New Freelander 8 Chinese 'Land Rover' details plan for world domination: leave the UK till last
The fledgling Freelander joint venture between Chery and JLR has put a UK market debut low on its ‘phased expansion’ plan’s priorities
While the brand-new, 818bhp Freelander 8 is coming to the United Kingdom, we’ll be waiting a while for it. The new Chinese brand, created via a joint venture between Chery and Jaguar Land Rover, has detailed an ‘international roadmap’ for a ‘phased expansion’ in markets outside of China, but the UK looks to be at the back of the queue.
The first phase is focused on the Middle East and North Africa, starting with the United Arab Emirates, where potential customers can already register their interest. During the fourth quarter of 2026, Freelander intends to have a dealer network covering various countries including Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan and Egypt, with further, unspecified left-hand-drive markets targeted into 2027. It cites the car’s Sand Mode as one of several features that “reflect an approach that incorporates regional requirements from the product development stage”.
Phase two, for which no target period is given, is all about right-hand-drive markets. But before you get too excited, the priority countries are Australia and New Zealand. It won’t be until phase three that Freelander gets to Europe, but it’ll be the likes of Germany, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Spain that Freelander goes to first, “before expanding further into the United Kingdom and Ireland”.
It’s unclear when a lot of this will happen, and it sounds very much like a moveable feast at present. “Market entry dates, product specifications and sales arrangements will be announced individually as local plans progress,” Freelander says.
Above the five-seater, there are six-seat versions, starting with Pro which costs 349,900 yuan (around £38,000) in China. The Max follows, at 379,900 (roughly £42,000), and then the Max+ that costs 429,900 yuan (around £47,000). A Freelander 8 launch version called First Edition is available in China at 449,990 (around £49,000), although it’s limited to 1,000 units.
The Freelander 8 will be available in eight distinctive colours including the launch-spec lurid Lucent Lime and Immersive Purple, Auto Express can reveal. These shades join the oddly named Dancing Silver as the three so-called Launch Edition colours, and will be bolstered by five further options for full production.
We also know the Freelander 8’s will come with a 46.3-inch 8K display, which stretches across the entire dashboard – just like the BMW iX3’s revolutionary Panoramic iDrive system. It’s even called the ‘Panoramic Intelligent Display’, which won’t help to dispel any accusations of plagiarism.
This rather radical cockpit design focuses on putting all the vital information and lots more besides on top of the dashboard to help the driver keep their eyes on the road. The 1.2-metre wide dashboard display supposedly reaches up to 1,000 nits of brightness, which is about the same as the latest OLED TVs, so should be clear and easy to read at all times.
We can see that the steering wheel has a slightly square shape to help the driver see over it and not block any information. Also as with the new BMW iX3, the Freelander 8 features a large 15.6-inch central touchscreen that will be responsible for media and controlling most of the car’s functions, with a row of physical shortcut buttons below. On the standard Freelander 8 in China there’s a no-cost option of a 17.3-inch screen that drops from the ceiling for rear passengers.
As mentioned, the Freelander 8 is the result of a partnership between JLR and the Chinese conglomerate Chery, which is borrowing the heritage of the Land Rover Freelander to create a brand-new range of models, designed primarily for its home market. As a result, it’s worth noting that the equipment and technical specifications for the UK-bound Freelander 8 are still to be confirmed and could change from the Chinese-market car.
PB Balaji, Jaguar Land Rover CEO, explained the working relationship between his firm and Chery to us, saying: “From a design perspective, we’ll take ownership of it, but thereafter in terms of engineering, manufacturing and of course selling it, it’s Chery’s car, and we wish them well on that.”
The reason the model was designed in the UK is simple. Balaji continued: “Our role is ensuring that the design is in sync with what JLR stands for.” Each member of Chery’s new Freelander family will embody the iconic design traits from the original Freelander that arrived in the nineties.
These new Freelander models won’t be sold through existing Land Rover dealers, but they will be cheaper than the Land Rover Defender and Land Rover Discovery; Balaji insists they won’t directly compete against one another. We know the first Freelander 8 model will be positioned under the Defender, which costs from just under £60,000.
However, if you want a Defender for less, right now you can save more than £4,000 on a brand-new Land Rover Defender 110 with the help of the Auto Express Buy A Car service, while used examples are available from around £30,000.
What is a Freelander 8 and how does it differ from Land Rovers we know?
The Freelander 8 is positioned at the upper end of Chery’s new Freelander range, and therefore is not a small SUV. At 5.1 metres, it’s around 350mm longer than a Defender 110 without the spare wheel attached, and offers masses of space inside for up to six people. Other, smaller models will also arrive in time – next up will be a shorter two-row version.
It’s tall, too, and rides on a flexible architecture developed by Chery, which is used across various models. The Freelander 8 won’t need to meet the incredibly high metrics for torsional rigidity and off-road stiffness usually required of a Land Rover, but we have been told by Chery company representatives that it’ll still offer impressive capability.
As standard, the China-market Freelander 8 gets height-adjustable air-suspension, rear-wheel steering of up to 10 degrees, six-piston calipers and tyres from Pirelli. There’s also ‘i-ATS’ or Intelligent All-Terrain System, which developed with Chinese smartphone maker Huawei, which combines three locking differentials to boost off-road capability. There’s even a crab-walk mode to enable the Freelander 8 to drive at an angle at low speeds.
The plug-in hybrid powertrain features Chery-derived technology, rather than the expensive units found under the bonnets of UK-built Land Rovers and Range Rovers. This will include Chery’s PHEV arrangement that uses a small 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine largely as a generator to feed two electric motors.
The total output sent to all four wheels is a substantial 818bhp with 813Nm of torque for a 4.6-second 0-62mph time, which is only half a second off the high-performance Defender OCTA.
There’s a huge 60.3kWh battery too, which is larger than the latest all-electric Volkswagen ID.3 Neo’s 58kWh unit. As a result, the electric range of the plug-in hybrid Freelander 8 stands at 193 miles, although this figure is from the more lenient CLTC scheme. With an 800V architecture, the Freelander 8’s maximum charging speed is a rapid 350kW, meaning a 20 to 80 per cent top up will take just 12 minutes.
Another feature confirmed by Chery-JLR is the Freelander 8’s SIVP (Super Intelligent Valet Parking) system. Set to be available in “selected international markets”, owners will be able to “remotely manage automated parking and vehicle-summon functions” in places such as hotels, offices and shopping centres – allowing the car to park itself, and return to a designated spot when required.
What does the new Freelander look and feel like in the flesh?
In the flesh, the new Freelander is an imposing character; it’s not just longer than a Defender, but also taller and wider. Compared with the Concept 97 that it’s based on, the Freelander 8 retains many of that car’s key styling traits. Items such as new production-specific headlights look blocky and futuristic, without losing the Freelander’s connection to the more overtly off-road derived Defender.
In fact, in overseas markets, the headlights will incorporate two small screens that act both as daytime running lights and points of information for road users. These are unlikely to pass EU regulations, however. Another clever trick are the doors, which feature inset windows and run all the way up and over the bodyside. This doesn’t just remove a part line, but also increases the opening size of the door.
Other elements, such as the split rear-quarter window and large wheels, also mess with its scale, but one key differentiator will be the bold wheelarches and black rear section of the roof. These will always be finished in a high-gloss black, contrasting against two optional matt-finish colours. There will be a total of eight hues offered, including some lurid choices such as lime green and bright purple, alongside the usual selection of two silvers, a blue, black and white, plus a distinctive bronze shade.
What else can you tell us about the interior?
While the Land Rover team may have designed this interior, its enormous screens will run a new infotainment system developed by Chery, powered by a Chinese-based software system.
Beyond this, the cabin feels optimised for the Chinese market, with features such as the option of a large roof-mounted screen for the second row, captain’s chairs in the second row and lots of vibrant ambient lighting.
As well as the eight colour options, the Freelander 8 will also be available with six interiors, with differing leather and dash colours ranging from black, brown, purple and beige. With each of these the trim elements will also vary.
No seven-seater option will be available, though, because the Freelander 8 will have captain’s chairs in the second row and then two in the third row. We wouldn’t be surprised to see a switch to a more traditional middle bench when the car eventually makes it to the UK. Space inside is vast, which isn’t surprising given the huge exterior dimensions, but the boot behind the third row is a little tight. Access is through a traditional top-hinged tailgate with a wiper hidden away in the upper shroud.
Why is Land Rover entering into a joint venture with Chery?
This collaboration leverages the individual strengths of the two companies; Jaguar Land Rover’s design expertise, and Chery’s advances in battery and platform technology. JLR insists that Freelander will be a standalone marque, distinct from the maker’s ‘House of Brands’, which currently includes Range Rover, Defender and Discovery.
This does complicate matters somewhat for Land Rover, though, because the size and scale of these new Freelander models will be comparable to not just one, but two of its own home-grown ‘pillars’. Defender is potentially one, but as it already has a solid footing in the market, it shouldn’t be too badly affected.
Discovery is more difficult. Land Rover has confirmed it will be relaunching the brand “sooner rather than later”, and that it needs to be given a clear identity from other JLR models. However, if that planned identity is more space and tech for less money, it could wind up competing directly with Chery’s Freelander sub-brand.
During the Concept 97’s global reveal, Freelander global CEO Wen Fei, said: “In 2024, JLR and Chery signed a strategic cooperation agreement, establishing our commitment to deploy a new brand, adopt a new model, and wage a new campaign on the global stage.
“Freelander shall stand as an independent brand in its own right, to bear a new mission for a new era. [It will] address a new generation of discerning customers and take its rightful place at the pinnacle of global premium.
“To precisely address the demand of global markets, we have established a product roadmap that is as ambitious as it is capable of delivery,” Fei added.
“This is not a blueprint to be admired from a distance, but a declaration to the world: Freelander will conquer every market with the most formidable product capability on earth.
“Beginning in 2026, we will introduce a matrix of all-new models over five years, spanning large and full-size SUV segments, each endowed with SUV capability and compatible with extended-range, plug-in hybrid and pure-electric powertrains. This breadth is designed to serve the diverse needs of markets across the globe. Our inaugural model will make its world debut in China in the second half of this year.
“Thereafter a new model will follow every six months; a relentless cadence of innovation designed to ignite global markets and establish Freelander as the defining leader in premium SUVs for the new-energy era,” he said.
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