Chery has officially unveiled Freelander, a new car brand that is almost certainly coming to South Africa.
TopAuto recently attended the carmaker’s annual international business summit in Wuhu, China, where it announced all of its new products for the upcoming year.
One of the headline announcements of this year’s event is Freelander, a new car brand developed in collaboration between Chery and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR).
Freelander is not a new name, mind you, as the original brand was launched all the way back in 1997.
However, the brand has been re-imagined for modern audiences, focusing on high-end Adventure SUVs with new-energy vehicle (NEV) powertrains.
We got to see Freelander’s new products in person at a launch event in Wuhu, where the company showcased two concept models and one production-ready example.
The company’s CEO, Lucia Mao, explained that Freelander is meant to encapsulate “authentic British design,” which is very evident from the appearance of the models we saw.
Freelander’s design team was led by Philip Simmons, the same man behind many of JLR’s products, such as the third-gen Land Rover and the Range Rover Velar.
The first model we saw out front, called the Concept 97, bears a striking resemblance to a Land Rover, but with several key details that set it apart.
Since it’s electric, it has a closed-off front end with no grille, which is accentuated by large silver stripe that runs down from the “dual peak” hood all the way down to the front bumper.
It also has rectangular headlights, side steps, and large alloy rims with a dual three-spoke pattern.
One of the most distinct aspects of the SUV’s appearance is the rear side window, which is divided into two triangles with rounded edges.
This is actually the Freelander logo, as the top-heavy triangle is meant to resemble an “F” while the bottom-heavy triangle resembles an “L.”
Regarding the name itself, Mao said that it can be broken into three parts: ‘Free,’ ‘Land,’ and ‘ER,’ the latter of which stands for “Every Explorer.”
Freelander’s launch and roadmap
Freelander is initially scheduled to launch in Middle Eastern markets later this year; however, the brand ultimately plans to launch in 90 markets worldwide within the next five years.
While South Africa was not explicitly named as one of the countries that will receive Freelander, we imagine it will only be a matter of time until an annoucenement is made, given Chery’s success in our market.
All of its vehicles will be produced at Chery Jaguar Land Rover’s factory in China, which has already received over $1.5 billion in investments.
Freelander will assemble vehicles for both left-hand-drive and right-hand-drive markets, and aims to achieve a relevant 5-start NCAP safety rating for every country it operates in.
Most notably, it plans to launch six different models over the next five years, starting with the new Freelander 8.
The Freelander 8 is the production-ready SUV we saw first hand in Wuhu, which follows the design template set by the Concept 97.
Standout features included rectangular headlamps comprised of hundreds of individual LEDs, and a roof-mounted LiDAR system that will be used by the Level 2+ Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS).
The company confirmed that it will come with adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, blind-spot detection, automatic emergency braking, and a surround-view camera system.
In select markets, it will even be offered with an advanced Valet Parking Assistant, which let the car drop off occupants before searching for its own parking. When the owner comes back to the parking lot, they can summon the car from wherever it parked itself.
The powertrain options have yet to be announced, but a spokesperson we talked to said that it will be offered as both an electric and plug-in hybrid (PHEV). It’s currently unknown whether the PHEV will use a petrol or diesel engine, though the former seems more likely.
The entry-level version is likely to be front-wheel-drive, but the higher-end units will come with air suspension and an intelligent all-terrain system (i-ATS) with nine driving modes and a virtual central diff lock.
Inside, you’ll find seven two-tone leather seats, a large three-spoke steering wheel, and a centre console with two dials and two wireless charging pads.
There’s a floating infotainment screen with physical control switches underneath, but the real standout is the dashboard-spanning display that includes the speedometer, navigation, and other functions.
Pricing will only be confirmed at a later date, but the feedback session we participated in suggested that the Freelander 8 is aiming to compete with Adventure SUVs like the Toyota Prado and Ford Everest.
Considering that it is also electric, our educated guess is that it will cost seven figures if and when it arrives in South Africa, but these Chinese cars have a way of surprising us when it comes to their final price tags.
Freelander Concept Vehicle
Freelander 8 Reveal
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