The new Freelander brand has released its first production vehicle. The Freelander 8 crossover has rolled off the assembly line at the Chery Jaguar Land Rover plant in Changshu, China. Pre-sales are set to begin on August 10, according to infohub.kz.
Despite the familiar name, Freelander is no longer a Land Rover model. It is now a standalone brand created by the Chery and JLR joint venture. Its first model is a full-size SUV with a range-extender hybrid powertrain.
The Freelander 8 features a modern "boxy" SUV design, with a closed grille, illuminated logo, hidden door handles, and muscular wheel arches. Its dimensions are impressive: length – 5,118 mm (5,185 mm with spare wheel), width – 2,050 mm, height – 1,898 mm, wheelbase – 3,040 mm. The cabin seats six in a 2+2+2 layout, with two "captain's chairs" in the second row.
The standout feature is its equipment. The Freelander 8 comes with a panoramic 46.3-inch 8K display, a 15.6-inch Mini LED multimedia screen, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8397 processor, Huawei ADS 4.1 autonomous driving system, and a lidar with obstacle detection range up to 120 meters. The SUV also features adaptive air suspension, intelligent all-wheel drive i-ATS, front mechanical differential lock, rear electronic differential e-LSD, and virtual central locking.
The powertrain includes a 1.5-liter turbo engine producing 156 hp, which acts as a generator, and a traction battery with a capacity of 60.3 kWh. On electric power alone, the Freelander 8 can travel up to 221 km. The manufacturer will reveal other specifications closer to the sales launch.
Earlier, Kursiv Avto reported that sales of plug-in hybrids Chery Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 8 have started in Kazakhstan.