Freelander will unveil the international version of its Freelander 8 in Abu Dhabi on Sept 29 as the revived brand begins its expansion beyond China.
The global brand launch will take place at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, with the United Arab Emirates becoming Freelander’s first international market.
Freelander is jointly developed by Chery and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), with JLR leading design and premium positioning while Chery provides technology and supply-chain capabilities.
The UAE rollout follows an announcement at the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Al Tayer Motors will represent Freelander in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, while Premier Motors will handle Abu Dhabi. The two distributors have secured three flagship showrooms ahead of the brand’s entry.
Freelander has also been carrying out regional testing in desert, coastal and urban conditions, with the programme covering areas including thermal management and all-terrain performance.
Full specifications for the international Freelander 8 have not yet been disclosed.
The China-market version, however, provides an indication of the hardware behind the large electrified SUV.
It measures 5,118mm long, 2,050mm wide and 1,898mm tall, with a 3,040mm wheelbase, and comes in five- or six-seat layouts. Its extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) system combines a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol range extender with dual electric motors and all-wheel drive. Combined output is 610kW and 813Nm, with 0-100kph taking a claimed 4.6 seconds.
A 60.3kWh CATL ternary-lithium battery gives the Chinese version a claimed 310km of battery-only range under the CLTC cycle. Its 800V electrical system supports 6C charging, with Chery-JLR claiming a 20-80% recharge in as little as 12 minutes.
The China-market Freelander 8 also gets dual-chamber air suspension, continuously variable damping and rear-wheel steering of up to 10 degrees. Maximum ground clearance is quoted at 270mm, while maximum wading depth reaches 900mm.
The Abu Dhabi event should clarify how closely the Middle East version follows the Chinese specification. For now, Freelander has confirmed that the international variant will be shown alongside details of its wider global strategy.
