The Freelander name has been dormant since 2015, but Jaguar Land Rover’s Chinese joint venture with Chery has brought it back as something entirely new. Instead of a badge within Land Rover’s lineup, it now stands alone as its own brand, focused squarely on electrified off-roaders. The first look at that direction comes in the form of a concept rather than a production-ready model.

The Concept 97 takes its name from the Freelander’s original 1997 debut. While it wears no Land Rover badges, its design still leans heavily on the brand’s visual language, blending cues from the original Freelander with elements reminiscent of the modern Defender. The design is a product of collaboration between the teams at the UK and China.

More: The Freelander Is Coming Back, Just Not As A Land Rover

The company showed two cocnept models, finished in Glacier Blue and Thousand Mountain Green. Both feature black cladding paired with aluminum accents across the hood, grille, skid plate, and tailgate. The wheels and tires lean toward concept-car theatrics, and the suicide doors underline that this is still very much a showpiece. Expect those to give way to something more conventional in production, unless Land Rover decides to keep things interesting, at least with the doors.

Design Details Pull From Different Eras

Look closer and the references become more specific. The angled D-pillar is a clear callback to the three-door Freelander from 1997, including the era when it even offered a soft-top. Meanwhile, the black trim beneath the headlights and the pixel-style LED arrangement echo the facelifted model introduced in 2003.

More: Jaguar Land Rover’s Design Boss Is Out After Two Decades With No Successor Named

Around back, the taillights are tucked into a strip of black trim, contrasting against an upright aluminum-finished tailgate. The rear skid plate mirrors the front, and a sizeable roof spoiler caps things off with a slightly more modern flourish.

High-Tech Interior With Six Seats

The interior adopts a three-row six-seater configuration, with a rear bench that looks like a couch. A pillar-to-pillar display is mounted on the base of the windshield, joined by a large infotainment touchscreen. We can also see a pair of rotating dials and physical buttons on the steering wheel, alongside traditional stalks.

Second-row passengers have access to a drop-down screen, and a high-mounted center console similar to the one between the front seats. The SUV is also equipped with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8397 chip, and Huawei’s Qiankun Intelligent Driving ADS 4.1 system featuring a 896-line LiDAR sensor.

Six Models Planned, But Not For Everyone

This is not a one-off exercise. The company says six production models will arrive under the Freelander brand over the next five years. China comes first, with global expansion planned afterward, although that rollout carries a significant caveat.

Every model will be built at the CJLR plant in Changshu, effectively replacing the soon-to-be discontinued Land Rover Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque on the production line. With production rooted entirely in China, current US tariff conditions make an American launch highly unlikely. Canada, however, thanks to newly reduced tariffs, could still be in play.

More: Here’s The New Freelander Before You’re Supposed To See It

The SUVs are expected to ride on Chery underpinnings, supporting range-extender, plug-in hybrid, and fully electric powertrains. Based on earlier spy shots and leaked images, the first production Freelander of this new era will likely be a three-row, six-seat model, closely mirroring the Concept 97.

Photos Chery Jaguar Land Rover, Weibo

Update: So much for waiting on the official reveal. The first proper look at Land Rover’s newly spun-off Freelander brand has arrived early, thanks to a set of crash test images from China that show far more than intended just days before the March 31 debut.

The Freelander-badged SUV appears significantly larger than its Land Rover predecessor, adopting a more upright, squared-off stance. Visually, it sits somewhere between a Defender and a Discovery, with boxy headlights featuring modern LED graphics, a tall rear end, thick plastic cladding, and Freelander lettering pressed into the bodywork.

A look inside reveals a tech-heavy cabin, headlined by what appears to be a pillar-to-pillar display stretching across the base of the windscreen. It is paired with a large, freestanding infotainment screen. Beyond the tech, the electrified SUV seems to offer a three-row, six-seat configuration, trimmed in light blue leather upholstery.

The original story follows below.

Photos Weibo

The Freelander name is making an unexpected return, though not in the way many would have predicted just a few years ago. Jaguar Land Rover’s Chinese joint venture with Chery has confirmed that the new Freelander will debut on March 31. This time, the badge does not belong to Land Rover at all, instead re-emerging as a standalone electrified brand with no traditional ties to its former parent.

The first teaser focuses on the rectangular headlights, featuring pixel-style LED graphics. We can also spot an upright nose and hints of fender extensions, paired with gray plastic cladding on the front bumper.

More: Jaguar Land Rover’s Design Boss Is Out After Two Decades With No Successor Named

The upright lines across the front seem to nod to the original design. The Land Rover Freelander first arrived in 1997, followed by a second generation in 2006 that stayed on sale until 2015, when it was ultimately phased out in favor of the Discovery Sport.

Overall, the new model leans heavily on the Land Rover Defender’s design playbook, much like a growing number of SUVs coming out of China. Still, with JLR’s UK studio leading the design, this one at least has a legitimate claim to the look.

Earlier spy shots have already given away much of the Freelander’s stance, revealing a boxy silhouette that leans heavily into SUV convention. It is expected to feature a three-row layout, with an overall length stretching beyond 5,100 mm (200.8 inches), placing it firmly in large family hauler territory.

Under the skin, the SUV is expected to ride on Chery’s modular architecture. The platform is designed to support both fully electric and range-extender powertrains, while also enabling ultra-fast charging,

More: Jaguar Built Its Last Gas Car, Now It Might Build China’s Next Best-Seller

Production of the new model will be centralized at the CJLR plant in Changshu, China. The facility is currently undergoing a ¥3 billion ($436 million) investment as it transitions away from the aging Land Rover Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque, preparing instead for the upcoming Freelander lineup.

The Chinese joint venture has also begun scaling up its workforce, recently sharing a recruitment poster on social media that lists more than 30 open positions across its Shanghai and Suzhou operations. The recruitment drive confirms that JLR and Chery are building an entirely new corporate infrastructure. While the new brand will initially launch in China, a wider global rollout is planned for the near future.

Spy Shots: Chery-JLR Freelander SUV for China

Freelander is a new brand under Chery-JLR. The Chinese name is 神行者 (Shén Xíngzhě). Freelander will manufacture various SUVs based on Chery platforms.

The spy shots show a boxy off-road-style SUV during winter tests in Northern… pic.twitter.com/IduwHRG5vw

— Tycho de Feijter (@TychodeFeijter) February 1, 2026

A report has seemingly confirmed that two of China’s biggest electric car manufacturers are swiftly building the foundation for a Canadian push. The news comes from a consultant tasked with laying the groundwork. The companies are in talks to set up branded dealerships throughout the country, a serious move into a massive market that has so far eluded Chinese car makers.

Read: Three Chinese Carmakers Are Rushing To Enter Canada In 2026, And It’s Only The Start

It’s understood that both BYD and Chery have plans centered around establishing independent dealerships, but cautioned that the low volume of cars allowed by the quota may not be enough to sustain many Canadian dealerships.

The initial strategy involves launching out of the Greater Toronto Area, then expanding west and east to cities such as Vancouver, Montreal, and Calgary. Those involved in the talks say that BYD’s goal is to build about 20 dealership locations in the first year of operation. That would give China’s biggest carmaker a visible presence in Canada’s biggest urban markets, where there is a continuing rise in the demand for electric vehicles as consumers look for cheaper alternatives.

The news comes from Farid Ahmad, the CEO of Dealer Solutions Mergers & Acquisitions, a consultancy which has already had discussions with three possible BYD locations. “They’ve asked us to help them find as many of the 20 that they possibly can, but they’re out there doing that themselves, as well,” said Ahmad speaking to The Globe And Mail. Ahmad went on to say that a number of Chinese manufacturers were interested in setting up shop in Canada, including Chery.

Canada Is Opening The Door To New Competition

Canada recently restructured its tariff regime relating to Chinese-built electric vehicles by implementing a quota that permits 24,500 Chinese-made EV to come into Canada at a significantly reduced duty rate of just 6.1 percent. That change in policy means a change in math for companies such as BYD and Chery that previously have struggled with steep barriers that made it difficult for them to expand.

With the advent of lower import costs now possible under the quota, the move into the Canadian market is becoming more realistic. Still, there are a number of steps before any cars are in showrooms. Regulatory approvals, dealer agreements, financing structures, and service networks all have to be put in place.

Launch Timing Remains Unclear

Sources caution that although discussions are ongoing, there hasn’t been an official date initiated for the launch by BYD. The company has not publicly outlined its timeline, nor the specific models it prioritizes for Canada.

By coming into the Canadian EV market, Industry analysts believe BYD and Chery will transform pricing and competition in the industry. The market has been dominated by established North American, European, and Korean brands for an extended period. A new player that is well-known globally for high-volume electric vehicles production could expand consumer choice and put a squeeze on rivals.