Land Rover and Chery have teamed up to revive the Freelander nameplate as a standalone brand in China. Its firstborn – a full-size crossover SUV called simply the 8 – is slated to reach production in the second half of the year.
The model strongly resembles the previously introduced Freelander 97 Concept, but looks tamer after all the production-friendly edits. For one, it no longer has Rolls-Royce-inspired “suicide” rear doors and features a rather plain front end instead of the concept’s large deflector nose. It still looks both geometrical and sporty, though, and retains a roof spoiler.
The interior remains to be shown. On the technological side of things, the company promises us plentiful electronic assist features underpinned by a LiDAR and software provided by Huawei. Aside from the usual range of ADAS, the Freelander 8 will offer a selection of dedicated off-road driving modes.
It’s still unclear what kind of powertrain the SUV will ship with. The platform it is based on is billed as brand-new and suitable for both hybrids and EVs, so it may end up in both camps. At any rate, it’s official that CATL provides an 800V battery pack that supports rapid charging.
In the near future, the resurrected Freelander badge plans to launch up to six new models in China. Some of these may eventually reach export markets.
