The Freelander 8 First Edition is the launch model for the Freelander brand, a China-developed marque from the Chery Jaguar Land Rover joint venture. It is a six-seat SUV roughly five metres long, positioned as a large family and off-road vehicle, and it revives a Land Rover nameplate under a wholly China-based engineering and supply chain.
It uses a range-extender (EREV) powertrain on an 800V high-voltage architecture. A 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine producing 115 kW (157 hp) serves only as a generator, recharging a 60.331 kWh battery co-developed with CATL. The certified pure-electric driving range is 221 km, with the engine extending total range well beyond that. The battery supports up to 6C charging with a 350 kW peak intake. Drive goes through an all-terrain system with three differential locks - a front mechanical lock, a rear electronic limited-slip, and a virtual centre lock - integrated with Huawei’s i-ATS off-road software.
Technology is a core part of the pitch. The Freelander 8 runs Huawei’s Qiankun ADS 5 driver-assistance platform with a roof-mounted 896-line LiDAR as standard across the Pro, Max and Max+ trims, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8397 cockpit processor. The result is an off-road-capable SUV carrying flagship-level Chinese smart-driving hardware.
Pricing has not been confirmed. The joint venture has indicated it is targeting the 300,000 yuan (about $44,000) segment, with full details and trim pricing to follow closer to the on-sale date.