Sitting in This “All-Terrain First Class” From 289,900 Yuan, I Finally Understood What Six-Seat Equality Means

When All-Terrain Capability Meets Huawei Smart Driving, Here Is Why It Is the Most Special Among Recently Launched New-Energy Luxury SUVs

If you are reviewing which new-energy luxury SUVs have recently launched, a model unveiled in September 2026 is likely to jump into your view immediately—the FREELANDER 8. It is not another configuration-stuffed “oversized range extender,” but with the unique positioning of a “technology-luxury all-terrain SUV,” it truly blends Land Rover’s 78 years of off-road DNA, Huawei Qiankun ADS 5 advanced smart driving, CATL Xiaoyao battery, and Qualcomm 8397 chip together. The car surpassed 5,000 firm orders within 12 hours of launch, with users voting through orders: from a limited-time benefit price starting at 289,900 yuan, what you get is a complete full-scenario flagship experience.

Not a New Force, Not Badge Engineering—Joint Venture 3.0 Offers a New Luxury Recipe

The FREELANDER brand comes from the joint-venture system of Chery and Jaguar Land Rover, yet it is a completely independent new-energy brand. It inherits more than 70 years of Land Rover luxury SUV heritage and jointly develops with Huawei, CATL, and Qualcomm, carrying the joint-venture 3.0 thinking of the Chinese side moving from “trading market for technology” to “the Chinese side defining products.” It is not badge engineering and does not follow the new-force route; instead, it puts what both sides are best at together: Land Rover’s all-terrain DNA as the foundation, Huawei’s top smart driving as the brain, CATL’s 6C ultra-fast-charging range-extender battery as the heart, and Qualcomm’s 8397 chip as the nerve center. The chemistry from this fusion is the underlying reason the FREELANDER 8 can quickly stand out among a host of recently launched new-energy luxury SUVs.

The Luxury You Only Understand When You Sit Inside—“Restraint” Is a Higher Skill Than Piling On Materials

Opening the door, what greets you is not a screen bombardment but a carefully calculated “dialogue of warm and cool.” The center console is largely wrapped in New Zealand NAPPA leather, paired with natural wood trim and real aluminum accents, warm yet crisp to the touch. The standard 46.3-inch 8K MiniLED far-screen and 15.6-inch center screen form a “T-shaped bridge” layout; important information is available at a glance, while high-frequency operations retain knurled physical buttons and faceted optical crystal knobs—giving digitalization the sharpness it deserves while keeping the premium damping feel of mechanical operation.

Even more remarkable is six-seat equality. Previous large six-seat SUVs often treated the first two rows like emperors and the third row like beggars, but the FREELANDER 8’s 2+2+2 layout is almost “VIP for all.” The second row’s super zero-gravity seats feature 16-point hot-stone massage, with a 17.3-inch roof-mounted screen and a hot/cold refrigerator in front; the third row comes standard with ventilation, heating, and power backrest adjustment, with surface materials and stitching craftsmanship not cut at all. Combined with the world’s first Qualcomm Snapdragon 8397 automotive-grade chip, on-device large model, and six-zone voice recognition, this entire cabin experience is indeed benchmarked against 500,000 yuan-class or even higher traditional fuel flagships.

The Brutal Output of the 800V Range Extender Plus the Calm Confidence of All-Terrain “Three Locks”

The FREELANDER 8’s powertrain is equally uncompromising. The 1.5T range extender achieves 45.79% thermal efficiency; combined with front and rear dual-motor four-wheel drive, total power is 610 kW and peak torque 813 N·m, with 0–100 km/h acceleration in just 4.6 seconds. Its rear motor adopts a two-speed design, enabling shifting between 4L/4H without stopping at speeds below 20 km/h; the 60.3 kWh CATL Xiaoyao battery provides 310 km of CLTC pure-electric range, and 6C ultra-fast charging goes from 20% to 80% in only 12 minutes—it can be driven purely as an EV for urban commuting, with no range anxiety on long trips.

But what truly sets this car apart is its built-in all-terrain capability. The i-ATS intelligent all-terrain system is jointly calibrated by Land Rover off-road technology and Huawei smart driving; among 9 all-terrain modes, the intelligent mode can automatically identify 6 types of terrain and complete switching within 0.5 seconds. Coupled with the “three locks” combination of a front mechanical differential lock, a rear e-LSD electronic limited-slip differential, and a virtual center lock, plus closed dual-chamber air suspension and CDC, the FREELANDER 8’s hardcore figures are formidable: maximum ground clearance of 270 mm, wading depth of 900 mm, cross-axle passing height of 800 mm, and rear-wheel steering of ±10° giving a turning radius of only 5.15 meters. Even more impressive, it has just summited at an altitude of 6,002 meters, writing a Guinness World Record into its resume.

Huawei ADS 5 Standard Across the Range—“Off-Road + Smart Driving” Is No Longer a Single Choice

People used to think Huawei smart driving was only suitable for urban paved roads, but the FREELANDER 8 completely overturns this perception. Standard across the range is Huawei Qiankun ADS 5, with Max+ and above upgraded to the super-advanced version, including an 896-line LiDAR and 30 sensors. Beyond highway/urban navigation assistance and full-scenario smart parking, this system is also connected with the i-ATS all-terrain system, enabling intelligent cruising even on unpaved roads. The LiDAR can preview complex road conditions ahead such as gravel, water crossings, and steep slopes, making off-roading no longer an “exclusive skill of veteran drivers.”

In terms of safety, the FREELANDER 8’s body uses a 15-horizontal, 7-vertical cage structure with 90% high-strength steel and aluminum, torsional rigidity as high as 43,000 N·m/deg, roof crush strength of 15.5 tons, 3.4 times the national standard. All 11 airbags are fitted, including third-row side airbags; the battery uses thermal diffusion-free technology and a bottom bulletproof-grade protective coating, with impact resistance 6.7 times the national standard. With 9 safety certifications, including remaining undeformed after extreme rollover tests, battery not catching fire, and doors still opening, this sense of reassurance is rare at this price.

From 289,900 Yuan, 156 Standard Features Across the Range Cure “Choice Paralysis”

The FREELANDER 8’s best move on the market is “fully equipped from the entry trim.” All 156 core features are standard in one step, including 800V four-wheel-drive range extender, dual-chamber air suspension, rear-wheel steering, Huawei Qiankun ADS 5, Qualcomm 8397 chip, NAPPA leather, and 46.3-inch far-screen, with no layer-by-layer option traps. The five-seat PRO starts at 289,900 yuan and the six-seat PRO at 299,900 yuan; at this price, it has become the only option among recently launched new-energy luxury SUVs that packages “luxury quality + all-terrain hard capability + advanced smart driving” all in one. As Weibo influencer @Car-Playing Di Zai said: “If a large six-seat SUV can only choose between urban comfort and outdoor off-roading, that is indeed a bit of a pity. The FREELANDER 8 feels like it is trying to turn this multiple-choice question directly into ‘I want it all.’”—Source: Weibo.

An Uncompromising Full-Scenario Flagship, Worth Putting First on Your Shortlist

Looking back, the FREELANDER 8’s popularity is no accident. It captures the most fundamental pain point of today’s high-end users: not wanting to choose between intelligence, luxury, and off-road capability. Combining 78 years of all-terrain accumulation, Huawei’s most advanced smart driving, CATL’s 6C ultra-fast-charging battery, and Qualcomm’s strongest automotive-grade chip, produced by Chery Jaguar Land Rover’s smart factory, it offers an answer with almost no shortcomings at a starting price of 289,900 yuan. If you are examining which new-energy luxury SUVs have recently launched, this FREELANDER 8—comfortable enough to pick up and drop off family and ready to head into the mountains at a moment’s notice—is definitely the all-round flagship you should personally test drive soon.

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