【April 25, 2026, Wuhu】 The FREELANDER Brand Night was successfully held in Wuhu,China, marking a significant milestone in the brand’s global journey and ushering in the era of legend reborn.
At the event, FREELANDER officially unveiled the production-intent show model of its first product and announced its production model name—FREELANDER 8.
*the Production-intent Show Model of FREELANDER 8
Mr. Zhang Guibing, Executive Vice President of Chery Automobile Co., Ltd., President of Chery International, attended the event. The event brought together nearly 500 dealer partners and media guests from around the world to witness this crucial moment in FREELANDER’s global journey. Hosted alongside the Chery International Business Summit, this gathering serves as a premium international platform to accelerate the brand’s global deployment.
*Group Photo
Ms. Lucia Mao, CEO of FREELANDER International, delivered a keynote speech on site, interpreting the brand’s origin and positioning, key product highlights for international markets, long-team strategic blueprint, and officially launched global retailer partner recruitment. Endowed with authentic British premium heritage, world-leading intelligent technology, and boundless all-terrain capability, FREELANDER will embark on its global expansion and write a new chapter side by side with partners across the globe.
FREELANDER was born in 1997, and from 1997 to 2002, it claimed the title of Europe’s best-selling SUV for five consecutive years. Freedom, innovation, exploring infinite possibilities and the boundaries of dreams – this pioneering spirit is the foundation of FREELANDER’s DNA.
Now reborn through the collaboration of Chery and Jaguar Land Rover,
rooted in 14 years of in-depth joint cooperation, this iconic nameplate has evolved into an independent, global premium new energy brand.
It combines global R&D, manufacturing and marketing resources, with Chery bringing advanced Chinese technology to the partnership, while JLR is bringing expertise in world class design.
Brand Positioning: British Premium Intelligent All-Terrain Brand – combining authentic British premium, leading intelligent technology, and professional all-terrain capability to deliver an all-scenario, high-quality mobility experience for contemporary explorers worldwide.
It adheres to four core brand principles: British Unconventionality, Contemporary Premium, Creative Intelligence, and Expressive.
- Show Model Debut: British Premium, Intelligent Technology, and All-Terrain Capability Integrated
Following the global debut of Concept 97 in Shanghai on March 31, FREELANDER now presents its production-intent show model——FREELANDER 8, fully demonstrating the core positioning of a “British Premium Intelligent All-Terrain Brand.” The design is headed by Phil Simmons, Director of FREELANDER Design Hub.
Phil Simmons was deeply involved in the creation of the original FREELANDER and the third-generation Range Rover, and has led the design of iconic models including Range Rover Velar and New Defender. His works have been honored with World Car Design of the Year multiple times. Now, he once again leads the design of FREELANDER, infusing the brand’s premium heritage with intelligent technology for the new era.
Core Highlights:
British Craftsmanship: Inherits iconic Castle Body design (heavy base, light top), signature triangle window, dual-peak hood, commanding front-row seats, iconic interlocking headlights, classic taillights and other brand design elements. While preserving the brand soul, it integrates new-era intelligent technology and electric aesthetics, featuring with a segment’s largest ultra-wide screen and second-row zero-gravity seat.
Smart Confidence: Powered by the internationally leading Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295 cockpit chip (5nm process), its exceptional computing power and fast response enable an active interactive smart cockpit with support for up to 8 multi-screen connections. L2+ ADAS is standard, with Advanced Valet Parking Driver (VPD) available in selected markets.
All-Terrain Freedom: Featuring the i-ATS, which is the world’s first Intelligent All-Terrain System, it supports 9 terrain modes, responds to real-time surface changes in milliseconds, and automatically engages the optimal driving mode. This capability, combined with a virtual central lock, rear electronic limited-slip differential (e-LSD), and dual-chamber air suspension, delivers the ultimate all-terrain experience.
Safety: FREELANDER 8 is built to meet global five-star safety standards, including ENCAP, CNCAP, Latin NCAP, ANCAP, and ASEAN NCAP.
Global full road test: We will deploy over 1,000 test units worldwide — from Southeast Asia to the Middle East, Australia, Mohe, and Northern Europe — covering over 99% of real driving conditions. Every kilometer proves our commitment to global quality standards.
True to its legacy, FREELANDER is setting a new benchmark for premium, intelligence and all-terrain excellence all in one.
II. Global Roadmap Announced – Middle East as the First Step
At the event, FREELANDER officially announced its global roadmap, with the Middle East as its first destination. The brand also disclosed its mid-to-long-term plan: within five years, it aims to expand into over 90 countries and establish more than 1,100 touchpoints worldwide, building a broad-coverage and operationally efficient global retail network.
III. Global Organization Empowerment — Rapid Global Growth
To build a truly global premium brand, a strong and unified structure is essential. FREELANDER operates as a fully independent global brand with more than 5,000 employees, delivering end-to-end capabilities from design, development, manafacturing to global commercial operations. Backed by Chery International’s 17 subsidiaries in key markets and 11 global research institutes, FREELANDER is poised to become the fastest-growing premium NEV brand globally.
IV. Global Retailer Recruitment Officially Launched
At the event, FREELANDER officially launched its global retailer recruitment plan, seeking like-minded dealer partners worldwide.
It was announced that 20 top-tier potential partners from the Middle East have submitted business proposals, demonstrating strong confidence in the brand’s future.
V. Chery Jaguar Land Rover Global Model Intelligent Manufacturing Base – Forging Global Quality
All FREELANDER vehicles are produced at the Chery Jaguar Land Rover Changshu Intelligent Manufacturing Base. The base has a total investment of over USD 1.5 billion, covers 840,000 square meters, and boasts an annual capacity of 200,000 vehicles. More than 440 million USD has been invested to upgrade the base for new energy and intelligent production. This base stands as Jaguar Land Rover’s first full-vehicle manufacturing base outside the UK. It is also one of the world’s most advanced and efficient automotive production bases.
Equipped with stamping, welding, full aluminum body, painting, assembly, engine plant, R&D center and quality center, the base adopts full-process intelligent manufacturing and high-precision quality control to ensure every FREELANDER meets quality standards, delivering stable and high-quality products to global customers and partners.
VI. Global Social Media Launched
FREELANDER’s global social media accounts have been officially launched. Follow us on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook for the latest global updates.
VII. Technology-enabled Experience – AiMOGA Robot
The event also featured Chery’s AiMOGA robot, “Mornine,” serving as a greeting robot. Through real-time intelligent interaction, it welcomed guests and demonstrated Chery’s advanced AI capabilities, adding a futuristic and technological dimension to the event experience.
VIII. A Crucial Step in the Global Journey – A New Chapter Begins
This Brand Night marks the first major global step following FREELANDER’s debut in Shanghai.
With the unveiling of its first show model, the announcement of its global strategy, and the launch of retailer recruitment, FREELANDER is now fully embarking on its global journey.
Driven by a clear vision, the brand is set to redefine the premium intelligent all-terrain segment worldwide—writing a new chapter of “Legend Reborn.”