As you may know, the term ‘Freelander’ has.. become an emotion-stirring and controversial term lately, especially in certain regions of this planet (if you know what I mean), but once upon a time it was quite a successful British compact crossover. Production ended in October 2014 as the Discovery Sport was introduced as its successor. The once-popular nameplate was forgotten for over a decade until it was reincarnated as a standalone brand in China under the Chery Jaguar Land Rover joint venture. The first product under this new brand is the Freelander 8, a full-size SUV. Base price starts at ¥289,900 ($43,410); the example here shows the First Edition, priced at ¥459,900 ($68,868).
The styling is very interesting, isn’t it? They’ve essentially mixed the Defender elements with the first-gen Freelander (L314). In fact, that triangular quarter window formed by the inclined D-pillar has become the brand’s logo. You can notice those triangular elements in the lighting as well. The Freelander 8 is built on the Chery E0X platform. It measures 5,118 mm long, 2,050 mm wide, 1,898 mm tall, and has a wheelbase of 3,040 mm. 21-inch rims with Pirelli tyres are standard, but there’s a 22-inch option; the latter is standard on the First Edition. The so-called Intelligent Suspension Control with air springs and adaptive height adjustment is standard across the lineup.
The Freelander 8 is a range-extender hybrid vehicle, since it is based on the Chery series-hybrid platform. What that means is that a 115 kW (156 metric hp) 1.5-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine acts as a generator for an 800-volt 60 kWh battery pack. The SUV is driven by two electric motors, one at the front and one at the back; the latter is coupled with a two-speed transmission. The front motor is rated at 360 kW (489 metric hp) and 338 Nm (249 lb-ft), while the rear is rated at 250 kW (340 metric hp) and 475 Nm (350 lb-ft). The official 0-100 km/h (62 mph) sprint time is 4.6 seconds, while the top speed is 220 km/h (137 mph). CLTC pure electric range is claimed to be 310 km (193 mi).
The Freelander 8 also boasts Huawei Qiankun Intelligent Driving ADS 5 autonomous driving and driver-assistance system. Other key highlights inside include 14-way electrically-adjustable driver seat (12-way for front passenger), massaging seats, a 46.3-inch 8K full-width dashboard display, a 15.6-inch central touchscreen, a 17.3-inch ceiling screen, a 23-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, motorized sunshades, and tri-zone climate control.
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