{"success":true,"data":{"pressRelease":{"id":"174181","rtpr_id":"nGNXblxnVt-20261020","ticker":"9973","exchange":"HKEX","all_tickers":["9973"],"title":"FREELANDER Debuts International Five-Seat FREELANDER 8 and Announces AI Voice Assistant at FREELANDER Nightfall","author":"Globe Newswire","published_at":"2026-10-20T13:04:20.109Z","article_body":"SHANGHAI, Oct. 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FREELANDER hosted FREELANDER\nNightfall at the Hengli Hotel in Wuhu on 19 October as part of the 2026 Chery\nInternational User Summit. At the brand evening, the brand displayed the\ninternational five-seat version of FREELANDER 8 for the first time, announced\nits AI Voice Assistant, confirmed that FREELANDER 8 is expected to launch in\nthe UAE in the first quarter of 2027 and signed partnership agreements with\nnew partners in Bahrain and Oman.\n\nThe evening followed the first test drive of the international variant of\nFREELANDER 8, held earlier that day at Tuju Campground. Guests were welcomed\nby Mornine, an embodied AI humanoid robot from Chery International’s AiMOGA\nbrand, before exploring FREELANDER 8 on display and joining the stage\nprogramme.\n\n\n\nFREELANDER Nightfall - Group photo featuring speakers, group executives and\ndealer representatives\n\nInternational Five-Seat Debut and British Design\n\nAlongside the six-seat version, the international five-seat version of\nFREELANDER 8 made its first public appearance, giving customers a choice of\ntwo-row and three-row layouts.\n\nMr Phil Simmons, EVP of the FREELANDER Design Hub, who was part of the team\nthat designed the original Freelander launched in 1997, shared the design\nstory behind FREELANDER 8. He highlighted the Castle-Style Body Design, the\nYacht-Style Waistline and the Iconic Triangle Window, whose shape holds the\nletters F and L.\n\n“You can see the family look: simple surfaces, soft lines, a friendly face.\nFREELANDER 8 keeps that spirit — but it is bigger, more modern and more\npremium,” said Mr Simmons.\n\n\n\nMr Phil Simmons, EVP of the FREELANDER Design Hub, presents the design of\nFREELANDER 8 at FREELANDER Nightfall\n\nAI Voice Assistant\n\nMs Lucia Mao, CEO of FREELANDER International, announced the AI Voice\nAssistant, powered by a large language model and tailored for FREELANDER.\nDesigned to bring more natural conversations and a deeper understanding of the\nvehicle, it builds on the intelligent cockpit of FREELANDER 8, which is\npowered by the Qualcomm SA8295P Automotive-Grade Chip and features a 46.3-inch\nMini LED far-side screen, with L2+ driver assistance as standard.\n\n\n\nMs Lucia Mao, CEO of FREELANDER International, introduces the AI Voice\nAssistant at FREELANDER Nightfall\n\nThree-Phase Roll-out and UAE Launch Timing\n\nFREELANDER also shared its three-phase international roll-out. Phase one\nbegins in the UAE and expands across the Middle East and international\nleft-hand drive markets. Phase two enters right-hand drive markets,\nprioritising Australia and New Zealand. Phase three enters continental Europe,\nfollowed by the United Kingdom and Ireland.\n\nFREELANDER 8 is expected to launch in the UAE in the first quarter of 2027,\nwhen the brand will share further details on space, safety and service, along\nwith specifications and pricing.\n\n“For me, bringing FREELANDER to the world means more than entering new\nmarkets. It means earning the trust of our customers, every day. That takes a\ngreat product, strong local partners and service people can rely on,” said\nMs Mao.\n\nNew Partners in Bahrain and Oman\n\nThe evening also featured a signing ceremony with two new partners in the\nMiddle East. Mr Tim Zhang, General Manager of the Middle East Region, Chery\nInternational, signed partnership agreements on behalf of FREELANDER with EK\nKanoo Group in Bahrain and Saud Bahwan Group in Oman, witnessed by Ms Mao. Mr\nTalal Fuad Ebrahim Kanoo, Managing Director of EK Kanoo Group, signed for the\nBahrain partner. Mr Abdullah Mohammed Saud Bahwan, CEO of Saud Bahwan Group,\nsigned for the Oman partner.\n\nThe agreements extend FREELANDER’s network in the region, where Al Tayer\nMotors and Premier Motors are its official dealer partners in the UAE.\n\nBeyond the Legend\n\nFREELANDER’s programme at the Summit continues with test drives on an\nobstacle course and a paved test course on 21 October. Together, the programme\nshows how FREELANDER 8 brings together premium heritage, intelligent\ntechnology and all-terrain capability. This combination reflects the brand\nslogan “Beyond the Legend” and its vision of building on its heritage\nthrough intelligent innovation and distinctive design.\n\nAbout FREELANDER\n\nFREELANDER is a British Premium Intelligent All-Terrain Brand, jointly\ndeveloped by JLR and Chery Group. JLR owns the FREELANDER brand and has\nestablished a dedicated FREELANDER Design Hub to lead its design. Chery\nprovides advanced intelligent technology and a top-tier global supply chain.\nThe brand’s global foundation includes more than 5,000 employees, five\nstrategic hubs and fully integrated capabilities spanning design, R&D,\nmanufacturing and global operations.\n\nMedia contact\nDaniel Bao\nfreelander.international@mychery.com\nhttps://www.cheryinternational.com/\n\nPhotos accompanying this announcement are available at \n\nhttps://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c0d39c41-2a6d-4c0b-8fcb-d1444275fcb5\n\nhttps://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6f0ce3ec-587f-48f7-9f3a-1efd543af130\n\nhttps://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cde36697-3937-4d20-894d-1f6437d05c7f\nImage 1 \n(https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c0d39c41-2a6d-4c0b-8fcb-d1444275fcb5/en)\nFREELANDER Nightfall - Group photo featuring speakers, group executives and\ndealer representativesImage 2 \n(https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6f0ce3ec-587f-48f7-9f3a-1efd543af130/en)\nMr Phil Simmons, EVP of the FREELANDER Design Hub, presents the design of\nFREELANDER 8 at FREELANDER NightfallImage 3 \n(https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cde36697-3937-4d20-894d-1f6437d05c7f/en)\nMs Lucia Mao, CEO of FREELANDER International, introduces the AI Voice\nAssistant at FREELANDER Nightfall\n\n\nGlobeNewswire, Inc. 2026","article_body_html":"","raw_payload":{"data":{"id":"nGNXblxnVt-20261020","title":"FREELANDER Debuts International Five-Seat FREELANDER 8 and Announces AI Voice Assistant at FREELANDER Nightfall","author":"Globe Newswire","ticker":"9973","created":"2026-10-20T13:04:20.109Z","tickers":["9973"],"exchange":"HKEX","article_body":"SHANGHAI, Oct. 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FREELANDER hosted FREELANDER\nNightfall at the Hengli Hotel in Wuhu on 19 October as part of the 2026 Chery\nInternational User Summit. At the brand evening, the brand displayed the\ninternational five-seat version of FREELANDER 8 for the first time, announced\nits AI Voice Assistant, confirmed that FREELANDER 8 is expected to launch in\nthe UAE in the first quarter of 2027 and signed partnership agreements with\nnew partners in Bahrain and Oman.\n\nThe evening followed the first test drive of the international variant of\nFREELANDER 8, held earlier that day at Tuju Campground. Guests were welcomed\nby Mornine, an embodied AI humanoid robot from Chery International’s AiMOGA\nbrand, before exploring FREELANDER 8 on display and joining the stage\nprogramme.\n\n\n\nFREELANDER Nightfall - Group photo featuring speakers, group executives and\ndealer representatives\n\nInternational Five-Seat Debut and British Design\n\nAlongside the six-seat version, the international five-seat version of\nFREELANDER 8 made its first public appearance, giving customers a choice of\ntwo-row and three-row layouts.\n\nMr Phil Simmons, EVP of the FREELANDER Design Hub, who was part of the team\nthat designed the original Freelander launched in 1997, shared the design\nstory behind FREELANDER 8. He highlighted the Castle-Style Body Design, the\nYacht-Style Waistline and the Iconic Triangle Window, whose shape holds the\nletters F and L.\n\n“You can see the family look: simple surfaces, soft lines, a friendly face.\nFREELANDER 8 keeps that spirit — but it is bigger, more modern and more\npremium,” said Mr Simmons.\n\n\n\nMr Phil Simmons, EVP of the FREELANDER Design Hub, presents the design of\nFREELANDER 8 at FREELANDER Nightfall\n\nAI Voice Assistant\n\nMs Lucia Mao, CEO of FREELANDER International, announced the AI Voice\nAssistant, powered by a large language model and tailored for FREELANDER.\nDesigned to bring more natural conversations and a deeper understanding of the\nvehicle, it builds on the intelligent cockpit of FREELANDER 8, which is\npowered by the Qualcomm SA8295P Automotive-Grade Chip and features a 46.3-inch\nMini LED far-side screen, with L2+ driver assistance as standard.\n\n\n\nMs Lucia Mao, CEO of FREELANDER International, introduces the AI Voice\nAssistant at FREELANDER Nightfall\n\nThree-Phase Roll-out and UAE Launch Timing\n\nFREELANDER also shared its three-phase international roll-out. Phase one\nbegins in the UAE and expands across the Middle East and international\nleft-hand drive markets. Phase two enters right-hand drive markets,\nprioritising Australia and New Zealand. Phase three enters continental Europe,\nfollowed by the United Kingdom and Ireland.\n\nFREELANDER 8 is expected to launch in the UAE in the first quarter of 2027,\nwhen the brand will share further details on space, safety and service, along\nwith specifications and pricing.\n\n“For me, bringing FREELANDER to the world means more than entering new\nmarkets. It means earning the trust of our customers, every day. That takes a\ngreat product, strong local partners and service people can rely on,” said\nMs Mao.\n\nNew Partners in Bahrain and Oman\n\nThe evening also featured a signing ceremony with two new partners in the\nMiddle East. Mr Tim Zhang, General Manager of the Middle East Region, Chery\nInternational, signed partnership agreements on behalf of FREELANDER with EK\nKanoo Group in Bahrain and Saud Bahwan Group in Oman, witnessed by Ms Mao. Mr\nTalal Fuad Ebrahim Kanoo, Managing Director of EK Kanoo Group, signed for the\nBahrain partner. Mr Abdullah Mohammed Saud Bahwan, CEO of Saud Bahwan Group,\nsigned for the Oman partner.\n\nThe agreements extend FREELANDER’s network in the region, where Al Tayer\nMotors and Premier Motors are its official dealer partners in the UAE.\n\nBeyond the Legend\n\nFREELANDER’s programme at the Summit continues with test drives on an\nobstacle course and a paved test course on 21 October. Together, the programme\nshows how FREELANDER 8 brings together premium heritage, intelligent\ntechnology and all-terrain capability. This combination reflects the brand\nslogan “Beyond the Legend” and its vision of building on its heritage\nthrough intelligent innovation and distinctive design.\n\nAbout FREELANDER\n\nFREELANDER is a British Premium Intelligent All-Terrain Brand, jointly\ndeveloped by JLR and Chery Group. JLR owns the FREELANDER brand and has\nestablished a dedicated FREELANDER Design Hub to lead its design. Chery\nprovides advanced intelligent technology and a top-tier global supply chain.\nThe brand’s global foundation includes more than 5,000 employees, five\nstrategic hubs and fully integrated capabilities spanning design, R&D,\nmanufacturing and global operations.\n\nMedia contact\nDaniel Bao\nfreelander.international@mychery.com\nhttps://www.cheryinternational.com/\n\nPhotos accompanying this announcement are available at \n\nhttps://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c0d39c41-2a6d-4c0b-8fcb-d1444275fcb5\n\nhttps://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6f0ce3ec-587f-48f7-9f3a-1efd543af130\n\nhttps://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cde36697-3937-4d20-894d-1f6437d05c7f\nImage 1 \n(https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c0d39c41-2a6d-4c0b-8fcb-d1444275fcb5/en)\nFREELANDER Nightfall - Group photo featuring speakers, group executives and\ndealer representativesImage 2 \n(https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6f0ce3ec-587f-48f7-9f3a-1efd543af130/en)\nMr Phil Simmons, EVP of the FREELANDER Design Hub, presents the design of\nFREELANDER 8 at FREELANDER NightfallImage 3 \n(https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cde36697-3937-4d20-894d-1f6437d05c7f/en)\nMs Lucia Mao, CEO of FREELANDER International, introduces the AI Voice\nAssistant at FREELANDER Nightfall\n\n\nGlobeNewswire, Inc. 2026"},"type":"article","timestamp":"2026-10-20T13:04:20.152981867Z","server_sent_at_ms":1792501460152},"received_at":"2026-10-20T13:04:20.204Z","source_url":null},"analysis":{"id":"162246","press_release_id":"174181","analysis_json":{"industry":{"label":"Automobiles","sector":"Consumer Discretionary"},"redFlags":[],"eventType":"product_launch","narrative":"FREELANDER, the British all-terrain brand jointly developed by JLR and Chery Group, debuted the international five-seat FREELANDER 8 and announced an LLM-powered AI Voice Assistant at its Nightfall brand event in Wuhu.\n\nThe brand confirmed FREELANDER 8 is expected to launch in the UAE in Q1 2027, the first phase of a three-phase roll-out spanning the Middle East, Australia/New Zealand, and eventually Europe and the UK.\n\nFREELANDER also signed distribution agreements with EK Kanoo Group in Bahrain and Saud Bahwan Group in Oman, extending its Middle East dealer network.","sentiment":"bullish","agentHooks":{"shouldPost":false,"suggestedAngle":"Chery's FREELANDER brand scales internationally with a Q1 2027 UAE launch and new Gulf distribution partners."},"keyFigures":{"customDimensions":{"chip":"Qualcomm SA8295P","screen":"46.3-inch Mini LED far-side screen","employees":"more than 5,000","uae_launch":"Q1 2027","strategic_hubs":5}},"quotedText":"For me, bringing FREELANDER to the world means more than entering new markets. It means earning the trust of our customers, every day.","namedEntities":{"people":[{"name":"Lucia Mao","role":"CEO of FREELANDER International"},{"name":"Phil Simmons","role":"EVP of the FREELANDER Design Hub"},{"name":"Tim Zhang","role":"General Manager of the Middle East Region, Chery International"},{"name":"Talal Fuad Ebrahim Kanoo","role":"Managing Director of EK Kanoo Group"},{"name":"Abdullah Mohammed Saud Bahwan","role":"CEO of Saud Bahwan Group"}],"products":["FREELANDER 8","AI Voice Assistant","Mornine humanoid robot","Qualcomm SA8295P Automotive-Grade Chip"],"companies":[{"name":"Chery Group","ticker":"9973","relationship":"filer / joint developer"},{"name":"JLR","relationship":"joint developer and FREELANDER brand owner"},{"name":"EK Kanoo Group","relationship":"distribution partner (Bahrain)"},{"name":"Saud Bahwan Group","relationship":"distribution partner (Oman)"},{"name":"Al Tayer Motors","relationship":"UAE dealer partner"},{"name":"Premier Motors","relationship":"UAE dealer partner"}],"dollarAmounts":[]},"materialImpact":{"score":2,"reasoning":"Brand showcase event debuting the five-seat FREELANDER 8, announcing an AI Voice Assistant, confirming a Q1 2027 UAE launch, and signing distribution partners in Bahrain and Oman. Positive commercial progress but no financial figures and the launch is months away."},"tickerRelevance":{"others":[],"primary":"9973"},"globalImportance":20,"audienceRelevance":18,"eventTypeSecondary":["partnership"],"importanceComponents":{"tickerTier":"large-cap foreign issuer (HK-listed Chery)","eventGravity":"brand showcase / product debut, no financial figures","geographicRelevance":"international expansion but no US investor angle","householdBrandBoost":"moderate via JLR Freelander heritage"}},"event_type":"product_launch","event_type_secondary":["partnership"],"sentiment":"bullish","material_impact_score":2,"narrative":"FREELANDER, the British all-terrain brand jointly developed by JLR and Chery Group, debuted the international five-seat FREELANDER 8 and announced an LLM-powered AI Voice Assistant at its Nightfall brand event in Wuhu.\n\nThe brand confirmed FREELANDER 8 is expected to launch in the UAE in Q1 2027, the first phase of a three-phase roll-out spanning the Middle East, Australia/New Zealand, and eventually Europe and the UK.\n\nFREELANDER also signed distribution agreements with EK Kanoo Group in Bahrain and Saud Bahwan Group in Oman, extending its Middle East dealer network.","key_figures":{"customDimensions":{"chip":"Qualcomm SA8295P","screen":"46.3-inch Mini LED far-side screen","employees":"more than 5,000","uae_launch":"Q1 2027","strategic_hubs":5}},"named_entities":{"people":[{"name":"Lucia Mao","role":"CEO of FREELANDER International"},{"name":"Phil Simmons","role":"EVP of the FREELANDER Design Hub"},{"name":"Tim Zhang","role":"General Manager of the Middle East Region, Chery International"},{"name":"Talal Fuad Ebrahim Kanoo","role":"Managing Director of EK Kanoo Group"},{"name":"Abdullah Mohammed Saud Bahwan","role":"CEO of Saud Bahwan Group"}],"products":["FREELANDER 8","AI Voice Assistant","Mornine humanoid robot","Qualcomm SA8295P Automotive-Grade Chip"],"companies":[{"name":"Chery Group","ticker":"9973","relationship":"filer / joint developer"},{"name":"JLR","relationship":"joint developer and FREELANDER brand owner"},{"name":"EK Kanoo Group","relationship":"distribution partner (Bahrain)"},{"name":"Saud Bahwan Group","relationship":"distribution partner (Oman)"},{"name":"Al Tayer Motors","relationship":"UAE dealer partner"},{"name":"Premier Motors","relationship":"UAE dealer partner"}],"dollarAmounts":[]},"model_name":"glm-5.3-flashx","prompt_hash":"sha256:5c812bd9e28b810d","schema_hash":"sha256:05005c02d9cffac9","created_at":"2026-10-20T13:04:26.681Z","global_importance":20,"audience_relevance":18,"importance_components":{"tickerTier":"large-cap foreign issuer (HK-listed Chery)","eventGravity":"brand showcase / product debut, no financial figures","geographicRelevance":"international expansion but no US investor angle","householdBrandBoost":"moderate via JLR Freelander heritage"}},"durationMs":6463,"modelName":"glm-5.3-flashx"}}