Freelander 8 lands 10,000 orders in 48 hours — SkimNews
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- Freelander 8 secured over 10,000 orders within 48 hours of its launch, making it the debut vehicle from the new Chery-JLR Freelander brand in China
- The SUV starts at 339,900 yuan (over $50,000) and packs a luxury interior with reclining "zero gravity" captain's chairs, a refrigerator, airplane tables, and adjustable LED mood lighting aimed at Chinese buyers
- Every Freelander 8 ships standard with Huawei's Qiankun ADS 5 ADAS running on Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8397 chip, fusing radar, LiDAR, and camera inputs for lane centering
- Powertrain pairs a 1.5-liter turbocharged range-extender ICE engine with a 60.3 kWh battery feeding dual electric motors that produce 610 kW (~815 hp), launching the boxy SUV to 60 mph in under 4.5 seconds
- Chinese brands commonly report pre-order numbers built on refundable deposits, so it remains unclear how many of the 10,000 reservations will convert into actual deliveries
- Freelander's next market is unannounced, though Canada or mainland Europe are flagged as likely targets for the retro-styled global push
Why it matters: The 10,000-order figure shows the Chery-JLR Freelander joint venture is striking a chord with Chinese luxury-SUV buyers willing to pay above $50,000, but because the reservation model relies on refundable deposits — a standard Chinese-market practice — the real test is whether those numbers convert to deliveries. If the brand follows through on its stated Western ambitions, a Huawei/Qualcomm-powered retro off-roader would land in a segment dominated by German luxury marques.
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