From the brand's launch in late March, followed by national media test drives, exhibitions, and store openings, to the rollout of the first Freelander 8 from the Changshu plant on July 30 and the start of pre-sales on August 15, the Freelander 8 has maintained a tight schedule. Wen Fei, Global CEO of Freelander and Executive Vice President of Chery Jaguar Land Rover, attributes this pace to the "Freelander Speed." "This speed is driven by the determination and courage of a classic brand relaunching in a new era," said Wen.

That evening, the Freelander 8 officially opened for pre-sales. The six-seater version offers three trims: the PRO version is pre-priced at 349,900 RMB, the MAX version at 379,900 RMB, and the MAX+ version at 429,900 RMB. The five-seater version of the Freelander 8 also opened for pre-sales simultaneously, starting at 339,900 RMB. Additionally, Freelander 8 launched a limited edition of 1,000 units, priced at 449,900 RMB with lock-in benefits. According to Freelander's official data, pre-orders reached 10,000 units within 48 hours. For a new brand's first model, this is an impressive figure.

The Freelander was originally a classic SUV under Land Rover, gradually fading from the market after being discontinued in 2015. Now, it returns as an independent new energy brand, with its first model, the Freelander 8, directly targeting the 300,000-450,000 RMB hardcore off-road segment.

The Freelander 8 stands out with its popular hardcore boxy design, balancing family comfort and off-road capability while offering sufficient luxury—after all, while others imitate Land Rover, this is the real deal.

The 300,000 RMB+ boxy SUV market is growing rapidly and is highly competitive. In recent years, brands like Fangchengbao, Zongheng, and Xiangjie have entered the fray. Currently, the top sellers—Tank 500, Tank 700, and Toyota Prado—maintain monthly sales around 2,000 units, all relying on their robust off-road capabilities. In contrast, Land Rover has always been an "all-rounder," and the Freelander is no exception, excelling in off-road, intelligence, and luxury.

As the second company after AUDI to develop new energy vehicles in China using the "Chinese technology + foreign brand (design)" model, the Freelander 8 represents a new attempt at joint ventures. Whether it can change market biases against joint venture luxury brands and truly open up the market depends on its offerings. Let's examine its strengths.

01 The Freelander 8's Three Aces

Simply put, the Freelander 8's differentiated advantage (differentiated advantages) focus on three key points. First is the full standardization of Huawei Smart Driving. The Freelander 8 comes standard with Huawei Qiankun Smart Driving ADS 5. The PRO and MAX versions use the ADS PRO Enhanced Edition (in-cabin LiDAR with laser vision), while the MAX+ and Limited Edition feature the ADS Max Elite Edition (896-line dual-light-path LiDAR). Although the Tank 500 Hi4-T/700 Hi4-T also offer advanced smart driving functions, Huawei Smart Driving holds stronger appeal in consumer perception.

Second is the Jaguar Land Rover design and all-terrain DNA. Freelander, in deep collaboration with Huawei Qiankun, developed the i-ATS Intelligent All-Terrain System, supporting nine terrain modes, including sand, wading, expert, and all-terrain magic carpet modes. In intelligent mode, it identifies terrain and automatically adjusts parameters within 0.5 seconds. Versions above MAX are equipped with "three locks," featuring a front mechanical lock with a maximum locking torque of 14,000 N·m, paired with rear e-LSD and a digital energy center lock, enabling 100% climbing/hill start/wall-hanging capability, crossing 800mm axles, and wading through 900mm of water.

To validate this system, the Freelander 8 utilized over 200 complete vehicles for all-terrain durability testing, completing over 2.15 million kilometers across five test sites in Yichang, Yancheng, Xiangyang, Guangde, and Yakeshi, as well as in the Tengger Desert, Laozhanggou, and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It also simulated 12 hours of continuous heavy rain driving at four times the maximum precipitation intensity of Cherrapunji, India.

Compared to the Xiangjie G9, which also features Huawei Smart Driving but lacks market-verified off-road capability, extreme off-road performance, and long-distance unpaved road durability remain unknown. For users prioritizing off-road new energy vehicles, the Freelander 8 is a better choice. Additionally, while Tank and Fangchengbao also have off-road technical accumulate (accumulation), Land Rover's 78 years of all-terrain experience is a brand asset difficult to replicate quickly.

Third is the "fully-loaded entry" product strategy. The Freelander 8 comes standard with Qualcomm 8397 chips, dual-motor four-wheel drive (610kW/813N·m), a 6C-rate 800V extended-range platform, a 60.3kWh battery (310km CLTC pure electric range, 1,200km combined range), closed dual-chamber air suspension + CDC, and Harman Kardon audio, achieving fully-loaded core configurations from entry-level. The differences among the three versions primarily lie in comfort configurations, such as NAPPA interior, dual zero-gravity seats, second-row electric sunshades, and ENC+RNC dual active noise cancellation, which are only available in MAX and above versions.

Based on typical pricing strategies, the vehicle's price may drop by another 10,000-20,000 RMB after launch. Of course, if it adopts a more aggressive pricing strategy, it could even enter the sub-300,000 RMB range. If so, the Freelander 8 could shake up the market.

02 Not Limited to Hardcore Off-Road, Targeting Over 10,000 Monthly Sales

Given the relatively small size of the hardcore off-road market, especially above 300,000 RMB, Freelander does not intend to limit the Freelander 8 to this segment but aims to compete with all mid-to-large new energy SUVs in the same price range. Throughout the launch event, Wen Fei dedicated significant time to discussing the Freelander 8's "family-oriented" configurations. He also conducted a competitor screening demonstration:

Among new energy six-seater SUVs over 5.1 meters, there are about 26 models on the market; adding CATL batteries, dual-motor four-wheel drive, and 800V platforms reduces the options to 18; adding air suspension and rear-wheel steering leaves 10; adding Huawei Smart Driving leaves 7; adding automotive-grade chips and smartphone-vehicle interconnection leaves 5; adding genuine leather interiors and true zero-gravity seats leaves only 4, all of which are competitors' "9-series" products with starting prices of at least 460,000 RMB. If we further add configurations like dual-motor rear setups for all-terrain capability, six-piston calipers, brand audio as standard, and independent third-row side airbags, the Freelander 8 is the only option.

Wen Fei mentioned in an interview that the domestic market capacity for mid-to-large new energy SUVs above 300,000 RMB is around 900,000 units. Even converting just 2% of this market would result in 20,000 units. For the Freelander 8, Wen set a target of over 10,000 monthly sales. "If the Freelander 8 sells over 10,000 units monthly, it's a success. Stable sales of 5,000-8,000 units, combined with excellent delivery quality and user reputation, also represent initial success," said Wen.

What does over 10,000 monthly sales mean? Based on July sales, the best-selling mid-to-large new energy SUV above 300,000 RMB was the Xiaomi YU7 with 10,223 units, though its main models are priced below 300,000 RMB. Next were the Li Auto L8 and Zeekr 8X with 6,210 and 4,679 units, respectively. If the Freelander 8 can consistently sell over 10,000 units monthly, it will rank among the top in this segment. However, few products in this segment currently achieve stable sales over 10,000 units.

Of course, if "over 10,000 monthly sales" refers to the domestic + international market, the Freelander 8's goal becomes more attainable. Currently, over 60% of Chery's sales come from overseas markets, meaning the Freelander 8 could achieve its "over 10,000 monthly sales" target by selling around 4,000 units domestically. In the domestic 300,000 RMB+ pure electric SUV market, only nine products sold over 4,000 units in July. Thus, the Freelander 8 has a significant opportunity.

From the revival of a classic IP to the combination of all-terrain DNA, Huawei Smart Driving, and fully-loaded entry configurations, the Freelander 8 starts from a strong position. However, its main challenge lies in market acceptance. While Freelander has the heritage of a classic IP, its relaunch as an independent new energy brand requires rebuilding brand recognition. Referring to the previous AUDI brand, products need strong competitiveness to break into the market.

In the 300,000 RMB+ segment, consumers are no longer just paying for product strength but also for the emotional value and identity associated with the brand. Can the independent Freelander, "detached" from Land Rover, establish sufficient brand premium in users' minds to support its 300,000 RMB pricing? These remain unknowns.

Next is channel reach. Compared to brands like Tank and Xiangjie, Freelander's current terminal coverage is limited. To address this, Freelander plans to open 80 experience centers and 40 order centers by the end of the year, totaling 120 offline outlets, adopting a "quasi-direct sales" model. This involves managing authorized dealers with a direct sales philosophy, unifying terminal pricing, and controlling the price system to avoid price wars and inventory pressure. For a new brand, both brand recognition and channel reach require time to develop.

Nevertheless, Freelander remains optimistic. Over the next five years, the brand plans to launch six new models. Starting from the second model, Freelander will offer pure electric, plug-in hybrid, and extended-range powertrains simultaneously, with each model adopting a "1+3" global product matrix (Chinese left-hand drive, international left-hand drive, EU version, and right-hand drive), with plug-in hybrids primarily targeting overseas markets. Through a series of product launches, Freelander aims for global annual sales of 300,000 units.