Freelander 8 First Edition EREV off-roader debuts in China

The Freelander brand is officially back in the public eye, but it looks entirely different from the classic British SUVs of the past. Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and Chinese automotive manufacturer Chery have collaborated to build a new premium hybrid vehicle for the Chinese market. The joint venture gave the public its first look at the production model, named the Freelander 8 First Edition.

Instead of relying on traditional gasoline engines, the Freelander 8 First Edition embraces the technology found in many electric cars, especially in China - a range-extended electric vehicle system, commonly known as an EREV. This setup combines the quiet efficiency of electric cars with the backup of a combustion engine. The new Freelander uses a high-voltage 800V architecture designed to optimize energy flow throughout the vehicle, paired with a 60.331 kWh battery.

The technical specifications show that the CATL-supplied battery pack supports up to 6C rapid-charging, which allows the vehicle to accept up to 350 kW charge at compatible high-speed DC stations. For daily commuting, the SUV can run without using a single drop of gasoline. The certified pure electric driving range reaches 137 miles before the onboard combustion system needs to kick in.

When the battery charge drops, a 1.5-liter turbocharged internal combustion engine turns on automatically. It delivers a maximum power output of 115 kW, but it never actually sends mechanical power to the wheels. Instead, it is only used as a dedicated generator that creates electricity to keep the battery charged while driving.

The Freelander 8 First Edition is a large SUV with a gross weight of 7,705 lb. To manage this weight over rough terrain, the mechanical layout uses an intelligent system known as i-ATS. Engineers apparently tuned this system using software developed by Huawei to ensure smooth performance over uneven ground.

Three individual locking differentials regulate traction to prevent the heavy vehicle from getting stuck in mud or loose sand. The setup consists of a front mechanical lock, a rear electronic limited-slip differential, and a virtual center lock. A closed, dual-chamber air suspension system automatically changes the ground clearance depending on the terrain, giving the driver more clearance over obstacles or a lower profile for high-speed highway driving.

The internal brains of the vehicle rely on a centralized vehicle control layout. A flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 8397 computing chip drives the digital platform, providing quick processing speeds for the cabin displays and entertainment systems.

Every single variant of the new Freelander 8 comes equipped with a roof-mounted 896-line LiDAR sensor that sits prominently above the windshield to scan the road ahead. The LiDAR hardware works natively with the Huawei Qiankun ADS 5 intelligent driving assistance platform to automate 3D perception and track surrounding traffic.

Bringing this high-tech hybrid to the market took a massive capital commitment from both companies. They spent 12 billion yuan on manufacturing infrastructure, which translates to roughly $1.8 billion. Thankfully for the venture, early retail data shows that buyers are responding well to the new vehicle line, with a steady flow of orders keeping the factory busy.

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