Land Rover · 1997–2014

Land Rover Freelander

The Land Rover Freelander is a series of four-wheel-drive vehicles (some models being front-wheel-drive) that was manufactured and marketed by Land Rover from 1997 to 2015. The second generation was sold from 2007 to 2015 in North America and the Middle East as the LR2 and in Europe as the Freelander 2. The Freelander was sold in both two-wheel and four-wheel drive versions. The name 'Freelander' is derived from the combination of 'Freedom' and 'Lander'. After having built exclusively body-on-frame 4WD vehicles for half a century, the first generation Freelander was the brand's first model to use monocoque (unibody) structures, and was offered in three- and five-door body options, including a semi soft-top. The second generation (2007–2015) dropped all two-door options, leaving only a five-door estate car-like body, and – after 62 years – became the brand's first ever to offer a two-wheel drive option (as of 2010). After a five-year hiatus, the two-door Freelanders were succeeded by the three-door versions of the Range Rover Evoque in 2011, and the five-door generation 2 was replaced by the Discovery Sport in 2015, the nameplate spanning two generations and less than eighteen years.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Successor: Land Rover Discovery Sport

All Land Rover Freelander data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

First generation (L314; 1997–2006)

=== Development === In 1988, British Aerospace acquired the Rover Group for £150 million, which allowed resources across Rover brands and Land Rover to be pooled differently, and the idea of developing a smaller Land Rover became more attainable than previously. When the board approved the Pathfinder project, it was codenamed CB40 (after Canley Building 40, where the concept was initially developed). Remarkably, the new, compact Land Rover had become almost as long as the original Range Rover, that had been phased out just the year before, and even sported an inch (2.5 cm) longer wheelbase. While being Land Rover's first monocoque design, it still featured a substantial subframe with welded, box section rails, giving it extra strength and rigidity. Production. The original plan had been to contract manufacture the car, and an agreement with Valmet in Finland had already been made, but when BMW acquired Rover Group, they terminated the agreement, and instead funded production facilities at Solihull, making use of the Rover SD1 assembly hall which had been inactive since the early 1980s, when Rover car production was moved to Cowley. In 2002, Land Rover SA was awarded export contracts to supply 1,000 left-hand drive Defenders to Angola and more than 3,000 right-hand drive Freelanders and Defenders to Australia. This followed the move by the manufacturer to build Freelanders for local distribution at the Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa's Q1, ISO 9001, and ISO 14001 certified assembly plant in Silverton, Pretoria. Paul Melhuish, then Land Rover SA’s sales and marketing director, said: " “From November this year we will commence shipment of approximately 3,000 Freelanders and 216 Defenders to Australia. The Freelander shipments will comprise both TD4 and KV6 models, wh

Freelander 2 (L359; 2006–2015)

The second generation was internally designated L359; debuted at the 2006 British International Motor Show and was marketed as the Freelander 2, retaining the Freelander name in Europe and marketed as the LR2 in North America and the Middle East – mirroring the marketing of the new third generation Land Rover Discovery as LR3. A presentation at the Kensington Roof Gardens was held for journalists featuring celebrity tennis player Maria Sharapova. Production ended on 7 October 2014. The second generation Freelander is based on the Ford EUCD platform, which itself is based on the Ford C1 platform. The Ford EUCD platform will be used by more upcoming vehicles from Volvo. The engine range is all-new for Freelander, featuring transversely-mounted 3.2-litre straight-six engine of the Volvo SI6 series, which debuted in the new Volvo S80, as well as the 2.2-litre DW12 common rail turbodiesel engine from PSA Peugeot Citroën. Unlike previous Land Rovers, the second generation Freelander is manufactured in the Halewood Body & Assembly facility, near Liverpool, and was until 2009 manufactured alongside the Jaguar X-Type, with which it shared a modified version of Ford's front wheel drive platform. The new Freelander features higher ground clearance and off-road capabilities that are closer to other Land Rover models. The second generation has improved quality interior with more safety features as standard. The Freelander 2 features a modified version of the Terrain Response off-road driving system as fitted to the Discovery 3 and the Range Rover. The 4WD system was developed in conjunction with Haldex and was called Third generation coupling. Vehicles from the 2009 model year are fitted with a modified design of the active on-demand coupling, known as Haldex's Fourth generation.

Sales

== Brand revival == In 2024, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and Chery Automobile signed a letter of intent outlining a strategic cooperation to revive the Freelander nameplate as a new electric vehicle brand. Under the agreement, Chery Jaguar Land Rover (CJLR), the companies’ joint venture in China, was authorized to develop and manufacture a new range of Freelander-branded electric vehicles. The revived Freelander lineup is planned to be based on Chery’s electrified vehicle platforms, with engineering and development led primarily by Chery. Production is expected to take place in China, with the Chinese market serving as the initial launch region. The first model under the reborn Freelander brand is expected to be a crossover-style electric vehicle. Design direction for the new model has been overseen by JLR’s Chief Creative Officer, Gerry McGovern. The new Freelander vehicles are positioned separately from Land Rover’s core model range and are intended to form a standalone lineup. According to company statements, the new Freelander brand is scheduled to debut in late 2026, marking the first use of the Freelander name since its discontinuation in 2015.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Land Rover Freelander
Manufacturer: Land Rover
Production: October 1997 – October 2014
Model years: 1998–2015
Class: Compact crossover SUV
Layout: Transverse front-engine, four-wheel-drive, Transverse front-engine, front-wheel-drive (eD4, 2010–2014)
Successor: Land Rover Discovery Sport