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The Chery Jaguar Land Rover joint venture has begun sales of the Freelander 8 crossover. The starting price of the vehicle is 309,900 yuan ($46,120) before special discounts are applied. This vehicle is designed to compete in the EREV SUV segment, where its main rival will be the updated version of the Li Auto L9. The new model has already made a name for itself with an official world record entry in the Guinness World Records.
An 896-beam LiDAR sensor is mounted on the roof of the Freelander 8, capable of detecting obstacles as small as 14 cm in height, which is about the size of a can of Coke, at a distance of up to 120 m regardless of weather conditions or visibility. The car’s electronic heart is the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8397 automotive computing module. Thanks to this equipment, the crossover confidently performs automated driving tasks in Navigate On Autopilot (NOA) mode, both on city streets and on highways.
The Freelander 8’s front light clusters feature interactive elements with five different operating modes, capable of displaying over 10 different emojis. The vehicle is equipped with 21- or 22-inch wheels. Chery Jaguar Land Rover has selected Pirelli as the tire supplier for this model; the company manufactures the P Zero Elect series tires for it. The dimensions of this full-size SUV are 5118×2050×1898 mm, with a wheelbase of 3040 mm.
The dashboard of this powerful vehicle features a massive 46.3-inch panoramic display, which replaces the traditional digital instrument cluster, alongside a 15.6-inch central touchscreen. The Freelander 8 features a unique software platform that developers call the first operating system with functionality analogous to the human brain. It enables voice communication, delivers news updates, assists with navigation, monitors children’s safety, reads fairy tales, and provides advice while driving off-road.
The Freelander 8’s safety has been successfully validated in nine production crash tests conducted in various parts of the world. The design meets strict U.S. requirements and features the longest side curtain airbags in its class, measuring 3.14 m. The Freelander 8’s interior is available in 5- or 6-seat configurations. In the 6-seat version, the second row features individual captain’s chairs with a 16-point massage function. Other amenities include a 17.3-inch overhead screen, a 10-liter refrigerator compartment, and fold-out tables. In addition, absolutely all seats in the cabin are equipped with heating and ventilation systems.
The Freelander 8’s powertrain is based on an EREV architecture and includes a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine that acts as a generator to recharge the 60,3 kWh. On pure electric power, the vehicle can travel 310 km according to the CLTC test cycle (or 254 km under the WLTP standard). Thanks to 6C charging technology, the battery can be recharged from 20% to 80% in 12 minutes. The model is also equipped with a 60-liter fuel tank.
The Freelander 8’s dual-motor powertrain delivers a combined peak power of 610 kW (818 k.s.) and a maximum torque of 813 Nm. This allows the massive SUV to accelerate to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds. The rear electric motor has a power output of 250 kW (335 k.s.) and is equipped with a two-stage reduction gearbox with a low-range gear, delivering up to 8,000 Nm of torque directly to the wheels.
In addition, the SUV features the i-ATS intelligent all-wheel-drive system, developed in collaboration with Huawei. The vehicle features a steerable rear axle with a wheel steering angle of up to 10 degrees, giving the Freelander 8 a turning radius of just 5.15 m. By comparison, the three-door Mini hatchback has a turning radius of 5.55 m. The new model is equipped with air suspension, 6-piston calipers, and 404-millimeter ventilated brake discs, providing a braking distance of 35.7 meters.
During the official launch event, Chery Jaguar Land Rover announced that the Freelander 8 set a Guinness World Record for PHEVs by climbing to a record altitude of 6,002.33 meters above sea level. In addition, the SUV is capable of towing trailers weighing up to 2,000 kg.
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