Freelander 8 debuts under new Chery-JLR brand, Malaysia possible after ASEAN testing

KUALA LUMPUR: It’s not often that us auto journalist get to witness and document the birth of a new car brand – it’s a once-in-a-lifetime/career bit for most.

However, that was the surprise that sprang us whilst hosted by Omoda | Jaecoo as part of its post-Auto China 2026 press excursion in Wuhu – the home base of parent firm Chery.

Officially debuting here this week was the Freelander marque – a brand-new entity that sees both Chery and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) hold equal 50:50 ownership and direction of.

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First announced in June 2024, the entity unveiled its ‘Concept 97’ just several weeks prior to its public showing at Auto China 2026 in Beijing this week. This served as a lead up to the marque’s official launch held on Saturday night (25 April, 2026) in Wuhu.

A lengthy presentation detailing brand direction, leadership, short- and mid-term growth targets, as well as repeated choruses stressing the infusion of British brand identity, styling and ‘unconventionality’ with Chinese engineering, production and tech development, was delivered. If this all sounds familiar, we’ll note it mirros what Zhejiang-based rivals Geely have in smart Automobile with partners Daimler (Mercedes-Benz).

Simply put, Chery and JLR have properly spun off what was a Land Rover model nameplate denoting a range of small, accessibly priced all-terrain SUVs into a new, stand-alone ‘premium’ brand. The seriousness of which resulted in the birth and showcase of an electrified ‘production-intent’ three-row luxury SUV offering called the Freelander 8 – the first of six new metals planned across the next five years.

Notably, the Freelander 8 boasts all-terrain capability – a hallmark ethos of Land Rover products, past and present. Backing this up are claims of the Freelander 8 being brimmed with a “world’s first” Intelligent All-Terrain System (i-ATS) suite offering nine off-road modes, a “virtual” locking centre diff plus electronic locking rear diff, as well as dual-chamber air-suspension setup.

A quick glance at the pre-production unit also revealed a host of novel luxe and high-tech amenities primed. Key highlights include second-row captain seats with ottoman, heating and ventilation functions, a myriad of digital displays including one that spans the entire front dash, as well as a powerful Snapdragon chipset powering said displays plus a Level 2+ Advanced Driver Assistance (ADAS) package, amongst many.

Not much else in the way of tech specs for the Freelander 8 were dished out, whilst the pre-production unit display set on stage was kept locked throughout its showing.

However, said presentation did heavily lean on ‘New Energy Vehicle’ (NEV) aspirations, so expect both battery electric (BEV) and electrified plug-in hybrid (PHEV) options readied – tech that co-owners Geely have a strong footing at developing now.

Production of the Freelander 8 – and subsequent follow-ups – will primarily take place at the joint Chery-JLR plant situated in Changsha. Said facility recently received an investment worth US$1.5 billion.

Up to US$440 million of which spent on upgrades to transform it into an “intelligent” manufacturing hub. Of course, what’s interesting too are the market growth and expansion plans touted.

Firstly, the Middle East will be where Freelander debuts first, with the rest of the world to follow suit over time. The greater Asia Pacific region was listed too, and intent for entry into Southeast Asia specifically stemmed from testing and certification goals outlined in said timeframe – five-star ASEAN NCAP (ANCAP) status being one of which. Despite so, the marque’s entry into Malaysia remains unclear still at present.

Despite said unclarity, Freelander did confirm plans to put the Freelander 8 prototypes through thick and thin across Southeast Asia, amongst many other key locales, for said certification goals.

Should this pan out, it begs these obvious questions – would you fancy copping this seemingly ‘new’ Anglo-Chinese offering should it make landfall in Malaysia? What would be fair figures in terms of pricing?

Hit the comments below…

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