By Jake Groves
► New Freelander 8 SUV revealed
► Range extender SUV with boxy looks
► Could launch in Europe from 2028
This is the first – yes, FIRST – Freelander model to officially launch. Welcome to the Freelander 8.
The new, rather boxy 4×4 made its public debut at the 2026 Beijing motor show, not long after the Concept 97 design study went public at its own event in China at the end of March 2026. It’s the first model to be spun out of the all-new brand that’s been set up by the Chery Jaguar Land Rover joint venture in China, with JLR providing design expertise while Chery sorts the engineering.
Just two official images of the Freelander 8 have been published via the brand’s Weibo account, which shows a very similar look to the concept car – albeit with some typical production car changes. The animated headlights of the concept, for example, have been toned down for more practical ones, plenty of body cladding on the underside and the classic Freelander’s diagonal C-pillar. As well as the original Freelander, the new 8 has plenty of Discovery 4 about its look, too.
Under the bodywork is a Chery architecture, with a range extender powertrain confirmed. This is almost certainly the E0X architecture that supports both REV and battery-electric power, and is used by Chery elsewhere in its group of brands. The Freelander’s iteration of the architecture uses 800-volt electronics and a CATL battery that can charge at up to 350kW. Reports from various sources within the Chinese media also point to the Freelander 8 coming equipped with three locking differentials.
Inside, the Freelander 8 launches with a dual-screen setup; a full-width display that spans the upper edges of the dashboard as well as a large central infotainment display. Crystal-like dials are deployed for some crucial physical controls, and the seats can be folded into multiple configurations.
Naturally, there’s plenty of tech on board. For China, the Freelander 8 launches with Huawei-developed ADAS technology and LIDAR sensors on the roof, as well as Qualcomm processors.
Any European relevance? Well, after the Freelander 8 goes on sale in China goes on sale towards the end of 2026, one or two of the planned six (yes, SIX) Freelander SUVs to launch within the next five years is expected to make it over here, too.
We’ll update this story if we find out more info.
By Jake Groves