The Freelander 8 was unveiled at the sidelines of Auto China in April, and now we are getting our first proper look at the interior of this three-row SUV as it gears up for its Chinese launch later this year. The fledgling brand, in case you need a refresher, is the result of Chery licencing the former name of Land Rover’s smallest model (now called the Discovery Sport) from Jaguar Land Rover.
While we did get a peek of the cabin during the reveal event in Wuhu, new images released on Weibo by Freelander and its CEO Wen Fei give us a better view of the details, which appear to be inspired by Land Rover’s minimalist cockpits.
As we saw previously, the Freelander has a simple, layered design with bluff forms. The upper section – which curves outwards at the corners – is dominated by a massive 46.3-inch widescreen display that sits just below the windscreen and spans from pillar to pillar.
This 8K panel incorporates the car’s instrumentation and mimics the Panoramic Vision display used in BMW’s latest vehicles – such as the new X5 – without needing expensive projection technology. Ahead of it sits a 15.6-inch mini-LED infotainment touchscreen that runs on Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8397 chip, allowing more advanced 3D graphics.
A row of physical toggle switches sit below the display, while the centre console houses twin transparent control knobs, twin 50-watt Qi wireless chargers and twin sliding armrests; the cupholders are housed rather out of the way below the bridge-style console. The corner air vents are hidden behind covers that can be slid open.
The Freelander 8 is currently being shown in six-seater form, with the second row sitting on power-adjustable captain’s chairs with a massage function, one-touch recline and built-in ottomans; there’s also a 17.3-inch roof monitor and a ten-litre heated and cooled fridge.
The car is claimed to be the first in the class to offer heating and ventilation across all three rows (yes, even the third), as well as full-length curtain airbags and no less than six (!) side airbags for all three rows.
Featuring design input from JLR, the Freelander 8 features typically Land Rover rectilinear styling with triangular rear quarter light windows from the original Freelander. Limited-run First Edition models will be offered in unique colours, including matte Radiant Silver, gloss Twilight Purple and a lurid Vibrant Lemon Gold.
Despite sharing its name with what was once the smallest and cheapest Land Rover model, the Freelander 8 is vast and will certainly be pricey. Details from a filing with China’s ministry of industry and information technology (MIIT) obtained from Autohome list a length of 5,185 mm, a width of 2,050 mm, a height of 1,898 mm and a wheelbase of 3,040 mm.
Freelander has kept mum on the mechanical details, but the 8 is expected to be offered in electric and range-extended EV variants; the car is reportedly launching in REEV form first. Reports suggest it’ll come with dual electric motors with a proprietary Intelligent All-Terrain System (i-ATS), juiced by a 156 PS 1.5 litre turbo four-cylinder engine.
With a massive 60.331 kWh battery, the Freelander 8 is tipped to offer a pure electric range of 221 km on the WLTP cycle. The car should also offer dual-chamber air suspension and mechanical front and electronic rear limited-slip differentials.
The Freelander brand isn’t just Chery’s bid to cash in on the Land Rover cachet, having successfully lured buyers in with lookalike Jaecoo models. It will, in fact, replace production of all JLR models in China this year as the British conglomerate continues to struggle against local competition.
The brand will also be exported to both left- and right-hand-drive markets, and while it hasn’t confirmed if the Freelander will make it to Malaysia, the company has already said it will conduct testing of prototypes in Southeast Asia among other places, and it expects to receive a five-star ASEAN NCAP safety rating.
GALLERY: Freelander 8 First Edition
GALLERY: Freelander 8 in Wuhu, China
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good to see british car industry is alive and their brands are thriving in global markets , including Mini , RollsRoyce, MG , JLR . Proton should learn from UK car companies on how to survive and protect their own independnce. haha im just kidding.