of the brand, it was officially unveiled at the 2026 Beijing Auto Show in April. This vehicle is a large six-seater all-terrain SUV with a length exceeding 5.1 meters, deeply developed based on Chery's high-end electric platform E0X.
Concept 97 Series: The design tone of the brand is established by this, with its naming paying tribute to the birth of the first-generation Freelander in 1997. In the next five years, the product line will gradually cover different levels of SUVs from mid-size to large, meeting the needs of global families and outdoor adventure users.
As a brand that recently rose in 2026, Freelander adopted the strategy of "China First, Global Layout". In the Chinese market, the brand signed its first batch of strategic dealers in early 2026 through the innovative "New Retail" model. This model emphasizes zero-inventory agency and high-efficiency operations, avoiding the "price war" internal competition of traditional dealers. Due to Freelander's global reputation accumulated by Land Rover, the brand showed extremely high market attention after opening pre-sales in the second half of 2026, particularly in East China and the Greater Bay Area. Meanwhile, Freelander has confirmed entry into the Middle East and UK markets, leveraging Jaguar Land Rover's existing global channels for brand radiation.
The core competitiveness of the Freelander brand lies in the deep integration of "Global Design" and "Chinese Intelligence":
Intelligent Driving: All models are standardly equipped with the Huawei Qiankun Intelligent Driving ADS 5.0 system, equipped with a roof-mounted LiDAR, achieving full-scenario and all-weather intelligent driving capability.
Power Battery: Deeply cooperated with CATL, equipped with the latest generation "Xiaoyao" extended-hybrid battery or 4C ultra-fast charging power battery, supporting 800V high-voltage platforms, with a range of 400 kilometers after charging for 10 minutes.
Cockpit System: Adopts Qualcomm Snapdragon's latest generation 8397 automotive-grade flagship chip, supporting multi-screen linkage and AI large model voice interaction.
All-Terrain Performance: Inherits the essence of Land Rover's "Terrain Response", utilizing the self-developed i-ATS intelligent all-terrain system to use multi-motor vector torque distribution, maintaining excellent off-road breakout capability in the electric era.
The global headquarters of the Freelander brand is located in Shanghai, but its R&D and design present high internationalization. The vehicles are completed jointly by Jaguar Land Rover's UK Gaydon Global Design Center and the Shanghai design team. The production base is located at Chery Jaguar Land Rover's Global Flagship Factory in Changshu, Jiangsu, China, which underwent a value renovation of 3 billion RMB to undertake the Freelander production line. Starting in 2026, Freelander began exporting to European, Middle Eastern, and Southeast Asian markets, aiming to push China's intelligent luxury electric vehicles to the global stage.
The rebirth of Freelander is regarded by the industry as a new paradigm for global brand cooperation. In the next five years, Freelander will commit to becoming a strong competitor in the global new energy luxury SUV market. With the official delivery of the first model, Freelander 8, in 2026, the brand will enter a period of intensive product explosion. Freelander not only carries Jaguar Land Rover's transformation hope in the electrification era but also represents the strategic success of the Chinese automotive supply chain outputting technological capabilities to the global luxury market. Its goal is to build a complete, intelligent, and powerful all-terrain green mobility ecosystem before 2030.
