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Future models - Freelander - 8Driven: Reborn 460kW Freelander 8 en routeChery-Land Rover deal spawns three-row Freelander 8 but there’s a catch for Oz26 Oct 2026 By TOM BAKER in CHINA THE Australian version of Chery-Land Rover’s upcoming Freelander 8 large SUV will arrive with less power, a half-size battery and a slightly reduced off-road hardware suite compared with the version on sale in China as the revived British nameplate prepares to enter the premium segment in 2027.
While the export-market specification is competitive relative to rivals on sale in Australia, major differentiation between China’s version of the Freelander 8 and the overseas version demonstrates a growing manufacturer perception that Chinese buyers demand higher specification than their Western counterparts.
A Freelander engineering spokesperson confirmed the differentiated specification for export markets including Australia at a brief first drive in China, at which the Australia-spec 460kW plug-in hybrid (PHEV) Freelander 8 left no doubt about its compelling acceleration, but raised questions about other dynamic attributes.
The export model substitutes China’s 610kW/813Nm range-extender (REEV) hybrid system with a Chery-developed 2.0-litre turbo petrol four-cylinder PHEV developing 460kW/662Nm.
But the difference extends beyond the on-paper 150kW power reduction – and there are positives and negatives to be found in the export variant.
China’s 1.5-litre engine functions only as an electricity generator, leaving propulsion entirely to a dual-motor AWD system. Conversely, the international-market PHEV employs a dedicated hybrid transmission, enabling its 2.0-litre engine to deliver mechanical drive at any road speed, engineers said.
Software management will determine front-to-rear torque distribution for the Australian Freelander 8.
Battery capacity falls from a 60.3kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) pack in China to a 34.1kWh lithium iron phosphate battery for export.
The Freelander 8’s electric-only driving range is reduced commensurately from about 250km (WLTP equivalent) in Chinese specification to a generic claim of 110km in EV mode for export.
When also bringing their combustion engines into play, total range is expected to sit between 800km and 900km.
Yet charging the high-voltage battery takes longer in the export car despite the pack being almost half the size of China’s unit: 20 to 80 per cent in 12 minutes for the China car (averaging 180kW) easily trumps 20 to 80 per cent in 20 minutes for the export version (averaging just 60kW).
As would be expected given the power delta, the Chinese version’s 4.6-second 0-100km/h claim falls to a still-brisk 5.8 seconds for the Australian car.
Perhaps more significantly for a vehicle leveraging Land Rover heritage, the Freelander engineering spokesperson acknowledged that the team believed China’s REEV version was “a little stronger” off-road.
The Chinese specification includes three locking differentials, combining mechanical and electronic locking systems. International versions will have two lockers including a mechanical rear limited-slip differential.
Nevertheless, Australia does receive the same sophisticated dual-chamber air suspension and continuously controlled damping system as the Chinese car. International specifications list up to 266mm ground clearance, 900mm wading depth and nine terrain management modes.
The vehicle represents a new direction for the Chery-Jaguar Land Rover relationship, which was established through a 50:50 manufacturing joint venture in 2012.
Under an agreement announced in June 2024, JLR licensed the dormant Freelander nameplate to the joint venture for a new independent electrified vehicle brand operated separately from JLR’s Defender, Discovery, Range Rover and Jaguar operations.
JLR retains ownership of the head Freelander brand and leads Freelander’s dedicated design studio headed by Phil Simmons – who worked on the original Freelander 1 and 2. Chery supplies the powertrain and architecture, manufacturing the vehicles at the joint venture’s Changshu, China plant.
The Changshu factory has received a US$440 million ($625 million) upgrade to accommodate electrified vehicle production.
Unlike the compact Land Rover model that carried the name from 1997 to 2014, the Freelander 8 is far larger, measuring 5118mm long, 2050mm wide and 1926mm tall with a 3040mm wheelbase.
Five- and six-seat configurations are available, with the latter offering power-adjustable second-row captain’s chairs and a genuinely adult-capable third row, albeit at the expense of most luggage capacity when the wayback is erected.
A super-wide 46.3-inch display runs nearly pillar-to-pillar up front, supported by a 15.6-inch central touchscreen, while substantial use of New Zealand Nappa leather and African wood underline the premium aspirations of the new brand.
Positioning is expected to start below the Land Rover Defender 110 in Australia, which is priced locally from $100,900 plus on-road costs. The Freelander 8 is very likely to sit above the smaller Zeekr 7X ($57,900 + ORC).
The Toyota Prado Kakadu ($100,690 + ORC) and Lexus GX550 (from $118,320 + ORC) represent relevant off-road orientated alternatives while the substantially dearer BMW X5 provides a benchmark for road manners among the unibody large SUV set.
Initial driving impressions from a tightly controlled test in Wuhu suggest the strong 460kW powertrain will not leave Australian buyers feeling left out.
Repeated standing-start launches demonstrated exceptionally strong initial response, though subsequent heavy braking exposed inconsistent pedal behaviour with intermittently weak ABS engagement apparent during repeated heavy stops.
The vehicle presented to us for testing had undergone extensive repeated braking demonstrations, however.
A separate low-speed handling course revealed reasonably direct and medium-weighted steering with a relaxed ratio, pairing nicely with a comfortable and elevated seating position offering good visibility.
However, bump compliance over speed bumps was only middling, though this might be attributable to the Freelander 8’s standard low-profile 22-inch wheels.
The export version of the Freelander will initially launch in left-hand drive form in the Middle East before right-hand drive assembly kicks off for an Australian and New Zealand launch, likely in the second quarter of 2027, with local operations set to be run by former Mazda and Inchcape executive Kym Mellow.
Six Freelander models are planned over five years, including models smaller than the Freelander 8 and closer in philosophy to the originators of the badge.  Read moreAll future modelsMotor industry news GoAutoNews is Australia’s number one automotive industry journal covering the latest news, future and new model releases, market trends, industry personnel movements, and international events. |
Click to shareFreelander modelsAll future modelsMotor industry newsGoAutoNews is Australia’s number one automotive industry journal covering the latest news, future and new model releases, market trends, industry personnel movements, and international events. |
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