Australia’s wave of new brands keeps rolling in with the news that Freelander, the joint venture between Chery and Jaguar Land Rover, will be in Aussie and Kiwi showrooms from next year, with the premium Freelander 8 SUV leading the sales charge.

The announcement, made at the vehicle’s international launch in the United Arab Emirates, didn’t offer a timeframe or pricing for the vehicle, which is being targeted at “families and adventurers” and will compete with rivals like the Mercedes-Benz GLE and BMW iX and X5.

Side view of a silver SUV parked indoors against a beige wall. (informative)
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Clocking in at a huge 5185mm long, 2050mm wide and 1989mm tall with a 3040mm wheelbase and five- or six-seat configurations, the Freelander 8 attracted more than 10,000 pre-orders within 48 hours of first going on sale in China early this month.

Filings to regulatory bodies in China show the flagship will have an 800-volt architecture and be offered in battery-electric, plug-in hybrid and extended-range variants. The latter features a 1.5-litre petrol engine good for 105kW and 220Nm. All of that is used solely to power up the 60.3kWh battery, which supports DC fast charging up to 350kW.

Two e-motors send 610kW to all four wheels, making for a claimed 0-100km/h time of under five seconds despite the SUV’s massive 2980kg kerb weight. The Freelander 8 also gets a front differential lock, 4H and 4L driving modes, and the ability to raise the ride height by 70mm to deal with difficult bush tracks, or drop it by 50mm for ease of access.

Bright yellow SUV parked on a sandy beach with the ocean on the horizon at sunset/soft light behind it while front and side views are visible in the image.
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Inside, the 8 is all about luxury, with captain’s chairs in the second row, a 46.3-inch display that runs across the width of the vehicle, a 17.3-inch screen for the passengers in the back, and a 15.6-inch touchscreen up front.

“For Australians, Freelander has always been an invitation to explore more of this country,” said Freelander Australia and New Zealand boss Kym Mellow. “We’re reimagining it as a premium, technology-led brand built for gravel tracks and city streets alike, and we’re investing in the dealer partnership and local team to make every part of ownership live up to that promise.”

Freelander will release full specs, pricing and timing closer to the 8’s arrival in showrooms down under.