- Freelander 8 sold over 10,000 pre-orders in 48 hours, signaling strong market appetite for the Chery–JLR tie-up.
- The model rolls out without Land Rover badging and embeds deep Chinese tech partnerships with Huawei, CATL, and Qualcomm.
- Freelander aims for six models and global expansion from China, targeting the Middle East by late 2026–early 2027.
Freelander 8, the first model jointly developed by Chery and Jaguar Land Rover under their new partnership, received more than 10,000 orders within 48 hours of opening pre-orders.
The Freelander 8 made its global debut and opened pre-orders on Aug. 14, with the five-seat version starting at RMB 339,900 ($50,400).
The larger six-seat version is offered in Pro, Max and Max+ trims, with pre-sale prices ranging from RMB 349,900 ($51,900) to RMB 429,900 ($63,750).
Freelander 8 is the first product developed by Chery and Jaguar Land Rover under their so-called “Joint Venture 3.0” model.
The Freelander name itself is also no longer part of the traditional Land Rover lineup.
The name is not new to the market. The first-generation Freelander debuted in 1997 and ranked among Europe’s best-selling SUVs for five consecutive years before entering China in 2004.
After the second-generation model and subsequent products such as the Discovery Sport took over, the Freelander name was phased out around 2015 and remained dormant for nearly a decade.
In 2024, Chery and Jaguar Land Rover signed a strategic cooperation agreement and revived the Freelander name as a standalone brand focused on the electrified vehicle market.
Jaguar Land Rover contributes its brand assets and design expertise, while Chery handles the vehicle platform, manufacturing and supply chain.
As a result, Freelander 8 follows a product strategy that differs substantially from traditional Land Rover models.
The vehicle carries no Land Rover logo, instead using Freelander lettering on the front and rear, while retaining “Chery Jaguar Land Rover” branding at the rear.
More significantly, the changes extend deep into the supply chain. Freelander 8’s intelligent cockpit and driver-assistance systems are not simply off-the-shelf solutions.
The brand jointly developed them with Huawei, CATL and Qualcomm. All versions use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8397 automotive-grade chip.
Huawei’s i-ATS intelligent all-terrain system was jointly developed for the vehicle, while CATL provides a jointly developed version of its Freevoy Super Hybrid battery system.
This means Freelander 8 was not developed according to the conventional approach used by traditional joint-venture automakers.
Chinese suppliers have a much deeper role in the vehicle’s development, with its platform, intelligent systems and electric powertrain built more extensively around China’s EV supply chain.
Freelander plans to launch six models over the next five years, covering range-extender, plug-in hybrid and battery-electric powertrains.
The brand is developing a “1+3” global product matrix covering left-hand-drive China, global left-hand-drive markets, Europe-specific regulatory versions and right-hand-drive markets.
Freelander will use China as its base before expanding into global markets.
The Middle East is expected to become its first overseas market, with the brand scheduled to launch there between late 2026 and early 2027.
Discover more from ChinaEVHome
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
