Freelander News

The list of Australia’s favourite off-road SUVs is set for a massive shake up in the coming years, as a 4WD-obsessed boom in the Chinese market starts to overflow to Australia.The GWM Tank 300 and Tank 500, as well as Denza’s B5 and B8, might have been the first to tackle ever-popular legends, the Toyota LandCruiser, Nissan Patrol and Ford Everest, but they will soon be joined by new offerings from GAC, Geely and Chery.Below is a list of the five off-road hybrid SUVs either confirmed to be heading to Australia or highly likely for an Australian arrival with the intention to unseat some of the world’s most popular 4WDs.Also known as the Geely Battleship 700, this large hybrid off-roader is part of an all-new family of flagship products for the Geely brand.It will debut a new off-road architecture for Geely, which can be equipped with either a 1.5-litre or 2.0-litre engine mated to a front electric motor, and dual rear electric motors that feature a mechanical differential lock.There is no mechanical connection between the front and rear axles, with that space taken up by a 47kWh battery pack, which grants it up to 185km of CLTC driving range, according to preliminary specs out of China.Combined power for its tri-motor system is a headline-grabbing 830kW, and the boxy off-roader has luxurious interior fittings which take Geely into new territory. Pricing is yet to be revealed, and while the Galaxy Cruiser hasn’t been confirmed for an Australian arrival, it is slated for a UK arrival, confirming right-hand drive production.Read more about the Geely Galaxy Cruiser hereWith styling more reminiscent of the Toyota Prado rather than the Defender-esque look of the Geely, GAC’s upcoming Yue 7 was recently revealed at the 2026 Beijing Motor Show.Also a plug-in hybrid with no mechanical connection between the engine and rear axle, the over-five-meter-long SUV boasts formidable off-road angles.It is not as punchy as the Geely claims to be, with a mere 400kW of combined power on tap from its 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and dual electric motor set-up, which is a familiar formula for these Chinese 4WDs.It will be offered with either a 28.3kWh or 46kWh battery pack, which grants it either 116km or 188km of CLTC electric driving range, respectively.The computer-based 4WD system is said to be capable of sending power to just one wheel at a time if needed and simulating low-range driving.While GAC Australia is yet to comment on the arrival of the Yue 7, the company is plotting 10 new models in our market in just five years, with the local boss telling CarsGuide recently this will include a large SUV and a pick-up truck.Read more about the GAC Yue 7 hereThe Chery sub-brand’s flagship off-road machine is squarely designed to target rivals like the Tank 500 and Denza B5, according to executives.Unlike some of its rivals here, the V27 doesn’t ride on a ladder-frame platform and instead rides on a car-line monocoque underpinnings.This isn’t an indicator of its off-road performance, with prior iterations of the famous Mitsubishi Pajero and current Land Rover Defender also based on unibody platforms.The V27 uses a range-extender hybrid system (meaning the 1.5-litre engine is not mechanically connected to the front or rear axles), being purely electrically driven at the wheels.It uses a 34.3kWh battery pack which grants it 150km of electric driving range to an also lenient NEDC standard and power outputs from its dual-electric motor set-up combine for a total of 335kW/505Nm.Despite being over five meters in length, the V27 is only a five-seater, but has a cavernous boot area, and like the above GAC Yue 7 is able to be equipped with a tailgate mounted full-size spare.Expect to learn more later in 2026 as the iCaur brand gears up for its Australian debut.Read more about the iCaur V27 hereYou may remember Freelander as a Land Rover nameplate from the 90s, but it has now been spun off as a new sub-brand and joint-venture between Land Rover and Chery, as the British company embraces ‘China Speed’ for best use of its intellectual property.Utilising a Chery platform and Huawei cabin tech, the Freelander 8 large SUV also wears iconic elements of the Freelander nameplate’s British design.A far cry from the original Freelander of the 90s, which was a relatively small but capable SUV, the new model is a large three-row offering chasing the trendy boxy bodystyle trend in the Chinese market.Also using a 1.5-litre engine in a range-extended set-up, the brand has at least confirmed that it will have some kind of tough off-road ability despite an over-three-meter long wheelbase.Power figures are yet to be confirmed, but it will get over 200km of electric driving range from an enormous 60.33kWh battery pack, while promising 2000kg of towing capacity and at least a central differential lock.Read more about the Freelander 8 hereGWM’s long-expected off-road monster is still on the cards for an Australian launch. The good news is, the brand is strongly considering an upcoming updated model featuring the company’s new 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo engine.The bad news is this update, which is expected to be the first version of the 700 available in right-hand drive, isn’t due until 2028.The Tank 700 is available in both rugged Hi4-T form, which maintains the mechanical linkage from the engine to the rear axle, maintaining a low-range transfer case and placing the electric motor in the transmission, as well as new-age Hi4-Z form that forgoes the mechanical connection for a larger battery and more electric driving characteristics.As for specs the latest Hi4-Z version produces a combined 720kW/1375Nm, according to Chinese specs. Its 59kWh battery pack grants it a WLTC-measured 190km EV driving range.Expected to be priced well north of $100,000 in Australia (perhaps even more in its ultimate V8 form), the Tank 700 would move GWM into new pricing territory and test the limits of what its buyers are prepared to pay. Even so, GWM is expected to debut a Tank model even higher up the price scale, with an expected Tank 800 to be launched on the same GWM One platform as the flagship Haval H10 and Wey 9X from the Chinese giant’s other sub brands.Read more about the GWM Tank 700 here

Freelander, the new Land Rover spin-off and joint-venture with Chery, has revealed the interior of its much-hyped upcoming debut Freelander 8 large SUV.Following on from previous drip-fed information about the upcoming SUV, the interior reveal shows a design that blends traditional elements of Land Rover with the new-age tech-forward cabin design of its Chinese contemporaries.The Freelander 8 features a stepped dash design with its most eye-catching feature being the 46.3-inch surround display, which serves as both the digital instrument cluster for the driver and an information panel spanning the width of the car.Previously unseen features include the new steering wheel, which inherits some of the look of the current Land Rover range, complete with the bar-style ‘Freelander’ logo in place of a badge as seen on Defenders and Range Rovers, and the chrome D-shaped lower spokes, linking the otherwise-independent joint-venture to the mainline brand.The Huawei-backed tech suite also includes a large 15.6-inch multimedia touchscreen, although there are an array of physical shortcut buttons below it, with dual control dials on the centre console. This should help the brand with anticipated Chinese regulations seeking to curb touchscreen-dependent interiors.Other Land Rover-linked features include the door cards, which inherit some of the minimalism and design motifs seen on other current Land Rover products, complete with ambient lighting and what appear to be push-to-exit door handles.The images shown also preview an array of premium materials, with a suede headliner and what appears to be at least synthetic leather for the seat trim.The Freelander 8 looks nothing like a Chery, with its distinctive look giving the Freelander more independence from other Chery-platformed vehicles like the boxy SUVs from its Jetour or iCaur brands.Freelander was spun off from Land Rover’s mainline range, which has now been broken down into sub-brands Defender, Range Rover, and Discovery.Executives from Chery told CarsGuide earlier this year that Freelander would be coming to Australia as another stand-alone Chery-aligned brand and would establish its own dealer network.The Freelander joint-venture project is expected to spawn a range of models below the Freelander 8 in the near future.The Freelander 8 is expected in Australia some time in 2027 and is a range-extender hybrid large SUV.At over five meters long, and with three rows of seating, it is a far cry from the original Freelander small SUV, which debuted in the late 1990s. It is tailor-made to take advantage of a boxy 4WD craze currently washing over the lucrative mainland Chinese market.Full powertrain details are yet to be confirmed, previous information confirms a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine, at least dual electric motors and an 800-volt 60.33kWh battery, which grants it 221km of electric driving range according to the more lenient CTLC measuring standard.It will boast a 2000kg towing capacity despite its enormous weight, and will at least feature a central simulated differential lock and some kind of off-road ability to live up to its Land Rover-associated name.Stay tuned for more on the Freelander brand as it nears its Chinese launch.

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.Riding on a Chery platform, the new SUV inherits key design motifs from the original Freelander, which launched in 1998.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.

Freelander, a new joint-venture brand between Land Rover and Chery, has detailed its upcoming debut model thanks to regulatory filings in China.The Freelander 8 was previously confirmed to be a large SUV, measuring 5118, 2050mm wide, and 1890mm long, with an enormous wheelbase of 3040mm, featuring a luxurious six-seat layout, as is popular in China.This makes the new Freelander-branded SUV about the opposite of the original Land Rover Freelander, where it played a role as the company’s smallest and most affordable vehicle.It was also known that the Freelander 8 would exclusively be a range-extender hybrid at launch, meaning it will drive the wheels only via electric motors, keeping a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine on board to serve only as a generator for its battery.New technical filings, which are required for vehicles to apply for tax exemptions in China, confirm the Freelander 8 will use an EV-sized circa-60kWh battery, allowing it a 221km pure electric driving range (seemingly a preliminary CLTC figure, more lenient than the WLTP standard more widely used in Australia), built by CATL, the world’s biggest battery manufacturer.Its 1.5-litre engine has a power output of 115kW, although no torque figure or combined outputs from its dual-motor set-up is available yet.In addition, the Freelander 8 will have a new all-terrain software system and will also feature a front mechanical differential lock, and a simulated electronic centre differential (with no mechanical linkage between the front and rear motors), and a rear electronic limited slip differential.As previously reported, the Freelander 8 will also feature dual-chamber air suspension. In addition, the large SUV will feature the latest Huawei-developed active safety and self-driving system in its Chinese home market. It will also feature a towing capability, with its capacity for the Chinese market set to 2000kg.Other new details include a battery-drained average fuel consumption of 8.18L/100km, and an apparent overall weight of 2980kg. The battery alone weighs 372kg.A full battery electric version of the car is expected to follow at a later date.The Freelander 8 is the first in a range of new Freelander vehicles, and the brand is expected to expand globally after its launch in China in the second half of 2026.According to Chery's local operation, the Freelander brand is confirmed for Australia, although it won’t be distributed by the local Chery factory-backed arm and will operate independently. It has said the same about its off-road focused own brand, Jetour, which has a similar range of boxy hybrid SUVs.Chery will need to work hard to separate its array of brands which are on the way with the ones it already offers in Australia. Currently it offers products under the Chery brand, and has a separate operation which sells cars under the Omoda/Jaecoo brands.Lepas, another passenger car marque which will use the same platforms and technology as Chery and Omoda/Jaecoo vehicles is set for an imminent launch, while Jetour is expected to follow at a later stage.Stay tuned for more information on the Freelander brand including its Chinese launch as well as its launch plans for Australia imminently.

Fresh from confirming Lepas (Q4 2026), iCaur (Q2 2027) and Freelander (est 2027) would be landing in Australia in the near future, Chery Auto has been forced to defend its position of rolling out yet more sub-brands.Chery's response? The one-size-fits-all approach historically used by legacy car-makers is outdated.Zhang Guibing, President of Chery International, addressed complaints of potential customer confusion by comparing his carmaker to the fashion industry that has also spun off niche brands tailored for different consumers."When you look ten years ago at Toyota or Volkswagen, with one model they could sell many units. But today it is very difficult for one model to have the same meaning," said Chery's president."Today the customer is different. Even if the clothes are very beautiful, when too many people buy them, customers say they don't like to buy ."We are trying to use sub-brands to appeal to different customer groups," claimed Guibing, shortly after Chery announced that both the Lepas and Freelander brands would be introduced to Australia, where more than 68 different carmakers already operate.When asked if any of the Chery brands risked cannibalising each other’s sales, Guibing accepted there might be some overlap with Chery, Omoda or Jaecoo buyers but it was limited at best, because of the way the sub-brands were positioned."I couldn't say completely that there is no conflict."The brands understand the customers, their habits, the language they use and really understand what think. In this way we use the sub-brands to cover different customers," the Chery boss claimed, suggesting that each offering was unique, while the alternative price structures also helped prevent any poaching of sales within the group.Last year in Australia, sales of Chinese-made cars reached unprecedented highs after more than 250,000 were sold for the first time, ahead of Thai-built cars and utes, but despite some rival brands making bold statements of sales growth, Chery's regional boss Lewis Lu said that wouldn't be the Chinese carmaker's approach Down Under."Volume is not the first consideration," claimed Lu."We need to find a way to look after our customers, for a long-term perspective to help us get the right reputation."