Engineering:Freelander 8

From HandWiki
Short description: Battery electric and range-extended SUV
Not to be confused with Land Rover Freelander.

Freelander 8
Overview
ManufacturerChery
Also calledFreelander Concept 97 (Concept)
ProductionLate 2026 (to commence)
AssemblyChina: Changshu (Chery Jaguar Land Rover)
DesignerGerry McGovern
Body and chassis
ClassFull-size SUV
Body style5-door SUV
Layout
  • Battery electric:
  • Dual-motor, all-wheel-drive
  • Range-extended EV and plug-in hybrid:
  • Front-engine, dual-motor, all-wheel-drive
PlatformChery E0X Platform
ChassisUnibody
Related
Powertrain
Hybrid drivetrainSeries (range extender) or power-split (plug-in hybrid)
BatterySupplied from CATL
Dimensions
Wheelbase3,040 mm (119.7 in)
Length5,118 mm (201.5 in)
Width2,050 mm (80.7 in)
Height1,898 mm (74.7 in)

The Freelander 8 (Chinese: 神行者8; pinyin: Shénxíngzhě 8) is an upcoming battery electric, range-extended, and plug-in hybrid full-size SUV to be produced at the Chery Jaguar Land Rover plant in Changshu as the first vehicle sold under the new Freelander marque named after the Land Rover Freelander.

Overview

The Freelander 8 serves as the first brand of the marque. It is a full-size SUV measuring at least 5,100 millimetres (201 in) in length. It was initially developed for Exeed before being transferred over to Freelander.[1]

Design

The design of the Freelander 8 and the Concept 97 were influenced by the original Land Rover Freelander. It has an inclined D-pillar that was also used for the 3-door version of the original Freelander. The black trim on the front end and the headlights were influenced by the Freelander's 2003 facelift. The hood, grille, and skid plate of the Concept 97 are finished in aluminum.[2]

Features

Photos from a crash test revealed that the Freelander will use a LiDAR sensor at the front. A solid-state LiDAR will also be mounted at the rear. The Freelander will come with Huawei's Qiankun advanced driver-assistance system. The interior uses a three-spoke steering wheel, a floating central touchscreen, and a second screen that has been compared to that of the screens in Avatr vehicles. An electronic column shifter comes standard as well as a hollowed-out center console and dual wireless charging pads.[3]

Powertrain

The Freelander 8 is expected to produce up to 553 horsepower (412 kW; 561 PS) .[1] The batteries will be supplied by CATL. It will be offered in BEV and EREV form.[4] A plug-in hybrid version is also expected and is reported to use a dual-motor setup.[5]

History

On 19 June 2024, Jaguar Land Rover partnered with Chery to build new vehicles on the latter's E0X platform under the Freelander brand. Prior to this announcement JLR had said it would use the E0X and M3X platforms for plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles. A letter of intent for building vehicles under the Freelander brand was signed on the same day.[6]

An early design of the E0V (the codename for the Freelander 8) was revealed on November 12, 2024.[1]

On 29 April 2025, it was revealed that a trademark for Freelander was filed in Australia.[7] The following month, on May 14, 2025, it was confirmed that it would arrive as a plug-in hybrid initially and that it would be styled by Gerry McGovern, then-chief creative officer of Jaguar Land Rover.[8]

The first spyshots of the Freelander 8 were released on August 1, 2025, when a prototype was spotted testing in Suzhou.[9] By November 2025, 150 Freelander 8 prototypes were built by JLR and Chery.[10]

On 21 January 2026, it was confirmed that the brand would first launch in the Middle East due to a shift in the Freelander marque's strategy.[11] On March 24, 2026, it was announced that the Freelander brand would be revealed in Shanghai on 31 March.[12] The Freelander EV was accidentally unveiled via crash test photos on 26 March 2026.[3] Official teasers for the Freelander EV were shown on the same day that the reveal date was announced.[13]

The Freelander Concept 97 was unveiled on 31 March 2026, alongside the Freelander marque itself. The Concept 97 serves as a preview of the Freelander 8.[14]

On 25 April 2026, The production version was unveiled as Freelander 8.[15]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Bobylev, Denis (November 12, 2024). "First Freelander car from Chery & Land Rover is a three-row 5.1-meter SUV". https://carnewschina.com/2024/11/12/first-freelander-car-from-chery-land-rover-is-a-three-row-5-1-meter-suv/. 
  2. ↑ Pappas, Thanos (March 31, 2026). "Land Rover Let The Freelander Go. China Brought It Back As An Electrified SUV". https://www.carscoops.com/2026/03/freelander-jlr-chery-revival/. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Liu, Miao (March 26, 2026). "Chery-Jaguar Land Rover’s global model Freelander SUV spotted in leaked crash test photos". https://carnewschina.com/2026/03/26/chery-jaguar-land-rovers-global-model-freelander-suv-spotted-in-leaked-crash-test-photos/. 
  4. ↑ Miao, Liu. "Freelander reborn: Chery and Jaguar Land Rover launch global NEV brand, unveil first concept model". https://carnewschina.com/2026/03/31/freelander-reborn-chery-and-jaguar-land-rover-launch-global-nev-brand-unveil-first-concept-model/. 
  5. ↑ Grassi, Massimo; Perez, Jeff. "A Classic Land Rover Name Is Making A Comeback Soon". https://www.motor1.com/news/791079/land-rover-freelander-teaser/. 
  6. ↑ Bobylev, Denis (June 19, 2024). "Jaguar Land Rover and Chery will build Freelander-branded EVs on Chinese platforms". https://carnewschina.com/2024/06/19/jaguar-land-rover-and-chery-will-build-freelander-branded-evs-on-chinese-platforms/. 
  7. ↑ Zachariah, Ben (April 29, 2025). "Land Rover’s Freelander Spun-Off as Chinese Brand". https://www.carsauce.com/car-news/land-rovers-freelander-spun-off-as-chinese-brand. 
  8. ↑ "Freelander due UK return as electrified 4x4 with JLR design". May 14, 2025. https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/freelander-due-uk-return-electrified-4x4-jlr-design. 
  9. ↑ Sagathevan, Kumeran (August 1, 2025). "Freelander Returns As Chery and Land Rover’s New EV SUV". https://www.carz.com.my/2025/08/freelander-returns-as-chery-and-land-rovers-new-ev-suv. 
  10. ↑ Sharmma, Shivani (November 19, 2025). "Freelander SUV Set For A Big Comeback As JLR Confirms Electric Plan For Every Brand By 2030 - Details Inside". https://www.timesnownews.com/auto/car-news/freelander-suv-set-for-a-big-comeback-as-jlr-confirms-electric-plan-for-every-brand-by-2030-details-inside-article-153175934#google_vignette. 
  11. ↑ Bobylev, Denis (January 21, 2026). "JLR and Chery to launch Freelander brand in the Middle East this year as strategy shifts". https://carnewschina.com/2026/01/21/jlr-and-chery-to-launch-freelander-brand-in-the-middle-east-this-year-as-strategy-shifts/. 
  12. ↑ "Freelander set to launch in Shanghai on March 31 as Chery-JLR brand goes global". March 24, 2026. https://www.globalchinaev.com/post/freelander-set-to-launch-in-shanghai-on-march-31-as-chery-jlr-brand-goes-global. 
  13. ↑ Agatie, Cristian (March 24, 2026). "The Freelander Returns as Six-Seater Electric SUV From Chery-JLR, Full Reveal on March 31st". https://www.autoevolution.com/news/chery-jlr-s-freelander-brand-to-unveil-its-first-model-on-march-31-it-will-be-a-six-seater-suv-267554.html. 
  14. ↑ Page, Felix (March 31, 2026). "New 2026 Freelander revealed as rugged electric off-roader". https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/electric-cars/new-2026-freelander-revealed-rugged-electric-roader. 
  15. ↑ "Freelander 8 revealed: Chery-JLR brand confirms global SUV launch with Australian testing". April 25, 2026. https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-news/freelander-8-revealed-chery-jlr-brand-confirms-global-suv-launch-with-australian-testing. 



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