Freelander 8 unveiled as electrified off-road SUV
Words: Andrew Sluys
Chery and Jaguar Land Rover’s Freelander brand has finally been officially launched during an event in China.
At the launch, the first product from the joint venture was unveiled as the Freelander 8 SUV, which features a familiar aesthetic to the original SUV which wore the badge.
According to the two brands, this Freelander 8 is the first of six vehicles which will come from the joint venture in the coming three years.
The brand expects to roll one of these new models out every six months during this period.
What is the Freelander 8?
Unveiled as a plug-in hybrid, the Freelander 8 is an off-road SUV which measures 5.1-metres long, and will likely offer seating for up to seven occupants.
It will also reportedly be offered with an exclusively electric powertrain, and a ‘Super Hybrid’ range extender system.
In this case, both the plug-in hybrid and super hybrid models will likely make use of Chery’s 1.5-litre turbo petrol engines, paired with electric motors.
Beneath the bold styling, this Freelander 8 makes use of an electronic rear locking differential, and a virtual centre lock.
It also gets dual-chamber air suspension, which will likely feature various terrain modes to optimise ride comfort.
As for styling, there’s no escaping the original Freelander influence, with its blocky front fascia, and triangle rear windows.
On the inside, it features a large screen, spanning the width of the dashboard. There’s also a lower screen for function control.
Interestingly, a set of rotary dials have also been included for other functions, which is a welcome addition.
Will it come to New Zealand?
While specific markets outside of the Middle East are yet to be confirmed for the Freelander brand, right-hand drive production has been confirmed.
While this is already a good sign, Freelander has also stated that over 1000 prototypes are planned to begin testing around the world.
Australia is reportedly part of this testing program, meaning a South Pacific launch is planned sometime in the near future.
If the Freelander 8 is confirmed for Australia, we could expect a New Zealand announcement to follow.
