Freelander, the Land Rover spin-off brand, has teased more details for its debut Freelander 8 three-row hybrid SUV ahead of its Chinese launch.
Already confirmed for Australia, the Freelander 8 revives the once-budget Land Rover nameplate as a true Chinese joint-venture vehicle.
As part of a wind-up to its Chinese launch, the brand has revealed an array of new images on its Chinese social media channels, teasing its interior, revealing details of its tech suite, and also showing off various trim packages and colours which will be available.
Teasing the interior in an abstract image, Freelander confirmed the new car will have “the largest surround-view gallery” screens in its class, with a large 16.5-inch central touchscreen, a dash-spanning 46.3-inch digital information screen, which includes the driver’s instrument cluster, and a sought-after Qualcomm 8397 central processing chip.
Several software widgets were also shown, with an array of off-road displays, showing pitch and yaw angles, a compass, differential lock status, battery status, as well as steering angles.
It is available in an array of eight colours including two silvers, gold, purple, black, copper, white, blue, and will offer both two-tone wheel designs, as well as a more contemporary black-pack look.
The Freelander 8 is due to hit the market in China imminently and comes alongside news that Jaguar Land Rover will stop manufacturing its mainline vehicles (from the actual Jaguar and Land Rover brands) in China.
The factory that once produced these vehicles is being retooled for the Freelander brand project. It is expected to spawn an entire range of vehicles using tech from both Chery and Huawei.
The Freelander 8 measures 5118mm long, 2050mm wide and 1898mm tall with an enormous wheelbase of 3040mm.
It will be sold exclusively as a plug-in hybrid using a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine (115kW) mated to at least two electric motors, but technical specifications on power outputs are yet to be revealed as the brand trickles information out on the SUV as it nears its launch.
The battery is confirmed to be an 800-volt 60.33kWh unit, which grants the large SUV up to 221km of range according to the more lenient WLTC measuring standard.
Chinese specs confirm the six-seater will have a 2000kg towing capacity, and we now know it will have at least some form of centre differential lock.
Yin Tongyue, Chairman of Chery Auto told Australian media in May the Freelander brand will be introduced to both Australia and New Zealand. Interestingly it will be established as a brand independent of both Land Rover and Chery in Australia.
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