First ‘Freelander’ SUV might be PHEV coupe SUV with Chery platform, Land Rover identify – report
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The primary automobile to put on the revived Freelander identify might be a big electrified SUV set for reveal early in 2026, forward of a launch in China within the second half of the yr.
The Freelander identify – used between 1997 and 2015 on a Land Rover SUV – will launch as a standalone model for JLR as a part of its fifty-fifty partnership with Chinese language automaker Chery.
In keeping with Autocar, the primary Freelander is about to be a big plug-in hybrid ‘coupe’ SUV utilizing the identical T1X platform used on the Chery Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 8 SUVs, amongst others, bought in Australia.
At present deliberate for China solely, JLR China boss Qing Pan stated throughout a media briefing the Freelander model has “potential for world growth”. Autocar has beforehand reported the model will launch within the UK earlier than the top of the last decade, indicating automobiles might be produced in right-hand drive.
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The JLR China boss additionally stated the primary Freelander mannequin will “echo the unique spirit of Freelander however [be] introduced updated to attraction to discerning, technologically savvy Chinese language shoppers”.
The Freelander model might be bought through Chery sellers and can function individually to JLR’s ‘Home of Manufacturers’, which sees the likes of Defender and Discovery positioned as standalone manufacturers.
After two generations, the Freelander SUV was changed by the Land Rover Discovery Sport in 2015.
JLR has confronted a difficult 2025 after a cyberattack compelled a number of manufacturing unit closures throughout the globe, together with within the UK and Slovakia, costing the corporate an estimated £50 million ($A100.91m) per week.
With all operations restarting in mid-October, the five-week-plus manufacturing pause noticed JLR’s world gross sales for the quarter ending September 30 – excluding its Chery three way partnership in China – fall by 24.2 per cent year-on-year.
On November 1, PB Balaji turned JLR CEO after earlier CEO Adrain Mardell introduced his retirement.
Mr Mardell’s retirement got here because the Jaguar model was on hiatus – and stays so – for a strategic shift aiming to raise the automaker to compete with the likes of Bentley with dearer, unique automobiles.
Due in 2026, the primary Jaguar from the re-established firm might be an electrical four-door GT based mostly on the controversial Kind 00 idea automobile.
