The Freelander 8, Without the Land Rover Badge, Aims to Win Over Li Auto and Aito Users

Once part of Land Rover’s lineup, the Freelander has returned without the Land Rover badge. Leveraging Chery’s new energy vehicle architecture and Chinese supply chains, it is directly entering the family luxury SUV market already dominated by Li Auto and Aito.

On the evening of August 14, the Freelander 8, the first model launched after the brand’s revival in China, opened for pre-sale. The pre-sale prices for the three six-seater variants—Pro, Max, and Max Plus—are RMB 349,900, RMB 379,900, and RMB 429,900, respectively, while the five-seater version starts at RMB 339,900. The Max version, priced at RMB 379,900, is expected to be the best-selling variant.

Freelander (Shenxingzhe) was originally Land Rover’s entry-level model. After production ceased in 2015, it remained dormant for years. In 2024, Chery and Jaguar Land Rover decided to revive the name as an independent brand, positioning it as a global luxury new energy vehicle brand. The Chinese side leads product definition, new energy technology, and operations, while the British side contributes design and all-terrain heritage, with both parties holding equal equity stakes. Officials refer to this collaboration as “Joint Venture 3.0.”

The absence of the Land Rover badge is a direct result of this model: Land Rover’s existing Range Rover, Defender, and Discovery series continue to anchor the high-end segment, while Freelander operates independently to fill the entry-level gap, avoiding brand dilution and price conflicts.

Wen Fei, Global CEO of FREELANDER, Director of Chery Jaguar Land Rover, and Executive Vice President, previously noted that these brands would not extend downward. With the discontinuation of the Range Rover Evoque and Discovery Sport, a price gap emerged in the original product lineup. Freelander’s mission is to fill this gap, but it cannot continue using the Land Rover brand or its previous cost structure.

From a business perspective, the emergence of Freelander represents Jaguar Land Rover’s strategy of decoupling brand assets from manufacturing methods. Land Rover’s design, luxury feel, and all-terrain capabilities are retained, while product definition, intelligence, and new energy supply chains are largely handed over to the Chinese team. Officials call this model “Joint Venture 3.0.” This approach avoids internal price conflicts within the Land Rover brand and allows a model built on Chinese new energy architecture to enter the RMB 350,000–430,000 price range.

However, it cannot directly transfer the trust, residual value, and user perception associated with the Land Rover badge.

Wen Fei’s target user structure clearly outlines the competitive logic: 50% of sales are projected to come from the current new energy mid-to-large SUV segment—the market occupied by Li Auto and Aito. Compared to these vehicles, the Freelander 8’s advantages are defined as “pure Land Rover heritage, more stunning design, more stylish interiors, and all-terrain capabilities largely absent in these urban mid-to-large SUVs.” Another 40% is expected from owners of traditional luxury fuel vehicles like the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4L, and Mercedes-Benz C-Class who are upgrading or switching cars. Wen believes that only a small fraction of this group has been converted by Aito and Huawei, representing significant potential. The remaining 10% consists of users with a preference for off-roading.

This ratio highlights the positioning of the Freelander 8. All-terrain capability serves as a differentiator but is not the primary scenario for driving sales volume.

Consequently, the Freelander 8 must enhance the daily experience typical of new energy vehicles. The 800V extended-range platform addresses long-distance travel and charging needs, the six-seat layout caters to family use, and the Huawei Qiankun ADS 5 aligns with the intelligence expectations already formed by new energy vehicle users. Wen repeatedly emphasized third-row space, seat comfort, and the riding experience for family members, signaling to Li Auto and Aito users that this is not just a vehicle suitable for weekend off-roading.

However, the Freelander 8 cannot afford to neglect either aspect. Focusing solely on all-terrain capabilities makes it difficult to compete with the family-oriented experiences offered by Li Auto and Aito; focusing only on intelligence invites the question: why not just buy a Li Auto or Aito? The RMB 379,900 Max version must convince users that the extra money buys not just more features, but also design, texture, and all-terrain capabilities beyond what typical new energy products offer.

This is the most challenging aspect of this vehicle.

Li Auto and Aito have clearly defined user needs for family SUVs in the RMB 350,000–430,000 range: space, comfort, intelligence, and charging efficiency. The Freelander 8 aims to add a layer of traditional luxury brand texture and all-terrain capabilities, which are not yet common among new energy brands. The question remains whether users are willing to rebuild trust in a newly revived brand without the Land Rover badge.

Pre-sales can generate initial attention, and limited-edition launch models can attract early adopters. Currently, roadshows are taking place in 25 cities across China, and stores are gradually opening, with channels being built from scratch. Whether the brand revival succeeds will not be determined by the number of features announced at the launch event, but by its ability to accumulate user awareness, store reputation, and post-delivery referrals from zero.

The absence of the Land Rover badge is the vehicle’s most prudent choice, but also its greatest challenge.

Li Auto and Aito have narrowed family users’ understanding of “luxury SUVs” to a specific set of criteria: space, comfort, intelligence, and charging. The Freelander 8 seeks to add design and all-terrain capabilities to this standard, but why should users pay a premium for a newly revived brand?

This is the challenge that Freelander must now face head-on.