Photo: Land Rover
Launched in 1997, then discontinued in 2014 to make room for the Discovery Sport, the Freelander is considered to be a heritage vehicle. The first generation, that is, which benefits from more than 9,000 Heritage-branded parts.
Although the Discovery Sport is a worthy successor, some people are missing the Freelander. Word has it Land Rover will bring back the compact SUV in 2021 to grab a bigger slice of the segment. According to Autocar, “Land Rover is keen to do this again, this time with models that are even smaller than the Freelander Mk1.”
The motoring publication gives a length of “around 4.2 meters” for the newcomer, which sounds right when you consider the Discovery Sport spans 4.59 meters from front to rear bumper. On the other hand, Autocar highlights that “debate is ongoing about which of Land Rover’s three model strands – leisure (as typified by the Discovery Sport), luxury (Range Rover) or utility (next Defender) – it will join.”
Something that’s unlikely is for the automaker to add a compact-ish SUV for each of the three ranges, more so if you bear in mind that Land Rover doesn’t have the biggest research & development budget in the business. Whatever the future may hold, resurrecting the Freelander sounds like a commercial success in the making.
One of the brand’s best-selling vehicles in Europe, the Freelander Mk1 sold more than 540,000 examples over its lifespan. Then the Freelander Mk2 showed up, acclaimed as one of the best off-road vehicles in the compact segment. If Land Rover will ever offer the Freelander Mk3, the more competitive price in comparison to the Discovery Sport will ensure its popularity with old and new customers alike.
But the road from draft to production reality is long and full of complications. It was originally reported that Land Rover is planning to breathe new life into the Freelander back in December 2014, but the plan has been “shelved and revived at least twice in the past.” Why’s that? Concerns over the small nature of the profit margin, apparently.
If the plans goes through this time around, the Freelander Mk3 could adopt a platform codenamed D10. By D10, Land Rover refers to a re-engineered, cheaper, and shorter version of the D8 (Discovery Sport, Range Rover Evoque, Jaguar E-Pace).
The motoring publication gives a length of “around 4.2 meters” for the newcomer, which sounds right when you consider the Discovery Sport spans 4.59 meters from front to rear bumper. On the other hand, Autocar highlights that “debate is ongoing about which of Land Rover’s three model strands – leisure (as typified by the Discovery Sport), luxury (Range Rover) or utility (next Defender) – it will join.”
Something that’s unlikely is for the automaker to add a compact-ish SUV for each of the three ranges, more so if you bear in mind that Land Rover doesn’t have the biggest research & development budget in the business. Whatever the future may hold, resurrecting the Freelander sounds like a commercial success in the making.
One of the brand’s best-selling vehicles in Europe, the Freelander Mk1 sold more than 540,000 examples over its lifespan. Then the Freelander Mk2 showed up, acclaimed as one of the best off-road vehicles in the compact segment. If Land Rover will ever offer the Freelander Mk3, the more competitive price in comparison to the Discovery Sport will ensure its popularity with old and new customers alike.
But the road from draft to production reality is long and full of complications. It was originally reported that Land Rover is planning to breathe new life into the Freelander back in December 2014, but the plan has been “shelved and revived at least twice in the past.” Why’s that? Concerns over the small nature of the profit margin, apparently.
If the plans goes through this time around, the Freelander Mk3 could adopt a platform codenamed D10. By D10, Land Rover refers to a re-engineered, cheaper, and shorter version of the D8 (Discovery Sport, Range Rover Evoque, Jaguar E-Pace).
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