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British-designed Freelander 8 debuts in Shanghai, ahead of Middle East launch
The successful showcase in Shanghai reinforced Freelander's global ambitions, supporting its plans to enter 90 countries and establish 1,100 touchpoints worldwide in the next five years
- PUBLISHED: Fri 12 Jun 2026, 2:51 PM
The Freelander 8 made its global debut at the Abu Dhabi Investment Forum, held at The Peninsula Shanghai on June 11, marking a significant milestone for the global premium new energy vehicle brand.
The event served as a significant step in Freelander's global journey as it came ahead of the official Middle East launch in Abu Dhabi, highlighting the region’s role as the company’s first strategic international market.
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During the forum, the Freelander International leadership team engaged with senior stakeholders on the brand's international growth strategy and opportunities for expansion across key global markets.
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The successful showcase in Shanghai further reinforced Freelander's global ambitions, supporting its plans to enter 90 countries and establish 1,100 touchpoints worldwide within the next five years.
Lucia Mao emphasised the Middle East was carefully selected as Freelander's first international market due to its strong affinity for premium SUVs, robust economic growth, and strategic geographical position.
She also confirmed that Freelander is actively preparing for the brand launch, which will take place in Abu Dhabi and serve as a key milestone in the brand's international expansion strategy and gateway to the broader GCC markets.
Freelander 8 attracted significant attention from forum participants, with many business leaders and investors expressing interest in the brand-new product combined with premium, technology and all-terrain capability in one vehicle.
Unprecedented collaboration
This successful showcase at the Abu Dhabi Investment Forum positions Freelander perfectly to capitalise on the growing demand for premium intelligent new energy vehicles in the Middle East and beyond, as it embarks on its mission to reshape British heritage through intelligent innovation.
Freelander is uniquely positioned as a British premium intelligent all-terrain brand, co-created by Jaguar Land Rover and Chery, building on the legacy of the iconic nameplate first introduced in 1997.
Jaguar Land Rover leads the design, while Chery empowers the future with the leading new energy technologies and global top-tier supply chain integration. This unprecedented collaboration creates a brand that seamlessly combines British design, intelligent innovation, and authentic all-terrain capability.
