Words: Richard Edwards
Published 12 May 2026
The Freelander name once belonged to a compact, affordable Land Rover that weighed about 1,600 kg and measured 4.4 metres long. The vehicle now wearing the badge is a very different proposition.
New Chinese government filings have confirmed the production specifications of the Freelander 8, and the numbers tell a striking story. The first model from the revived Freelander brand, a joint venture between Chery and Jaguar Land Rover, tips the scales at 2,980 kg in range-extender form, with a gross vehicle weight of 3,495 kg. It is 5,118 mm long (or 5,185 mm depending on the variant), 2,050 mm wide, and 1,898 mm tall, riding on a 3,040 mm wheelbase.
For context, the original Freelander weighed roughly 1,600 kg and was 4,433 mm long. Even the Freelander 2, which replaced it in 2006, was a 1,770 kg vehicle measuring 4,500 mm. The new Freelander 8 is nearly twice the weight of the original and more than 700 mm longer. It is closer in size and mass to a full-size Range Rover than to anything previously sold as a Freelander.
The MIIT (Ministry of Industry and Information Technology) filing, required before a vehicle can go on sale in China, reveals the range-extender version uses a Chery-built 1.5-litre engine producing 105 kW as a generator, paired with electric motors on an 800-volt architecture. It will use CATL ternary lithium batteries capable of 350 kW peak charging, and the declared fuel consumption is a nominal 0.76 L/100 km, reflecting the series-hybrid operating mode. The vehicle seats six in a 2-2-2 layout across three rows.
The Freelander 8 is built on Chery’s iMax platform, which supports full battery-electric, range-extender, and plug-in hybrid powertrains. Technology includes a roof-mounted LiDAR system, Huawei’s Qiankun ADS intelligent driving system, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8397 chip. Inside, a wide-format display spans the dashboard width, with a secondary touchscreen below and physical rotary controls for key functions.
Freelander says the 8 is the first of six models it plans to launch over the next five years. Design has been led by Phil Simmons, Director of the Freelander Design Hub, who was involved in the creation of the original Freelander and went on to design the Range Rover Velar and current Defender. He left JLR in 2019 to work in China, first at GWM Haval and then Chery. The boxy styling references the original Freelander’s silhouette, including the distinctive diagonal C-pillar and triangular rear quarter windows.
The Freelander 8 will go on sale in China in the second half of this year through dedicated Freelander showrooms, separate from both Chery and JLR’s existing dealer networks.
New Zealand prospects
Right-hand-drive production has been confirmed, and prototypes are being tested globally, with Australia included in that programme. An Australian launch is reportedly planned for 2027.
Chery’s New Zealand operation already handles the Chery, Omoda, and Jaecoo brands locally. Whether Freelander would sit within that structure or operate independently remains to be seen, but the infrastructure is in place. No timeline has been confirmed for this market.
