Freelander, the short-lived and unloved Land Rover nameplate, is back. The new model is designed for and sold in China, and while there's no official reveal just yet, we've gotten our first look. Land Rover's joint venture with Chery has spun out Freelander into its own brand, and now the company has revealed the first vehicle in its new lineup. New Freelander Looks Sharp JLR Chery Freelander (1)The new Freelander doesn't have much in common with the previous generations – which changed to LR2 in the US in 2007 – when it comes to the shape, but it does have one key detail. The nose, tail, and overall profile are very Defender, but the logo and the rear side glass are 100% Freelander. It has the same opposed triangular windows, and if you were wondering what the oddball logo was, that's where it comes from. Too bad it doesn't have a removable top like the original model it's cribbing from.Most of the script for the reveal video focused on lifestyle and buzzwords. And on "souls rusting," which sounds ominous for a new vehicle. The concept SUV is called the Freelander 97, a nod to when the first model was revealed.Chery-JLR This SUV won't wear any Land Rover branding. That fits with JLR's existing efforts to make itself a so-called "House of Brands" with the Range Rover, Defender, and Discovery model names meant to replace the name of their maker. Yes, that means no more Land Rover Range Rover, even if the idea isn't working out.But here's the thing. The new Freelander brand isn't part of that. It uses a platform from its joint-venture partner and occasional rival Chery. It also uses Chery's tech. JLR's focus is only on the styling.Some of the other details, like three-spoke-look wheels, are a callback to the original. Others, like the coach-opening rear doors, are all-new. New Brand Could Expand Beyond China, But US Not Likely Chery-JLR Last year, JLR China boss Qing Pan said that the new brand had the "potential for global expansion." Still, we wouldn't expect it in the US anytime soon, not without major regulatory changes. It is expected to go on sale in its home country later this year.The production version of the 97, which will likely get a new name, will be the first of a family of six Freelander models. Chery's platform will underpin all of them, though some will get PHEV or EREV systems instead of the 800V pure electric model seen here.Other notes from the announcement include a new advanced driver assistance suite. It will get Huawei's latest Qiankun system with LiDAR. It will also have a new intelligent all-terrain system with predictive active shocks and differential locks. It has three rows of seats, but the third row is a wide bench and is pure concept.EVs are big in China, and that has hurt JLR since it doesn't have one. The brand actually ended its operations in China, ceasing production of its own vehicles in the world's largest vehicle market. The Freelander 97, and the other five upcoming vehicles, will act as replacements. JLR still exports some models to the country, but Freelander should be able to drive a massive expansion of the Land Rover image versus those vehicles, even if it doesn't wear the badge.Source: Chery
