FREELANDER, the Chinese brand co-developed by Chery and Jaguar Land Rover, launched its first model, the 8, in Beijing on September 3. The five-seat version starts at 289,900 yuan (about $40,800), while the six-seat version is priced from 299,900 yuan (about $42,200). The top-trim MAX+ versions are priced at 369,900 yuan (about $52,100) and 379,900 yuan (about $53,500) respectively. These are Chinese guide prices before taxes and incentives. Customers who place a 5,000 yuan deposit by September 30 can access up to 176,000 yuan in launch benefits.
According to Chinese outlet 电动邦 (DianDongBang), the 8's pricing strategy is notable for what it includes as standard. All 156 core features come standard across the lineup, from the base PRO trim to the MAX+ trim. The electric motor, battery, chassis hardware, and driver assistance algorithms are identical across all versions. The main differences lie in the level of driver assistance hardware: the PRO and MAX trims feature Huawei's Qiankun ADS 5 Enhanced Edition, while the MAX+ and limited first-edition trims upgrade to the Super Edition, which adds a 896-line dual-optical-path lidar and a dToF rear solid-state lidar.
Powertrain and chassis
The 8 is an EREV (range-extender electric vehicle) built on an 800V platform. It uses a 60.3 kWh battery from CATL, which the company says provides a CLTC electric-only range of 310 kilometres (193 miles). CLTC figures are typically 15-20% more optimistic than WLTP, so a WLTP estimate would be around 248-263 km (154-163 miles). The battery supports 6C fast charging. The dual-motor all-wheel-drive system produces 610 kW (818 hp) and 813 Nm of torque, with a claimed 0-100 km/h time of 4.6 seconds. The 1.5-litre four-cylinder range extender has a thermal efficiency of 45.79% and can generate 3.7 kWh of electricity per litre of fuel, running on regular 92-octane petrol.
The chassis is equally well equipped. Standard features include closed dual-chamber air suspension, continuously controlled damping (CCD) shock absorbers, and rear-wheel steering with up to ±10 degrees, which reduces the turning circle to 5.15 metres. The front brakes use six-piston fixed calipers with 404 mm ventilated discs, and the claimed 100-0 km/h braking distance is 35.7 metres. Pirelli tyres, 487 noise-vibration-harshness (NVH) optimisations, and active noise cancellation are also standard.
Intelligent driving and cabin
The 8 is the first model globally to offer Huawei's ADS 5 driver assistance system as standard across all trims. The Enhanced Edition uses a cabin-mounted laser vision system (Limera) and covers 47 driving scenarios, meeting over 90% of daily needs. The Super Edition adds 30 high-performance sensors, including a 896-line lidar that can detect objects as small as 14 cm at 120 metres, and a rear solid-state lidar with 3 cm precision. The WEWA 2.0 large model, trained on over 10 billion kilometres of assisted driving data from Huawei's cloud, is claimed to reduce collision risk by 50%. The system supports parking assistance for over 160 parking space types, and the highway NCA (navigation on assisted driving) averages over 1,500 km of driving without driver intervention.
Inside, the 8 features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8397 chip with 320 TOPS of computing power, which the company says is about three times faster than the previous 8295 chip. The cabin includes a 46.3-inch Mini LED display and a 15.6-inch central touchscreen, with a 17.3-inch ceiling screen for rear passengers. The ENLIGHT OS, based on Unreal Engine 5.6, supports 1.2 million-face 3D real-time rendering. The system includes a 'human-like brain' interaction concept with a full-modal on-device large model and a memory module that can recognise over 300 types of memory tags to proactively assist occupants.
The 8 also emphasises off-road capability. The i-ATS intelligent all-terrain system offers nine terrain modes and can automatically recognise six types of terrain with 95% accuracy, switching modes in 0.5 seconds. The system uses the lidar and an 8-megapixel binocular camera to pre-scan the road 10-15 metres ahead. The vehicle features three locks - a front mechanical differential lock, a rear e-LSD limited-slip differential, and a digital centre lock - and can wade through water up to 900 mm deep, climb 100% grades, and handle 800 mm cross-axle obstacles. The company claims a Guinness World Record for the highest altitude climb by a new-energy SUV at 6,002 metres.
Safety is a priority, with the body torsion stiffness rated at 43,000 Nm/deg and high-strength steel and aluminium accounting for 90% of the body. The third row is protected by a high-strength steel safety cage that can withstand a 50 km/h rear impact from an 8.6-tonne truck with zero intrusion. The 8 comes with 11 airbags, including third-row side airbags and a 3,140 mm side curtain airbag. The CATL battery has an extra underbody shield and FD polymer coating, with impact resistance 6.7 times the national standard, and meets the NESTA six-dimensional electric safety certification.
The 8 measures 5,118 mm in length with a 3,040 mm wheelbase. The six-seat version offers a third row with a separate sunroof, heated and ventilated seats, and side airbags. The first and second rows can fold flat to create a bed over 2.5 metres long, and with the third row folded, boot space is 1,188 litres. FREELANDER traces its roots to 1997 when it was a top-selling SUV in Europe and a royal warrant holder. In 2024, Chery and Jaguar Land Rover revived it as an independent brand, with the 8 being its first model under the 'joint venture 3.0' model, where the foreign partner provides brand heritage and design, and the Chinese side contributes electrification and intelligent technology.
