The historic British company and the Chinese automotive giant will produce new hybrid and electric SUVs under the Freelander brand. They will also arrive in international markets, potentially including Italy
Freelander was the name of the “baby Land Rover” produced in two generations between the end of the 90s and 2015. Since then it had remained in disuse, being supplanted by the heir Discovery Sport, only to be revived with the signature of an important partnership between Land Rover and Chery. That is, one of the main Chinese car manufacturers by volume, already present on our market with the Omoda, Jaecoo and Lepas brands, and with which the historic English company has been collaborating on a permanent basis since 2014 for the assembly of models intended for the Chinese market only. The evolution of the joint venture leads to the birth of a new independent brandFreelander precisely, which will therefore not be part of the traditional “rose” of Land Rover sub-brands (Range Rover, Defender and Discovery), but will represent a separate reality.
concept 97
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Providing a first suggestion regarding the characteristics of future Freelander brand models is the Concept 97presented in Beijing in a dedicated event. A medium-sized SUV with a squared stance and a distinctive style off-roadwhose proportions could be faithfully reproduced by a future mass-produced model. Among the most distinctive aesthetic features, the particular cut of the third windowa direct reference to the very first Freelander series. The wheels also refer to the predecessor, aesthetically inspired by the three-spoke ones of the 1997 model, as do the underbody bulkheads and the contrasting black mudguards.
passenger compartment
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If the aesthetics want to pay homage to the original Freelander, the interior is totally new. It is not known whether some scenographic characteristics such as the absence of a central upright The “sofa” rear seats will also arrive on the standard model, but otherwise the setup appears almost definitive. The setting of dashboard recalls what has already been seen on the most recent Land Rover products, taking up the appreciated philosophy of “luxury by subtraction” with a minimalist and elegant approach. One dominates the dashboard digital instrumentation full width, which is then flanked by a generous infotainment display positioned in the center. At the moment, no specific data has been provided regarding the spaces in the passenger compartment.
technical data
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The 97 concept anticipates a future Freelander brand model that can be equipped with both full engines electricalbased on an 800V architecture, and with rechargeable hybrid engines, providing schemes plugins and also range extender. Let’s remember the difference between the two: the first is a hybrid aided by an externally rechargeable battery, which generally allows autonomy between 50 and 150 km in electric mode and can help the thermal while driving, the second requires that the wheels are moved only by the electric motor, while the thermal is present only as a generator. The Freelander Concept 97 was presented in China, but is destined to become a global model. In all likelihood it will also arrive in Europe, given that the final car has been developed to meet EuroNcap standards.
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