Freelander 8 Ready to Launch, Sophisticated Cabin Full of Screens and Snapdragon 8397

JAKARTA - Details of the interior of the Freelander 8 from Chery-JLR were revealed ahead of the launch scheduled for August. This large SUV carries a full-screen cabin, Snapdragon 8397 processor, 23-speaker audio system, up to a third row of seats with heating and ventilation.

CarNewsChina quoted Sunday, July 26, reported that the latest information came from the Chinese automotive media, Autohome. This detail emerged when the Freelander 8 was undergoing a dealer roadshow in 30 cities in China.

The main highlight is on the cabin computing device. The Freelander 8 is reported to use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8397 automotive processor. This chip is claimed to have three times higher CPU performance and 12 times greater NPU performance compared to the Snapdragon 8295.

The CPU is the main processing center on a computer. While NPU is a special part that handles artificial intelligence or AI work.

Freelander 8 also adopts Huawei Qiankun ADS driving assistance technology. This system was previously revealed as part of the SUV's smart vehicle hardware package.

In the front, the Freelander 8 relies on a 46.3-inch panoramic glass screen. There is also a 17.3-inch rear headliner screen for passengers.

The cockpit is equipped with two crystal optical rotary knobs. The cabin uses open-pore genuine wood trim, recycled aluminum, and Nappa leather upholstery.

Open-pore is a wood finish that retains the natural texture of the wood surface. Nappa leather is usually used for premium upholstery material because it feels smoother.

The storage feature is also taken seriously. This SUV has a 22-liter center console compartment and an electric dashboard drawer of 7.3 liters that is protected by a password.

There are also two air-cooled wireless chargers with 50 watts of power each.

The second row is one of the most prominent parts. The manufacturer calls this area the Downton Abbey Living Room or Downton Abbey living room.

The second row seat on the right side can be reclined up to 145 degrees. The seat is also equipped with an electric footrest that can be adjusted in four directions.

Two captain seat models in the second row are reported to have heating, ventilation, and 16-point massage. Passengers also get a folding table, a USB Type-C port that can display the contents of the device screen to the car screen, and a 10-liter temperature control compartment.

The compartment can work from minus 6 degrees Celsius to 50 degrees Celsius. This means that this small space can be used to cool or warm certain items during the trip.

The Freelander 8 cabin is also equipped with a Harman Kardon 23-speaker audio system with a 7.1.4 channel configuration. To dampen the sound from the outside, Chery-JLR installed a two-layer acoustic glass and an active noise suppressor.

The third row is not left as it is. The backmost seat gets 960 mm headroom under a 1.15-meter-long glass roof called the Skylight Corridor.

The third row seats are also noted to have heating and ventilation. Features like this are not commonly mentioned specifically for third row seats of SUVs.

Previous regulatory documents show the Freelander 8 has a length of 5,118 mm, a width of 2,050 mm, and a height of 1,898 mm. Its wheelbase reaches 3,040 mm.

Previous reports also said the SUV uses an 800-volt extended-range electric platform and batteries from CATL. Extended-range means the car is driven by an electric motor, but has an additional engine or system to help extend the range.

China EV DataTracker data shows Land Rover recorded 3,283 vehicle deliveries in China in June. That's up from 997 units in May.

The increase coincides with the scrap price to finish off the remaining locally produced Land Rover models before Chery-JLR switches to the new Freelander product line.

The Freelander 8 is scheduled to launch in August. CarNewsChina said the final price and complete production specifications have not been announced.