The revived Freelander brand, jointly developed by Chery Automobile and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), will hold its official global launch event in Shanghai on March 31, 2026, where the partnership's brand strategy and technology roadmap will be publicly presented for the first time.

The event marks the formal debut of a standalone brand that has been quietly assembled inside the Chery Jaguar Land Rover (CJLR) joint venture since its founding in 2012. The partnership announced the Freelander revival in June 2024, licensing the dormant Land Rover nameplate to the joint venture to anchor a new line of electrified SUVs — distinct in identity, pricing, and distribution from JLR's "House of Brands" framework that covers Range Rover, Defender, Discovery, and Jaguar.

JLR's China operations have been under sustained pressure. The CJLR joint venture posted a loss of $18.7 million in the fiscal year ending March 2025, following a 34% year-on-year sales decline, as domestic new-energy vehicle brands captured the mid-range segments that locally produced JLR models had occupied. JLR's global operations remained profitable — recording a record pre-tax profit of $3.1 billion for the same period — but China became the clear weak point in the portfolio.

Production of all five models currently assembled at the CJLR plant in Changshu, Jiangsu province — the Range Rover Evoque, Land Rover Discovery Sport, Jaguar XFL, Jaguar XEL, and Jaguar E-Pace — is being wound down by the end of 2026. Freelander takes their place, backed by a confirmed CNY 3 billion (c. $435,500,000) investment in the Changshu facility that covers multiple forthcoming models rather than a single launch vehicle.

The first model, known internally as the E0V, is a full-size three-row SUV stretching over 5,100 mm (200.8 inches) in length, with a 2+2+2 six-seat configuration. It is built on Chery's E0X modular architecture, the same platform that underpins the Exeed Exlantix ET, the Exeed Exlantix ES, the Luxeed S7, and the Luxeed R7. Air suspension and Level 2 driver-assistance systems come standard across the range.

Both a battery-electric (BEV) variant and an extended-range electric (EREV) variant are confirmed. The BEV version supports 800V high-voltage fast charging, and the E0X platform integrates silicon-carbide power electronics, though peak charging output and motor specifications have not been disclosed ahead of the March 31 reveal. Peak system power on the E0X platform reaches up to 413 kW (554 hp), a figure previously associated with the Exeed-badged version of the same vehicle before it was transferred to the CJLR project and redesigned.

No pricing has been announced. The three-row full-size NEV segment in China — defined by vehicles over 4,800 mm with a price range broadly between 250,000 and 450,000 CNY (c. $36,300–$65,300) — is currently led by the Aito M7 and the Nio (NYSE: NIO) ES8. The Freelander E0V will compete directly in that space against Chinese brands commanding both technology and cost advantages on their home turf.

JLR China president Pan Qing has described the new model as an effort to "echo the original spirit of Freelander but brought up to date to appeal to discerning, technologically savvy Chinese consumers." The original Land Rover Freelander launched in 1997 as the brand's first monocoque vehicle, and was replaced by the Discovery Sport in 2015 after two generations.

The reborn Freelander carries the Chinese name (Shén Xíngzhě) and will be sold through Chery's existing dealer network — a deliberate structural choice that keeps Freelander outside JLR's premium retail infrastructure and insulates the imported Range Rover and Defender lineup from price competition. The strategy has precedent in JLR's own brand architecture, which treats Range Rover, Defender, and Discovery as separate commercial entities.

The geographic rollout has also evolved. Originally planned as a China-first brand with future export ambitions, Chery confirmed in January 2026 that the Middle East will be Freelander's first overseas market, with sales beginning in 2026 — earlier than previously anticipated.

Whether Freelander eventually reaches Europe or the UK remains an open question, in part because a Chinese-built offering at competitive price points could undermine upcoming JLR models on the company's new Electric Modular Architecture (EMA) platform.

Market timing for the H2 2026 China sales launch remains confirmed. Whether the March 31 event produces a production-ready reveal or a brand-positioning presentation will determine how much of the competitive equation the CJLR joint venture is prepared to answer publicly.

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