+++ The reborn FREELANDER brand, which revives the famous nameplate for a new family of Chinese-made models, will arrive in European showrooms before the end of the decade, and the first will be a chunky but rakish crossover designed by JLR chief creative officer Gerry McGovern. The new brand is the result of a tie-up between JLR and its long-term manufacturing partner in China, Chery, which will engineer the cars using its own electrified platforms. Announcing the Freelander’s return in June last year, JLR said the collaboration with Chery creates “mutually beneficial prospects for the future”. Production of the debut SUV model will begin in late 2026, appearing first in China before global exports begin. It will be sold initially with a plug-in hybrid powertrain but EV and range-extender (REx) versions will follow. Although it will be built by Chery in Changshu (where the car maker already produces local-market versions of the Range Rover Evoque and Discovery Sport) the styling of the cars will be overseen by McGovern, the man behind the original Freelander designs. The first model will blend the rakishness of high-riding performance coupés like the Porsche Macan with chunky off-road design cues. It is believed that the intention is to make the car stand out in an ever more crowded SUV market by using the aesthetic of an off-roader on a more streamlined shape. By giving the car a younger, more confident silhouette, Chery can better differentiate the Freelander from JLR’s own incoming Defender Sport model, which will shrink the blocky shape of the bigger car for a wider audience when it arrives around 2027. The Freelander will be underpinned by Chery’s T1X platform, which is used by a range of Chery brands, including Omoda and Jaecoo. The platform has a variable wheelbase so can accommodate a range of cars from larger SUVs, such as the Range Rover Velar-sized Chery Tiggo 9L, to crossovers, like the Nissan Qashqai-sized Omoda 3. JLR has yet to indicate which types of models will make up the new Freelander family. However, it has previously said the new Freelanders will be seen as “independent from both Chery’s existing portfolio and JLR’s modern luxury House of Brands”, which is made up of Defender, Discovery, Jaguar and Range Rover. But it is known that the first Freelander will arrive initially as a plug-in hybrid. Chery offers a range of PHEV power outputs and the Freelander is likely to package the high-power system from the new Omoda 9 mid-size SUV. That model’s Super Hybrid System uses a 145 hp 1.5-litre turbo petrol and 3 electric motors to give a claimed combined output of 450 hp. That’s good for a 0-100 kph sprint in just 4.9 seconds, something the all-wheel-drive Freelander is likely to improve on as Chery upgrades its combustion engines and electric motors. A similar set-up used by the new Tiggo 9L gives the car the ability to do Mercedes G-Class-style tank turns. Chery’s knowledge of JLR systems and its experience with its off-road-angled Jetour and iCar brands mean the Freelander is likely to have all the off-road ability you would expect of a car with a name associated with Land Rover, even if that badge will be absent. Electric power will also feature heavily thanks to the set-up’s 34 kWh battery. In the Omoda 9, this gives a claimed electric range of 150 km, something the Freelander could even exceed, given its more slippery shape. After the plug-in hybrid, REx and fully electric powertrains will arrive. RExs are the latest spin, whereby a combustion engine acts as a generator to power the electric motor or top up the battery, rather than driving the wheels. The powertrain’s popularity is surging (sales doubling year on year) in China; one of JLR’s biggest markets that it is trying to rebuild after a tough 2024. As such, Chery’s technology is likely to have been particularly attractive to JLR when the deal was brokered. European manufacturers such as Volkswagen have also confirmed plans to launch their own REx models in Europe. As for the first pure-electric Freelander, its tech make-up remains a mystery. Currently, Chery sells only 2 EVs and its newer model is the Omoda E5. A platform-mate to the Freelander, it draws power from a 61 kWh BYD Blade battery, offers a WLTP range of 410 kms and uses a single 204 hp motor. However, when the Freelander EV finally arrives later this decade, more advanced technology is expected to be available, giving it more range and more power. That will be needed, because the Freelander is expected to be priced at almost double the E5’s 29.000 euro. The high-volume nature of the platform means the cost of producing the Freelander at the Chery-JLR plant in Changshu near Shanghai will be relatively low. But with the model pitched at a higher price point than equivalent Omoda and Jaecoo SUVs when it arrives in Europe, it should offer good profit margins for JLR and Chery. While a start date for European sales has yet to be confirmed, JLR said last year that sales will be initially concentrated on China, with exports to other markets starting over time. However, Chery’s recent push to boost its own exports, including launching the all-new global Lepas, Jetour and iCar/iCaur brands, could persuade the company to move faster in getting the new Freelander into the European Union. The revival will strike a chord with British buyers in particular, who have fond memories of the compact SUV that ran from 1997 until 2016, when it was replaced by the Discovery Sport. The rapid development of technology over the past 10 years means that previous Freelander owners will struggle to reconcile the digital features in the cabin with those of their old car. However, anyone worried that Chery will be tempted to bundle all cabin controls on to the screen (something brands such as Omoda and Jaecoo have been criticised for) will be comforted by Chery’s pivot towards chunky, tactile dials to operate features like the heating, volume and drive mode in the iCar range. A large screen will still feature, though, either positioned landscape with a function to slide it across to the passenger (as in the Omoda 7) or portrait. JLR has said the Freelander models will be sold via a network of its own dedicated Chery-run dealerships. Freelander won’t feature under the company’s luxury-focused ‘House of Brands’ marketing and sales strategy. +++
+++ JLR (Jaguar Land Rover) has said it does not intend to produce vehicles in the US, as president Donald Trump’s tariffs impact the motor industry. “Following articles based on comments made by our CEO in the full year earnings media call, we can confirm we have no plans to build cars in the US”, a spokesperson told. JLR , which has no factories in the US, paused shipments to the country in April after Trump’s first tariff announcements, before resuming exports to the country this month. This week, the firm joined a growing list of companies to hold back on giving profit forecasts, as Trump’s unpredictable trade policies continue to impact businesses around the world. On Trump’s self-declared ‘Liberation Day’ in early April he announced that the United Kingdom (UK) would be subject to 10% tariffs on all the the goods it exports to the US. More stringent measures were later applied to cars, steel and aluminium. But last week, the US agreed to allow some steel and aluminium into the country tariff-free, and reduced the levies on a set number of British cars. A blanket 10% tariffs on imports from countries around the world still applies to most UK goods entering the US. Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis have also held back on giving forecasts, while Ford said the US levies will cost it about $1.5 billion this year. +++
+++ Even as the auto industry lurches toward electrification with all the grace of a 3-legged shopping cart, MERCEDES-AMG is reminding everyone that the V8 still has a pulse. The German brand copped a lot of flak for turning the C63 into a 4-cylinder hybrid and raised plenty of eyebrows when it confirmed a pair of high-performance EVs for production. However, enthusiasts will be pleased to hear that the AMG V8s we all know and love aren’t going anywhere, at least for the time being. In fact, fans of AMG’s signature V8s can breathe a little easier, at least for now. According to AMG boss Michael Schiebe, there’s still a future for combustion engines, thanks to regulatory breathing room. With the European Union’s combustion ban not taking effect until 2035 and no firm ICE cutoff in the U.S., there are “some years to come with the V8”, he says. Schiebe didn’t specify how many years the current engine might hang on, but it sounds like AMG isn’t just keeping the lights on. They’re actively working on a new generation of the V8. Speaking with Car and Driver, Schiebe explained that the next-generation V8 could find its way into multiple future models. That’s opened the door to speculation, some hopeful, some wildly optimistic, that the engine could even make its way back into a revised C 63. “We are in the midst of developing our next generation of the V8 and I see a lot of positions within our existing portfolio, or maybe even new ones, where we could actually imagine to have a V8”, he said. We’ve known about the next-generation V8 from Mercedes-AMG for several months now. According to reports, it will ditch the cross-plane crankshaft of the current V8 family in favour of a flat-plane crank. The company is also developing the engine to work with a 48 volt mild hybrid system that could incorporate a starter motor into the gearbox, while also adding some extra power and better efficiency. Schiebe reinforced the idea that AMG won’t go all-in on hybridization with this engine. In his words, they don’t “necessarily need to go that far on hybridization”, suggesting this new V8 will stay closer to its roots than some feared. That strategy could also extend the life of models like the AMG GT 4-Door, which many assumed would quietly exit stage left as AMG’s all-electric performance sedan comes to market. But according to Schiebe, that might not be the case, at least not yet. “Let’s see how long we continue with a GT 4-Door”, he said. “Maybe there is a successor, but I don’t want to speculate about that”. So while AMG’s future is undoubtedly electric, the V8 isn’t on the chopping block just yet. If anything, it looks like the automaker is doubling down on its combustion credentials, if only for a little while longer. +++
+++ OPEL is readying a hot new GSe version of its Mokka as it transitions the nascent performance-focused sub-brand to offering solely electric cars. The company has yet to confirm any details, but the new model made an appearance in a preview video posted to social media by CEO Florian Huettl announcing that it will ditch models with combustion engines such as the previous Astra GSe. The Mokka is most likely to employ the same single-motor set-up used in the related Abarth 600e, Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce and Lancia Ypsilon HF. This is offered with outputs of 240 hp and 280 hp, which, in the 600e, yield 0-100 kph times of 6.2 seconds and 5.9 seconds respectively. All 3 hot EVs are also fitted with limited-slip differentials to help them put that power to the Tarmac. As well as an uplift in power, Huettl suggested that the Mokka GSe will be more greatly differentiated from the cooking version in dynamic terms than was the case for the Astra GSe. He said the performance brand now represents characteristics such as “great grip and g-forces” and “sweat”, but also “sliding through S-curves”. The preview video implies the new GSe will be more clearly differentiated in styling terms too. The Mokka featured in it sports a rally-style roof scoop. It’s possible that this is an element reserved purely for a concept previewing an eventual production car, however. In addition to the Mokka GSe, Huettl hinted that there will be further news on more electric Opels. He said: “GSe is also a promise that Opel’s electric future will not be driven by compromise. There is more to come in 2025: we are just getting started”. It is possible that this is a hint at a big reveal at September’s Munich motor show (home turf for Opel), although nothing has yet been made official. +++
+++ POLESTAR will show the final version of its new electric super-saloon at the Munich motor show in September. Remaining largely true to the radical Precept concept that the brand showed in 2020, the Polestar 5 is a Porsche Taycan rival with “supercar levels” of stiffness from a British-engineered chassis, an 800 Volt electrical architecture for ‘extreme fast-charging’ and nearly 900 hp in its most potent form. Polestar has revealed some of the headline specifications and showed a near production-ready prototype back in 2023, but it will give full details and unveil the interior of its long-awaited flagship at Munich in autumn. Described as a “company-defining project”, the 5 is the first model to be built on a new scalable aluminium architecture that’s bespoke to Polestar and has been engineered at the firm’s development centre at the MIRA proving ground. This platform will also underpin the drop-top Polestar 6 sports car that’s due in 2026. Polestar has confirmed the 5’s new rapid-charging technology allows for 160 km of range to be added in just 5 minutes without degrading the life of the battery. CEO Michael Lohscheller suggested that the introduction of 800V architecture is a technical highlight of the new 5, saying: “The charging time comes down to 18 or 19 minutes. This is really, really good. You will have to hurry to get your coffee in while you wait for the charging”. This technology, called extreme fast-charging (XFC), is a collaboration between Polestar and StoreDot, a charging company that Polestar has invested in. StoreDot pioneered XFC initially on a mobile phone that could be fully charged in five minutes. XFC can be integrated into existing battery technology and doesn’t require “a battery pack design revolution”, according to Polestar. Polestar and StoreDot successfully demonstrated it on a full-sized working 5 prototype last year. “It’s a game-changer as it uses traditional lithium ion and then adapts it for fast charging”, StoreDot CEO Doron Myersdorf told previously. StoreDot manufactures the lithium ion pouch cells with silicon anodes but is investigating using it on hard-case prismatic cells too. Polestar has already confirmed a power output for the 5 of 900 hp and 900 Nm of torque from its twin electric motors, which provide 4-wheeldrive. The more powerful rear motor produces 612 hp alone. The 5 is an evolution of 2020’s imposing Precept concept. Only the concept’s most outlandish features (its heavily accentuated side creases, ultra-slim digital wing mirrors, reverse-opening rear doors and oversized alloy wheels) have been casualties of the homologation process. Polestar has also said its flagship electric car will tout “supercar levels” of body stiffness from the all-new platform, which will also be the lightest in its class. The 5’s body is constructed chiefly from bonded aluminium, with other sections made from hot-formed, cold-formed, die-cast and extruded aluminium. It’s this bonded aluminium construction that affords the car “supercar levels of torsional stiffness, which is fundamental to class-leading ride and handling dynamics”, said Polestar UK chief engineer Dave Kane. The battery pack, the size of which hasn’t yet been specified, is then integrated into the platform. R&D boss Pete Allen added that a goal for the 5 is to “deliver best-in-class levels of dynamics and that starts with the structure”. To that end, the 5’s body offers “carbonfibre levels of torsional stiffness, like a two-door sports model”. The Taycan is an obvious rival to the 5 and Polestar is understood to have one at its MIRA facility for benchmarking purposes. However, the Swedish manufacturer wants to create a car with more everyday compliance and a rounded edge, rather than chasing truly sports car-like handling. “It needs to be engaging but also comfortable”, said Steve Swift, director of vehicle engineering. “We can push the car in a dynamic direction or a comfort direction without totally sacrificing one or the other”. Further developments include motorsport-derived underbody aerodynamics and a slippery body shape. “It’s an extremely low car for an electric car”, said Allen. “Not as low as an internal- combustion-engine car but close, and they don’t have batteries underneath. That has been a particular challenge”. Much of the engineering work on the 5 is being done with future Polestar products in mind. There’s “a lot of scalability” in the new platform, said Swift. “You start with a car first, then look at the products in other spaces, then how many of those spaces we can play in while designing it once. It’s part of the future, definitely”. The 6 will be the second model to be built on the new architecture, and the two models will be built alongside one another in the same factory from 2026, when the 6 launches a year after the 5 arrives. +++
+++ VOLKSWAGEN will start moving all of its electric cars onto an updated platform from next year, ushering in a new type of battery chemistry that promises to reduce costs. The Volkswagen ID.2 supermini, due in 2026, will be the first model to use a lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery that will be cheaper than the nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) packs in the firm’s current EVs. After that car is launched, the rest of Volkswagen’s ID cars will move onto an updated platform dubbed MEB Plus, which will have them adopt the same type of battery. LFP batteries have become more popular in recent years, as technological developments have increased their range while preserving their cost advantage over conventional NMC packs. Tesla was first to bring the technology to mass production, with the Model 3 in China, Ford soon followed suit with the Mustang Mach-E and now other volume manufacturers like Volkswagen are embracing the tech. Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schäfer said: “The upgrade to MEB Plus comes next year, and we will roll out the cell-to-pack battery systems with LFP. That will be a major step forward in terms of cost for us. It’s very important, and also in performance. “We’re very happy with that. It’s all in plan. We will come in with MEB Plus across the models, including the ID.3, ID.4 and ID.7. They will have LFP. “You can see this move towards LFP across the board, really, except for performance applications on the upper end. In the volume game, LFP is the technology. It will start with the ID.2 and then roll out through the models”. The LFP batteries will be supplied by the Volkswagen Group’s new battery factory in Salzgitter, Germany, which will also build the current-generation NMC packs on a smaller scale until they’re phased out. The company has yet to confirm any specifications for the new batteries, but there is potential for the EVs to gain range while reducing in price. This technological overhaul will be accompanied by a wide-reaching design refresh of Volkswagen’s ID line-up. R&D boss Kai Grunitz said last year this portfolio redesign will bring “huge improvements” that show Volkswagen “going back to where we came from”, and now Schäfer has outlined just how important it is to bring a new look. “Design is your first touchpoint. That’s what excites people”, he said. “You have to have an iconic design that people connect with, and it doesn’t matter what kind of drivetrain is underneath. This fascination with ‘is it electric or petrol?’ doesn’t matter if you have an iconic car. You can see it in many examples”. +++
+++ VOLVO boss Håkan Samuelsson believes extended-range plug-in hybrids could play an important role in Europe’s electrification transition, strengthening the possibility of the new XC70 being sold here. The XC70 was previewed last week as a mid-sized PHEV SUV to sit in between the XC60 and XC90, with a claimed electric range of 190 km; far more than any PHEV the brand currently sells. It will be built in China on a platform supplied by Volvo’s parent company Geely, and while it is destined initially for a roll-out in China, Volvo said it was considering a global launch – and now Samuelsson has said its drivetrain could be a logical addition in European markets. He said: “In certain regions in Europe, the charging network will be developed later. If you look into the south and east of Europe, it will be slower. The ones leading are Norway all the way in the west. There, there will be faster transition to electrification. But in other regions, it’s really a good solution to have a long-range hybrid, because if you look into the environmental aspect, if you have a long-range hybrid, the absolute majority of the transport work will be done with electricity. And so in that way, it will be an ‘electric car’. “If you have a very short range, a large part of the transport work will be done with the petrol. And then, of course, it’s not fossil-free anymore. So a long-range plug-in hybrid, I would argue, is an electric car with a back-up engine when the battery is flat, which will happen not so often. So I think it’s a good solution, it’s a good bridge and there is a lot of technology in that car which is in common with an all-electric car. It’s a pragmatic bridge solution to wait for our customers to really feel comfortable with an all-electric car”. Samuelsson stopped short of confirming in which European markets Volvo could launch the XC70 or other long-range hybrids, nor did he give a timeframe. The XC70 has an especially important role to play for Volvo as the company embarks on a wide-reaching global cost-cutting drive in response to industry “turbulence” and a “challenging external environment”. Even amid that turbulence, Volvo said it “remains firm on its ambition of becoming a fully electric car company”, but just a fifth of its sales in the first quarter of 2025 were electric, and it said “premium plug-in hybrids provide a pragmatic bridge for customers not yet ready to switch”. The XC70 name had been dormant since 2016, when the off-road version of the third-generation V70 estate was taken off sale. It was originally called the V70 XC, with ‘XC’ standing for ‘Cross Country’. +++