SPIED: We spot the all-new Land Rover Freelander in China

This is the Chery-based Land Rover Freelander EV

Around two years ago, AutoIndustriya.com reported on Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR) plan to use a Chery EV platform to bring back the Freelander. You read right, the baby Land Rover that used to slot below the Discovery/Discovery Sport is coming back as an electric vehicle.

Moreover, the Freelander will become part of JLR’s “House of Brands” since it will serve as the company’s newest EV brand that will focus on the Chinese market. As for the EV platform, the JLR Freelander will reportedly use an architecture derived from Exeed, which is part of Chery’s long list of sub-brands.

Fast forward to 2026, and JLR, together with Chery, is busy testing a camouflaged prototype in winter conditions. Yes, you are looking at a prototype of the Freelander EV, which our EIC was able to spot parked in Heihe, China.

Vince spotted the yet-to-be-revealed Freelander along with other prototype Chery vehicles undergoing cold-weather testing. But how can we tell it was the Freelander EV and not some different brand?

We were able to take a closer look at the camouflaged vehicle and we immediately noticed the embossed name spelled out on the front grille: F R E E L A N D E R. The livery also has some marketing lingo spread all over the vehicle like “Boundless Imagination”, “Chasing Freedom”, and “Young At Heart”, which is something you would not find on typical prototype cars.

We also noticed it has a “high-voltage vehicle” sticker on the doors, which further indicates its EV nature. Speaking of voltage, we won’t be surprised if the all-new Freelander EV will have an 800V architecture or more since Megawatt (MW) charging is now available in the PRC for quicker recharging of EVs.

Design-wise, the all-new Freelander EV appears to borrow some styling cues from the Defender, given its boxy appearance, muscular wheel arches, and overall massive size. It also has huge tires and equally big disc brakes on all corners to easily slow down the vehicle to a stop.

Other details about the Freelander EV have yet to be revealed. But since the 2026 Beijing International Auto Show is only several months away, perhaps JLR and Chery will hold the official debut of the Freelander EV there. For now, we’ll keep our eyes open for more possible sightings and info about the all-new Freelander.