Land Rover and Chery are set to reveal the first model from their new Freelander brand in the next week, but the design has been largely revealed thanks to surreptitiously-taken photos taken after official crash testing.
These images were published on the Carspyshots.net Facebook page, and seem to be taken after C-NCAP crash testing.
While the two Freelander prototypes used in the tests are partially disguised — one more so than the other — we can see many elements of the car’s final design, which is heavily influenced by the first-generation Land Rover Freelander.
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In addition to sharing the original’s silhouette, the new Freelander also has relatively flat sides enlivened by a prominent round shoulder line, and circular black plastic wheel arch protectors.
Up front, the headlights are a squared-off take on the units fitted to the facelifted first-generation Freelander. The brand’s word mark is featured boldly between the headlights, as well as on the tailgate.
While the cars seen here are five-door models, the design of the side windows aft of the rear doors, which are split by a visible angled pillar, is reminiscent of the original three-door variants.
The dashboard features a massive infotainment touchscreen in the middle, underneath which, thankfully, is a row of physical buttons.
A glossy black element fills the space where the dash meets the base of the windscreen, and wraps around the bottom of the A-pillars. It presumably houses the instrumentation display, and possibly other screens too.
The new Freelander rides on a Chery platform, and is expected to be available as a plug-in hybrid, pure EV, and extended ranged EV.
Launched in 1997, the original Land Rover Freelander took the brand into the segment created by the Toyota RAV4 a few years earlier. Like the Toyota, the Freelander had a car-like unibody structure, transversely mounted engine, and all-wheel drive.
Thanks to its attractive boxy styling, high seating position, spacious interior, and more off-road ability than most owners ever thought of using, the Freelander was a runaway success.
A second-generation based on a Ford platform, and available with Volvo’s 3.2-litre straight-six, went into production in 2006. After its demise in 2014, the Freelander was replaced by the Land Rover Discovery Sport.
In 2024 Jaguar Land Rover and Chery confirmed they were reviving the Freelander name for a new standalone SUV brand to be built in China.
The first Freelander model is set to be revealed next week, and will likely go on sale in China some time this year. Chery has indicated it is keen on expanding the brand’s footprint overseas.