Overnight Land Rover And Chery took off the covers Concept 97which shows a preview of the first model of the newly founded spin-off Freelander Brand.
Named after the year of the original Land Rover Freelander, which entered production in 1997. The concept’s design is clearly based on the first-generation Freelander, with some second-generation styling cues thrown into the mix.
The upright, boxy silhouette of the Concept 97 is reminiscent of the first generation Freelander and Defender.
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Design elements carried over from the original Freelander include the circular wheel arch protectors made from gloss black plastic and the flat sides punctuated by a rounded shoulder line.
The look of the rear side windows, which are bisected by the D-pillar, is based on the first generation three-door model. This stylized shape is the “brand signature” and appears in various locations throughout the concept vehicle’s interior, as well as in the front and rear lighting signatures and in the alloy wheel covers.
To make entry and exit easier, the concept uses reverse-hinged or suicide doors. However, leaked images from a crash test show that the production version will have conventionally hinged rear doors.
Both the production model and concept feature a pillar-to-pillar screen at the base of the windshield, as well as a large central infotainment touchscreen with a row of physical buttons underneath.
However, some of the concept’s other interior components, such as the lounge-like third-row seats, may not survive the transition to production.
Chery Land Rover did not reveal any details about the car’s powertrain. Further details are likely to emerge when the production version of the Concept 97 is unveiled in June this year.
The production version is widely expected to ride on Chery’s T1X platform, and the car will be offered with both plug-in hybrid and pure electric powertrains.
Qualcomm will supply the chips for the infotainment and other systems, the advanced driver assistance systems will come from Huawei and the battery packs will be sourced from CATL.
The Freelander brand is sold in China through a network of around 60 stores in 50 cities across the country. Although the brand’s overseas plans have not yet been announced, the company said Freelander is “reinventing the path for Chinese automobiles to global distribution” and also explains how a “century-old brand is thriving in a new era.”
It also said Freelander would “compete not in days or months, but over a century.”
The original Land Rover Freelander, launched in 1997, brought the brand into the segment created by the Toyota RAV4 a few years earlier. Like the Toyota, the Freelander had a car-like self-supporting body, a transversely mounted engine and all-wheel drive.
Thanks to its attractive, boxy design, high seating position, spacious interior and greater off-road capability than most owners ever imagined, the Freelander was a resounding success.
In 2024, Jaguar Land Rover and Chery confirmed that they would revive the Freelander name for a new standalone SUV brand to be built in China. Production of the new Freelander models will take place at the joint venture’s Changshu factory, where they will replace locally manufactured versions of various Jaguar and Land Rover products.
MORE: Explore the Land Rover showroom | Chery showroom
