The new Freelander will be based on a Chery platform
1. Past agreement: A licensed production agreement between the British company JLR (Jaguar Land Rover)—owned by India’s Tata Motors—and China’s Chery allowed for the production of Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles in China between 2016 and 2026. These were manufactured in a Chery-owned plant, exclusively for the local market. Despite the assembly of 530,000 vehicles over ten years (188,000 Jaguars and 342,000 Land Rovers)—an average of 53,000 units per year—it cannot be said that the two British brands achieved significant success in the Chinese market. As evidence of this lack of success, the plant’s annual capacity of 130,000 units was never approached during that decade, and the assembly of Jaguar and Land Rover models in China has ended in March 2026.
2. New agreement: Despite this relative failure, JLR and Chery have decided to forge a new partnership. This time, the collaboration aims to create a new brand—Freelander—within the JLR group. It will utilize designs, platforms, and electric or hybrid powertrains sourced from Chery, combined with design elements from JLR. It is worth noting that "Freelander" was previously a specific model under the Land Rover brand, produced between 1997 and 2015. The new, fully electric Freelander will be manufactured in China at a Chery facility and will be sold not only in China but also in the Middle East and Europe. As for the United States, no decision has been made yet.
3. The Freelander brand has just unveiled its first model, which is expected to go on sale in 2027. This new Anglo-Chinese brand complements the existing Land Rover lineup, which consists of the Defender, Discovery, and Range Rover brands. The new Freelander takes the form of a large, 5-meter-long SUV, offered in battery-electric (BEV), range-extender (REEV), and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) versions. Freelander aims to launch six models over the next five years—averaging one model per year—all of which will be produced in China. The Defender, Discovery, and Range Rover brands, which are manufactured in Great Britain, are not affected by this agreement.