The famous British Freelander returns as a high-tech Chinese electric SUV

The Freelander has a lot of history. Many people remember it as a rugged SUV that families loved, and after being away for a while, the name is making a big comeback. This time, it is an independent brand that focuses entirely on electric cars. The new chapter is a partnership between two big companies: Chery and Jaguar Land Rover.

To make sure the new SUV is ready for anything, engineers recently took it to Sweden. They put the vehicle through "winter torture" in extreme cold. The temperatures dropped to -22°F. Many people worry that electric cars might struggle in the snow, but Freelander wants to prove them wrong. These tests show the SUV can handle freezing weather without breaking a sweat.

The design of the new model stays true to its roots. It looks a lot like the Concept 97 that the company showed off earlier this year. It has a boxy, tough shape that reminds people of the classic Land Rovers. Even though it looks traditional on the outside, the technology inside is as modern as it gets. The company is moving away from the old way of building cars and embracing a new architecture called iMax. This setup allows the SUV to be a pure electric vehicle or a range-extended model that uses a small generator to help the battery.

A big part of this comeback involves a partnership with Huawei. Freelander is using Huawei's Qiankun ADS 4.1 system to help the car drive itself. This system uses a very advanced LiDAR with 896 channels that acts like a high-tech eye that sees everything around the vehicle. The new Freelander is the first all-terrain SUV to use such powerful technology.

The "brain" of the car is also getting a massive upgrade. Freelander chose the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8397 chip to run everything inside. This chip is three times faster than the ones used in most cars today. It means the maps will load instantly, and the screens will be very smooth. Nobody likes a slow computer, and Freelander made sure its first EV would be faster than the competition. This chip handles everything from the music to the self-driving features without any lag.

Charging is another area where this SUV shines. The battery comes from CATL, and it offers a 6C ultra-fast charging rate. Drivers won't have to sit at a charging station for hours. Instead, they can get a quick boost and get back on the road.

The Freelander concept

Most EVs these days are made for smooth city streets, but Freelander still cares about the dirt. The engineers worked with a team from Huawei Yinwang to create the i-ATS - an intelligent all-terrain system. It uses software to control how the wheels move on mud, rocks, or sand. It keeps the spirit of the old Freelander alive by making sure the car can go where other electric cars might get stuck. It's a mix of old-school toughness and new-school smarts.

The company is putting a lot of money behind this project. The joint venture is investing 3 billion yuan, which is about $439 million, into a factory in Changshu, China. This money will upgrade the production lines so that they can build six different models over the next five years. The plan is to release a new car roughly every six months. That is a very fast pace, but the brand's leader, Wen Fei, claims they are ready to compete with the best luxury cars in the world.

Freelander is also changing how it sells cars. The company is signing up "asset-light" partners. So far, it has deals for more than 60 stores in 50 different cities. By the year 2026, Freelander wants to have 100 stores open. The main headquarters for the brand is now in Shanghai, putting it right in the middle of the biggest market for electric vehicles.

Fans won't have to wait much longer to see the final version. More details are coming in June, and the car should go on sale in China later this year.

Via