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Update: This first-hand report is current as of May 9, 2026.
The Freelander 8 is the first model to wear the reborn Freelander name—and it isn’t just another Chinese take on a Land Rover. It’s a project with Jaguar Land Rover’s quiet approval, built in China, and aimed squarely at the Defender. I got up close with a production-ready example at Chery’s Global User Summit in China, and here’s what matters.
Let’s clear the air: Chery and JLR have been partners for more than a decade. Their joint venture, Chery Jaguar Land Rover, was formed in 2012 with $2.78 billion in investment to build Jaguars and Land Rovers in mainland China. That’s why the Freelander 8’s boxy silhouette and chunky stance feel familiar in a good way.
It’s not a rip-off. It’s a co-created brand.
Chery’s other UK brands, Omoda and Jaecoo, have already sold more than 100,000 new cars in Britain since launching in August 2024. The Jaecoo 7 has become one of the country’s best-selling models, proving Chinese brands can win over fussy European buyers. The Freelander 8 is an even bigger statement.
The name “Freelander” should ring a bell. Land Rover used it on its compact SUV from the 1990s onward. Now Chery has claimed the name for a new global brand, and JLR is fine with it.
That matters because Freelander isn’t just a trim line or a one-off model. It’s a new marque, and the Freelander 8 is the opening act. More models are expected later.
Freelander calls its design “Castle-Style,” and you can see why. The body lines are upright, crisp, and heavily influenced by current Land Rover and Range Rover language. Panel gaps are tight, and the door handles blend electronic release buttons with physical pull handles—a nice touch, and the quality feels higher than you’d expect at this price point.
The Freelander 8 is a genuinely large SUV. It measures 5.1 meters long, which makes it slightly longer than a Defender 110. It’s about 2 meters wide and 1.9 meters tall, with a 3.04-meter wheelbase. If you know the Defender 110, you’ll immediately feel at home in this footprint.
Chery’s hybrid systems have been quietly impressive, and the Freelander 8 gets the full treatment. Under the hood there’s a 2.0-liter four-cylinder petrol engine with a strong 45.95% thermal efficiency rating. That engine is paired with a dual-motor all-wheel-drive system producing 460 kW (616 hp) and 662 Nm of torque.
The motors draw power from a 34.12 kWh LFP battery, which can be topped from 20% to 80% in around 20 minutes. On battery alone, Chery claims more than 60 miles of EV range. With the petrol engine in the mix, total range stretches to about 550 miles.
Those numbers put the Freelander 8 in serious contention with contemporary plug-in hybrid off-roaders, and at a significantly lower starting price.
Freelander didn’t just build a pretty Defender-style shell. The 8 comes with dual-chamber air suspension and continuously controlled damping, with ride height adjustable at a button. Maximum ground clearance is 266 mm, and wading depth reaches 900 mm—enough for streams and flood-prone trails.
A dual-lock all-terrain system pairs a virtual center differential lock with an electronic limited-slip differential. Torque is split between front and rear axles, with up to 4,000 Nm of wheel-end torque available. Chery says the SUV can climb a 70% gradient, which is a solidly credible claim for an off-road-oriented hybrid.
The cabin is where the Freelander 8 tries to outclass its British inspiration. The first thing you notice is an ultra-wide 46.3-inch integrated display stretching 1.2 meters across the dashboard. It runs custom layouts for the driver and passenger, with physical buttons still available for key controls.
Material quality feels genuinely premium: leather surfaces, real wood trim, and high-grade switchgear throughout. In the 6-seat configuration I spent the most time with, the second row gets captain’s chairs with heating, ventilation, and massage presets. The passenger-side second-row seat can recline into a business-class-style position.
Third-row seats aren’t an afterthought either. They fold away cleanly but still offer heating and ventilation, which is rare in this segment.
There’s also a power-folding entertainment screen that drops from the ceiling, a Harmon Kardon sound system, and a refrigerated compartment tucked under the center armrest. It’s properly luxurious, and it makes the cabin feel a class above most Chinese-market rivals.
In China, the Freelander 8 is offered in Pro, Max, and Max+ trims. Entry pricing starts at 289,000 CNY, which is roughly $40,000 at current exchange rates. The range-topping Max+ spec I tested comes in at 384,900 CNY—about $53,000.
Before you start comparing that to a Defender, remember that UK pricing will be significantly higher. Chery will need to absorb right-hand-drive tooling costs, local taxes, and homologation, which likely means a jump of at least £10,000–15,000. That would put the UK version in the £42,000–58,000 band, which still undercuts a Defender 110 by a substantial margin.
For US readers, there’s no official word on American availability. Chinese-built vehicles face heavy tariffs, and Chery has no North American dealer network. If the Freelander 8 does reach the US, it will likely be priced at a premium over the Chinese figures—or repositioned entirely.
The Freelander 8 is already on sale in China and the UAE. Chery plans to expand into additional Middle East markets later this year. A UK launch is expected before the end of 2027, with first customer deliveries likely in 2028.
That timeline gives Chery plenty of room to build on the brand’s early momentum—and to decide whether the US is worth pursuing.
The Freelander 8 has everything it needs to win over buyers who’ve been priced out of the Defender market. It has JLR’s blessing, real hybrid muscle, serious off-road hardware, and a cabin that feels more modern than Land Rover’s current line-up.
Will it convert existing Defender owners? Maybe. It did more than enough to make me reconsider what a value-focused Defender rival can be. If Chery can nail the UK launch and keep pricing in check, the Freelander 8 won’t just be the most talked-about Chinese SUV of the year—it’ll be the one to beat.
