The Australian launch of the Freelander brand will be backed by a US$440 million (A$630m) overhaul of the Chinese factory building its new SUVs, as the Chery-JLR joint venture shifts towards electrified vehicles under the revived name.
The investment is directed at the existing manufacturing base in Changshu, near Shanghai, where the first production Freelander 8 rolled off the line on July 30, 2026.
The all-new large SUV is due in Australia in 2027. CarExpert has already detailed the Freelander 8's international specification, but Australian pricing and the local model lineup remain unannounced.
In written answers supplied to media, Freelander confirmed the scale of the manufacturing upgrade behind the new brand.
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"USD 440 million has been dedicated to a comprehensive upgrade of [our] intelligent manufacturing system for new energy vehicle production," the company said.
The spending is part of a wider investment in the Changshu facility, which Freelander now puts at more than US$3.1 billion ($A4.44bn). An August manufacturing announcement explicitly included the US$440 million upgrade within that total.
The previously disclosed factory upgrade supports the Freelander brand's international manufacturing program, with no separate Australian production allocation identified in the media material.
Freelander 8 production has already started. JLR confirmed the July 30 milestone in its August financial update, while Chery's announcement said manufacturing for international markets was also underway.
Neither announcement specified a production start for Australia or the number of vehicles earmarked for our market.
Changshu's transition gives the new brand an established manufacturing base previously used to build Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles, including the Range Rover Evoque and Discovery Sport.
The partners' original June 2024 announcement proposed licensing the Freelander name to the joint venture for vehicles using Chery's electric vehicle architecture. At that point, they said the new models would be built alongside the factory's existing range.
By May 2025, there were reports of plans to phase out the plant's Jaguar and Land Rover models to make room for Freelander.
The new brand also has a much different operating structure from the original Land Rover Freelander model line. JLR owns the name and has established a dedicated design hub to lead its design, while Chery provides technology and supply-chain support.
Freelander operates separately from JLR and its Range Rover, Defender, Discovery, and Jaguar models. The 2024 agreement also envisaged a distinct retail network in China, followed by exports.
Inside the upgraded factory, Freelander says there are more than 1100 robots, including 1054 in the welding workshop. It describes welding as fully automated.
Digital production systems record manufacturing stages and provide quality traceability, allowing the factory to track the processes each vehicle has passed through.
Checks are also carried out before vehicles leave the plant, including high-voltage battery sealing inspections, driver-assistance system calibration, and electronic systems verification.
Each Freelander 8 also undergoes a five-minute full-vehicle water-spray test, according to the company.
Freelander hasn't provided an annual production target or an Australian supply allocation, leaving the volume available for export unclear.
The company says it has developed three international variants of the Freelander 8: left-hand drive, right-hand drive, and a European specification, with regional changes to meet local regulations and customer requirements.
The international left-hand drive model presented to media is powered by a plug-in hybrid system combining a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine with two electric motors. Claimed outputs are 460kW of power and 662Nm of torque.
Freelander's rollout plan puts the United Arab Emirates and other left-hand drive export markets first, followed by right-hand drive markets prioritising Australia and New Zealand. Continental Europe, the UK and Ireland follow in a later phase.
Australian Freelander 8 pricing, specs, equipment, warranty coverage and service requirements are still to be announced.