The interior image of the Freelander 8 shows the layout of the front screens. Credit: Freelander
- The Freelander 8 features a 46.3-inch 8K screen and comes standard with Huawei’s Qiankun ADS 5 assisted-driving system.
- The luxury all-terrain SUV will be among the first to feature 896-channel LiDAR and is expected to go on sale in China in the second half of this year.
Freelander, the revived EV brand from Chery and Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR) joint venture, has released the first interior images of its first production model, the Freelander 8, continuing to warm up interest in the SUV (sport utility vehicle).
The new model, positioned as a luxury technology all-terrain SUV, has a front-cabin design centered on “space, luxury and technology,” according to information released by Freelander on Wednesday.
The Freelander 8 is an extended-range SUV (sport utility vehicle) measuring 5,118 mm in length, 2,050 mm in width and 1,898 mm in height, with an optional length of 5,185 mm, and a wheelbase of 3,040 mm, according to previous regulatory filing information.
The boxy all-terrain SUV is a 6-seat model with a curb weight of 2,980 kg. It is equipped with a 1.5-liter engine produced by Chery as a range extender, with a maximum net power output of 105 kW.
The model is equipped with a 46.3-inch distant screen, forming a T-shaped layout together with a 15.6-inch LED center control screen. It will also debut a cinematic camera-movement HMI (human-machine interface) interaction design.
The Freelander 8 will come standard across the lineup with Huawei’s Qiankun ADS 5 system and will be among the first models to feature Huawei’s 896-channel LiDAR, enhancing its autonomous-driving capabilities.
It will also be one of the first production models to feature Qualcomm’s latest-generation Snapdragon 8397 automotive-grade chip. Compared with the previous-generation 8295 platform, the chip delivers 3 times the CPU computing power and 12 times the NPU computing power.
The SUV comes standard across the lineup with an 800V high-voltage platform and is equipped with an all-terrain dedicated battery jointly developed with CATL (HKEX: 3750), with a peak charging power of 350 kW.
It also features the i-ATS intelligent all-terrain system jointly developed with Huawei to provide off-road performance.
The Freelander 8 is expected to go on sale in China in the second half of this year.
Freelander was originally a classic model line under Jaguar Land Rover. On March 31, it was upgraded by the two companies’ joint venture into an independent brand focused on new energy vehicles (NEVs).
The brand plans to launch 6 new models in China and global markets over the next 5 years. To support that product lineup, the joint venture will add an investment of 3 billion yuan ($443 million) at its manufacturing plant in Changshu, Jiangsu province.
The revived Freelander brand from Chery and Jaguar Land Rover released official images of its first production model, officially named the Freelander 8.
($1 = 6.7687 yuan)
