2027 Freelander 8 Review

Freelander is back, but not in the way plenty of Australians will remember it.

This is no small, affordable Land Rover soft-roader. The new Freelander 8 is a huge three-row plug-in hybrid SUV born from the Chery and Jaguar Land Rover joint venture, designed with clear Land Rover-family cues, and built around Chinese electrified hardware.

We drove it in Wuhu, China, in left-hand-drive form ahead of its expected Australian arrival in 2027. This was not a full local road test, so we are not pretending to have all the answers yet.

What we did get was enough time to crawl through the cabin, test the packaging, sample the powertrain, and get a first taste of its on-road and off-road behaviour. The short version? Australia should be paying attention.

No Australian pricing has been announced yet (AU launch 2027). These are Chinese-market prices for the range-extender, converted at roughly 1 CNY = A$0.214.

• Freelander 8 Pro starts from ¥309,900 (approximately $66,300 AUD).

• Freelander 8 Max starts from ¥349,900 (approximately $74,800 AUD).

• Freelander 8 Max+ starts from ¥399,900 (approximately $85,500 AUD).

The name might be familiar, but the scale is not. The Freelander 8 measures 5118mm long, 2050mm wide and 1926mm tall, with a 3040mm wheelbase, so this is much closer to full-size luxury SUV territory than anything compact.

The design does a decent job of hiding the size, mostly because the surfacing is clean and the stance is squared-off without being cartoonishly aggressive. There is obvious JLR influence in the upright nose, broad shoulders and confident proportions.

The front daytime running lights integrate the Freelander ‘FL’ motif, while the brand name is debossed across the nose and tailgate. It is not subtle, but it does look more considered than just slapping giant letters on a flat panel.

Down the side, the angled rear quarter window is the clearest heritage nod, referencing the original Freelander’s shape. Our test car sat on 21-

inch wheels wrapped in Pirelli Scorpion MS tyres, though we would be very interested to see how this car feels on smaller wheels if Australian buyers actually plan to use it off-road.

One thing we would not call it is delicate. The doors feel properly heavy, the roof rails are chunky, and the overall presentation has presence. Just do not confuse that with old-school underbody toughness; we could not feel a proper steel bash plate up front, so we will want a much closer look underneath an Australian-spec car.

The front cabin is where the Freelander 8 starts to feel more convincing than expected. The doors close with a proper heavy thunk, the driving position is high and commanding, and the Nappa leather seats in our test car were soft, supportive and fitted with massage.

The dashboard is dominated by a massive 43.8-inch wraparound display spanning across the cabin. It sounds like too much, but in person it is integrated neatly, and the upright dash layout gives it a vaguely Defender and Range Rover-adjacent feel without becoming a direct copy.

Importantly, Freelander has not buried absolutely everything in the touchscreen. There are physical controls with a nice knurled finish, including quick access for its intelligent all-terrain system, and the overall tech experience feels expensive rather than overwhelming.

There are dual wireless phone chargers, decent door bins, a soft centre armrest, cupholders, a felt-lined storage area and a digital rear-view mirror. The Harman Kardon speaker integration also looks smart, and the cabin materials we touched generally felt more premium than the new badge might suggest.

There are still quirks. The steering wheel is an odd oblong shape, and some functions appear to live deeper in the screen than we would like. But as a first impression, the front cabin lands far closer to luxury SUV than cheap-and-cheerful newcomer.

The second row might be the Freelander 8’s strongest argument. In six-seat form, the captain’s chairs deliver huge legroom, excellent toe room and a properly open lounge-like feel.

The sense of space is helped by the long wheelbase and the glass roof above. There are even vents under the front seats aimed at cooling or warming your feet, which is exactly the sort of tiny detail that makes rear passengers feel properly considered.

Our test car also had a fold-down rear entertainment screen, USB-C ports integrated neatly near the seats, and a fridge in the centre console that opens and closes electrically. It is indulgent, but in this part of the market that is the point.

The armrests are clever too, with pop-out cupholders and controls for heating, cooling and massage built into them. There was also a fold-out table on one side that felt more solid than we expected.

Compared with many seven-seat SUVs that treat row two as merely the path to row three, the Freelander 8 gives the middle passengers the premium experience. Against a BYD Sealion 8 or Chery Tiggo 9, this feels more luxury shuttle than just large family SUV.

Third rows in large SUVs are often places adults visit once and then avoid forever. The Freelander 8 does better than that.

Getting back there in the six-seat layout is relatively easy by moving through the gap between the second-row chairs. Once seated, we had genuinely usable legroom, toe room and headroom, even with the second row set generously.

The roofline helps, but so does the sheer size of the vehicle. This is one of the most adult-friendly third rows we have tried in a large SUV, and it makes the Freelander 8 feel like a proper long-distance six-seater rather than a five-seater with emergency chairs.

Rear occupants also get cupholders, USB-C ports, a glass roof section above and power adjustment. The trim quality remains strong back there too, with soft headlining and seat materials that do not feel like the budget ran out after row two.

Families with older kids, grandparents or regular adult passengers will notice the difference. This is not just brochure space; it is usable space.

With all three rows in use, the Freelander 8 still offers a usable boot, which is not something every three-row SUV can claim. It is not van-like behind the third row, but there is enough depth to make it practical for day-to-day family use.

The third row folds electrically using buttons in the boot, and it drops flat into the floor. Once folded, the cargo area becomes properly huge, with a broad, flat load space that suits road trips, bulky luggage or outdoor gear.

There is also a powered tailgate, an AC outlet in the cargo area and a rear air-suspension lowering function to make loading easier. That last point matters on a vehicle this tall.

Australian cargo capacity figures will be worth watching, because the local specification and seating layout could influence the numbers. The five- and six-seat options give Freelander room to position this as either a luxury people mover alternative or a large family adventure SUV.

Towing is another key question for Australian buyers. The export specification is associated with a 2000kg braked towing figure, which matches the AWD BYD Sealion 8 but sits well below the 3500kg capability of the Denza B8. If towing a big van or heavy boat is part of your life, that could be a meaningful limitation.

Our drive was brief and low-speed, so this is an early read rather than a full verdict. Still, the Freelander 8 made its priorities pretty clear.

In Sport mode, with the engine and EV systems active, it accelerated hard and stayed impressively quiet. There was no dramatic soundtrack, no fuss, and no sense that the petrol engine was working hard in the background.

The air suspension gave it a plush feel over speed bumps, and the car generally carried itself with the soft, isolated character you expect from a luxury-leaning SUV. The brakes also felt strong, helped by sizeable 400mm front hardware with six-piston calipers.

Push it through tighter changes of direction, though, and the mass is obvious. There is noticeable body roll, and the body response is more leisurely than athletic.

The steering was not bad, but this is not pretending to be a driver’s SUV in the traditional sense. It feels big, heavy and comfort-biased, which is fine, provided the Australian tune keeps it composed on our rougher country roads.

The Freelander 8 is not ANCAP rated, and that matters. Large family SUVs now need to do more than feel solid; they need strong crash-test results and assistance systems that work properly on Australian roads.

The car we drove had visible cameras and sensors, including a front-facing camera, mirror cameras and systems linked to semi-autonomous driving functions. Freelander is also talking about automated parking-style capability in selected markets.

We will reserve judgement on the driver assistance tuning until we test an Australian car. Some newer Chinese-market vehicles have made big progress in reducing the annoying beeps and overactive interventions, but the calibration still needs to be right.

Against the Denza B8, which already wears a five-star ANCAP rating, the Freelander 8 has homework to do. The BYD Sealion 8 is also awaiting ANCAP assessment, so this part of the segment remains a moving target.

The fundamentals look modern, but a confirmed ANCAP result and local ADAS tune will be essential before Australian families can properly weigh it up.

The Australian-bound Freelander 8 PHEV is expected to use a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine with an electric motor on each axle and a four-speed DHT hybrid transmission. Combined output is a serious 460kW and 662Nm.

That is more power than a BYD Sealion 8 AWD and Chery Tiggo 9 Super Hybrid, and it also edges the Denza B8 on kilowatts. The Denza counters with more torque and a quicker claimed sprint, but the Freelander is clearly not arriving underdone on paper.

Freelander claims 0-100km/h in 5.8 seconds. We did not have the space to verify that properly, but the launch felt strong, traction was clean, and the car got moving with the kind of effortless shove you expect from a high-output plug-in hybrid.

The battery is a 34.12kWh LFP unit, with a claimed 110km of WLTC electric-only range and 886km of total WLTC range. AC charging is rated at 11kW, while DC charging from 20 to 80 per cent is claimed to take under 20 minutes.

On our short drive, the drivetrain mostly behaved like an EV: quiet, smooth and immediate. We did not hear much from the 2.0-litre engine, which is probably exactly what most luxury SUV buyers will want.

Freelander is leaning heavily into the adventure angle, and the 8 has more than just a tough-looking body to back that up. The intelligent all-terrain system includes multiple drive modes, including an expert mode, and we sampled hill descent control on a steep obstacle.

The air suspension can raise the body by 70mm or lower it by 50mm, giving a broad range of ride-height adjustment. Maximum ground clearance is quoted at 266mm, and wading depth is listed at 900mm.

The PHEV layout does not use a conventional mechanical driveline between the front and rear axles. Instead, Freelander simulates a centre locking differential through electric torque control, while also using a rear differential lock.

That is a modern way of solving an old problem, and it may well work brilliantly. But we are not going to declare it a bush weapon after a short course in China.

The hardware is promising, and the numbers are impressive. The next step is getting one on Australian dirt, rock, corrugations and sand, because that is where this badge will either earn credibility or get found out.

Ownership is the biggest unknown for the Freelander 8. It might have Chery technology and Jaguar Land Rover design involvement, but Freelander will still be a new badge for Australian buyers.

That means warranty, servicing costs, parts supply, roadside support and dealer coverage will all matter. Australians have become more open to Chinese-built cars, but trust is earned through ownership experience, not just launch-spec equipment lists.

Competitors are already setting expectations. Chery offers strong warranty coverage in Australia, while BYD has built momentum with a growing local footprint. Denza is also trying to solve the luxury-SUV ownership question with BYD group backing.

The PHEV system should suit buyers who can charge at home and do regular urban running on electricity. With an 11kW AC charging capability and a claimed sub-20-minute 20-80 per cent DC charge, it should be manageable for daily use if the real-world range stacks up.

But if you never plug it in, you are carrying around a large battery and a very big SUV. Like every PHEV, the ownership case only really works if your habits suit the technology.

Freelander 8 Max Plus PHEV

• 2.0-litre turbo-petrol plug-in hybrid system
• Dual-motor all-wheel drive
• 460kW and 662Nm combined output
• 34.12kWh LFP battery
• Claimed 110km WLTC EV range
• Claimed 886km WLTC combined range
• 11kW AC charging
• DC charging from 20-80 per cent in under 20 minutes
• Air suspension with 70mm raise and 50mm lowering capability
• Up to 266mm ground clearance
• Intelligent all-terrain system with multiple drive modes
• Simulated centre differential lock function
• Rear differential lock
• Hill descent control
• 21-inch alloy wheels on the vehicle tested
• Keyless entry and start
• Powered tailgate
• Nappa leather upholstery on the vehicle tested
• Heated, ventilated and massaging front seats
• Heated, ventilated and massaging second-row seats on the vehicle tested
• Six-seat captain’s chair layout on the vehicle tested
• Fold-down rear entertainment display
• Rear fridge
• Fold-out second-row table
• USB-C ports across the cabin
• 43.8-inch wraparound dashboard display
• Harman Kardon audio
• Dual wireless phone chargers
• Digital rear-view mirror
• Glass roof sections
• Cargo-area AC outlet
• Rear suspension lowering function for loading

The Freelander 8 is much more convincing in person than the name alone might suggest. It is huge, comfortable, plush inside, properly powerful and surprisingly well thought-out for passengers in all three rows.

It also has enough off-road hardware and electrified performance to make it more than just another large Chinese plug-in hybrid SUV. The JLR design influence is obvious, and the Chery hardware gives it the kind of numbers that will get buyers looking twice.

But Australia will be a harder test than a short drive in China. We need local pricing, local specification, an ANCAP rating, warranty and servicing detail, and a proper drive on Australian roads and tracks before we can call it a winner.

If Freelander prices it sharply, the 8 could become a serious problem for large luxury SUVs and high-spec family PHEVs alike. If it asks premium money without premium ownership confidence, buyers may hesitate.

For now, it is firmly on our watch list. Not proven yet, but definitely not to be dismissed.