Freelander has shown the Freelander 8 First Edition in China, giving Chery Jaguar Land Rover’s revived nameplate its first public outing in production-style form.
The China-market First Edition gets three limited colours — yellow, silver and purple — plus a dedicated collector’s badge. The SUV keeps close to the Concept 97 design theme, with a squared-off body, short overhangs, silver lower trim, frameless windows and a distinctive C-pillar. It is not trying to pass itself off as a soft city crossover.
It is a big machine too. The Freelander 8 measures 5,118mm long, or 5,185mm depending on specification, with a width of 2,050mm, height of 1,898mm and a 3,040mm wheelbase. The cabin uses a six-seat layout, while buyers can specify a towing device rated for a 2,000kg trailer. Earlier filing details also list a 2,980kg kerb weight and 3,495kg gross vehicle weight.
The hardware is the bigger story. The First Edition uses Huawei Qiankun ADS 5, an 896-line lidar unit and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8397 automotive chip. It also gets an 800V high-voltage range-extender platform, with an i-ATS intelligent all-terrain system co-tuned with Huawei Qiankun.
Power comes from a range-extender set-up using a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine rated at 115kW. The 60.331kWh battery was developed with CATL and supports up to 6C charging, with a claimed peak charging power of 350kW. Pure-electric range is listed at 221km.
Off-road hardware includes a front mechanical differential lock, rear e-LSD limited-slip differential, virtual centre lock and closed dual-chamber air suspension. The i-ATS system is claimed to assess road conditions in milliseconds and choose a suitable drive strategy.
The Freelander 8 line-up will include Pro, Max and Max+ versions. Prices have not been announced.
