On April 24, 2026, the Beijing International Automobile Exhibition opened, marking the debut of the global luxury new energy technology brand FREELANDER, a collaboration between Chery and Jaguar Land Rover, with its first concept car, Concept 97. As a key strategic partner, FREELANDER made an appearance at the Huawei Qiankun booth, showcasing the fruits of their collaboration. During this exhibition, FREELANDER announced that its China debut product line will feature the latest generation of Huawei Qiankun Intelligent Driving ADS 5.0, with capabilities for ongoing iterative updates.
The history of the FREELANDER brand dates back to 1997, when it was launched as a classic model under Land Rover, becoming a bestselling model in the European SUV market and winning the European SUV sales championship for five consecutive years from 1997 to 2002. Now, FREELANDER re-enters the market as an independent global luxury new energy technology brand. In terms of design philosophy, FREELANDER blends modern technological aesthetics to create an original design that combines luxury and tech aesthetics.
In terms of technological collaboration, the cooperative innovation between FREELANDER and Huawei Qiankun has achieved progress. Through in-depth joint tuning, they have created the world’s first i-ATS Smart All-Terrain System, incorporating high-thread LiDAR data to enable millisecond-level responsiveness based on real-time terrain, automatically matching the optimal mode. Additionally, FREELANDER will be the first to feature Qualcomm’s latest generation 8397 automotive-grade chips across its entire lineup, standardizing the 800V high-voltage range-extending platform, and, in collaboration with CATL, developing the first all-terrain specific Xiaoyao-Zeng Hybrid battery to accomplish “Assisted Driving, Smart Cockpit, and Power Battery” technologies.
One of FREELANDER’s technological highlights is its distinction as the world’s first product line to feature Huawei Qiankun’s intelligent driving solution, especially notable for the first model globally equipped with 896-line LiDAR as an all-terrain SUV. The i-ATS Smart All-Terrain System, after six rounds of calibrations and validations across 20 complex terrains, provides a stable driving experience on urban roads while showcasing off-road capabilities in challenging conditions. The core of this system lies in the support of “Three Locks” at the front, middle, and rear, coupled with a closed double-chamber air suspension adjustment range, enhancing the vehicle’s performance in off-road scenarios.
In terms of market strategy, the FREELANDER plans to launch 6 models within 5 years. The first new model will debut in China in the second half of this year, with overseas versions also under development. In the future, it aims to gradually cover key global markets. By strictly adhering to safety certifications of various countries, all models will be ensured to meet global safety standards.
This article is a translation by AI of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.