Previously just a model in the Land Rover lineup, the Freelander has officially been reborn. Now it's an independent marque specializing in "new energy vehicles" (NEV). The project was born out of a collaboration between China's Chery and Britain's Jaguar Land Rover. Last night marked the global debut of the brand and the unveiling of its first concept car — the Concept97.
Freelander Concept97 concept car. Photo: Chery-JLR
New Structure and Independence
The Freelander became independent back in June 2024. It isn't part of the existing family structure of JLR (Range Rover, Defender, Discovery, and Jaguar) and isn't part of Chery's production lines. The brand's headquarters are located in Shanghai, with development managed by multiple centers: a design studio in Britain's Gaydon (Gaydon Design Centre), a design center in Shanghai, and a research institute in Suzhou. Production will be set up at a factory in Changshu, where $434 million has already been invested to upgrade it for electric vehicles.
Profile of the new Concept97 crossover. Photo: Chery-JLR
Concept97: What this vehicle is about
The brand's firstborn is built on the Chery T1X platform. This is a flexible architecture that allows creating crossovers with different wheelbases. The Concept97 received a "square" silhouette in the Defender style, a direct nod to the off-road heritage. It's a large six-seater SUV (2+2+2 layout) over 5100 mm long and with a wheelbase of over 3000 mm. For the comfort of second-row passengers, a "zero-gravity" mode seat is provided.
The technical setup impresses with a list of partners:
- Intelligent driving: Huawei Qiankun system of the latest generation with a lidar of 896 lines
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8397 — one of the most powerful automotive solutions available today
- Battery: Freevoy battery specially developed with CATL for hybrids. It supports ultra-fast 6C standard charging (up to 360 kW).
- All-wheel drive: i-ATS system with differential locks and adaptive dampers.
Photo: Chery-JLR
Future Plans
Mass production of the first model will begin at the end of 2026. However, Freelander does not intend to stop with just one vehicle. Over the next five years, the brand plans to introduce six different models to the market. These will include pure electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, and range-extended electric versions (REEV) based on an 800-volt platform.
