The Freelander 8 Is Now A Real SUV, And It’s Bigger Than A Defender 110

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okcumputer@reddit

I wanted a freelader convertible so bad! It’s a shame they were such shit piles.

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colin_staples@reddit

There was the Land Rover Freelander

Then there was the Land Rover Freelander 2

Now there is the Land Rover Freelander 8

What happened to Freelander 3 through 7 ?

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opkraut@reddit

Is it 2005 again? That picture looks straight out of an early 2000's concept car reveal. I'm getting super strong Aztek vibes from it

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FMJoey325@reddit

What’s crazy is I looked up freelanders this morning (trying to recall the 2005 era ones) and saw a photo of this. I actually assumed that it was a 2005 concept car photo.

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Like it or not, the Pontiac Aztec essentially hailed the onset of midsized crossovers that have now become so ubiquitous. It may have seemed out there at the time but without its successors, manufacturers would be missing at least a quarter of their sales each year.

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Armored_Guardian@reddit

It’s the 3-spoke wheels isn’t it

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RazingsIsNotHomeNow@reddit

It's everything. But especially the all silver body! A ton of the lines scream 2001 concept too. A weird mix of flowing aero lines plus straight sides. Look at the Isuzu ZXS, GMC Graphyte, or Oldsmobile Recon to name some of the more similar concepts.

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itsamemarioscousin@reddit

It's modern Land Rover meets styling cues from the Freelander 1.

3 spoke wheels, unusual D pillar etc pic

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Life_Menu_4094@reddit

The triangular back window really doesn't work without the stepped roof and lack of rear door - to say nothing of the inability to remove the top.

The (iconic!) SE3, this is not.

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costafilh0@reddit

Sounds lazy.

I can understand not wanting to make smaller cheaper cars.

But using the same name? That's just lazy.

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Least_Confidence_225@reddit

The reality is that Land Rover needs a partner to survive in the EV era

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HoveringPorridge@reddit

The Freelander was always the little Land Rover. Good little cars too, and reliable by Land Rover standards. Well unless you were in the US where an emissions modified (ruined) version of the KV6 was your only option.

Why on earth would they revive the name for a model even bigger than a Defender???? The name may be hidden away, but British Leyland really is alive and well isn't it?

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WaddlesJP13@reddit

Considering it's called the Freelander '8' I can only assume there will be variants coming in different sizes

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Recoil42@reddit

The number 8 is associated with luck and prosperity in China, and quite a few cars get the '8' moniker, so it doesn't really mean variants are on the way.

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WaddlesJP13@reddit

Well 'Freelander' is an entirely new standalone marque and numeric/alphanumeric model names make up the bulk of nameplates in China. These names will also typically correlate with the size of the model.

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Recoil42@reddit

You're mostly likely correct, I just wanted to note there's a bit of extra complexity to it.

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IAmWellBehaved@reddit

"Freelander" is being revived as a new brand, as in like Land Rover, and the "8" like the other poster said suggests the 8 is the model line and other models (generally smaller ones) will be forthcoming.

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burrgerwolf@reddit

Weird that it’s not available in US but is a competitor to the Tahoe, Expedition, and other large BoF SUVs, which are only really popular here in the states.

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Recoil42@reddit

This is a Chinese car.
The US bans Chinese cars.
Large SUVs are, in fact, quite popular in China.

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V8-Turbo-Hybrid@reddit

It’s not totally banned, automakers can export their Chinese engines cars in States. It’s just no profit for many automakers doing that.

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Recoil42@reddit

Both Chinese EVs and ICE are subject to the same/similar US sanctions and tariffs. What you're saying is not functionally true.

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CuriousTravlr@reddit

The Defender 130 exists for that.

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burrgerwolf@reddit

The back row in the 130 isn’t the best implementation from what I’ve heard, so I can understand why LR would want a vehicle designed with the 3rd row in mind rather than extend and tack on one.

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CuriousTravlr@reddit

That would make sense, the 130 is so comically long, I could only imagine cross shopping it with a Tahoe, Suburban, etc.

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Drzhivago138@reddit

The Gulf states are the next most popular market for large BOF models.

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GeneralCommand4459@reddit

Designed by Jaguar, built by Chery I believe. Which makes me wonder would Jaguar be better off operating as a styling house rather than a manufacturer? I think they usually have good designs and have a lot of experience over the decades.

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V8-Turbo-Hybrid@reddit

Or, Tata can just sell Jag brand to them, let them operating Jag.

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Dachshand@reddit

It’s ok, but what is it? This is not a Land Rover, right? Did they steal name and design?

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Artistic_Check_98@reddit (OP)

JLR licensed the name to Chery, who will produce it in their JV plant with JLR and develop it on one of their own platforms. JLR handles the design.

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hi_im_bored13@reddit

if they actually leaned into capability

its a Freelander, it is the equivalent of we had as the LR2, then the evoque & discovery sport, cute jlr design w/o any of the chops nor the price tag is the point

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Slideways@reddit

“Bigger than a Defender” used to mean serious off-road chops

When was that?