The Freelander name returns, but this time as a Chery-led SUV brand created alongside its former British parent.
In what can only be described as the student becoming the master, Chery has gone from building Land Rovers in China (and selling more than a few SUVs that looked suspiciously like them) to officially co-opting one of the marque’s own nameplates. Now with Jaguar Land Rover’s blessing, Freelander has been reborn as a standalone sub-brand under the Chery-JLR joint venture.
But unlike the original Freelander, which was once the baby of the Land Rover family, the first model from the reborn brand is anything but. Dubbed the Freelander 8, this new SUV stretches around 5.1 metres long, making it longer than a Defender 110 and edging close to Defender 130 territory, while offering seating for up to seven occupants.
Funnily enough, mention the Defender and the Freelander 8 does rather look like one too. Its boxy body features a bluff front end with embossed Freelander lettering across its grille-less nose, which is flanked by square LED headlights, while another set of integrated square lighting elements lower down the bumper is there to ape the look of aftermarket auxiliary lamps.
Chunky black bumper inserts and pronounced wheel arch cladding meanwhile further reinforce its off-road credentials, while the sharply angled D-pillar and triangular rear quarter glass pay homage to the original three-door Freelander. And just to remind everyone what they’re looking at round the rump, the Freelander lettering is once again stamped proudly across the tailgate between two slim rectangular LED taillights.
Moving underneath all that boxy bodywork is the all-new iMAX platform, developed specifically for the Freelander brand. This flexible architecture has been engineered to support a spectrum of electrified powertrains, spanning battery-electric (BEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) configurations.
The only version revealed thus far is the Freelander 8 First Edition, which utilises an advanced 800-volt EREV powertrain. This variant pairs a sizeable 60.3 kWh battery with a turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol engine that serves purely as a generator, resulting in a claimed electric-only driving range of up to 221 km before the petrol engine automatically steps in to recharge the battery.
Now befitting of a model carrying what is (was once) a Land Rover badge, the Freelander 8 nevertheless seems to offer genuine off-road ability. An intelligent all-terrain system works alongside dual-chamber air suspension and three locking differentials — a mechanical front differential lock, rear electronic limited-slip differential and virtual centre lock — to maximise traction across challenging terrain.
And as with just about every new Chinese SUV these days, it goes without saying that the Freelander 8 is packed to the brim with technology. Every variant receives a roof-mounted 896-line LiDAR sensor paired with Huawei’s Qiankun ADS 5 advanced driver assistance system, while processing duties are handled by Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 8397 chipset. Inside, buyers can also expect a pillar-to-pillar LED display and zero-gravity front seats, although the cabin has yet to be fully revealed.
Looking ahead, the Freelander 8 is merely the opening chapter of JLR and Chery’s plans for the reborn brand. Six electrified SUVs are scheduled to arrive over the next five years, and importantly for us, both left- and right-hand-drive production has already been confirmed. That means Malaysia could very well find itself on the list of future export markets, where it could end up competing against fellow Chinese SUVs that have long borrowed the Land Rover look… like the Jaecoo J7 and Jetour T2.
