On August 14, the FREELANDER 8, jointly developed by Chery and Jaguar Land Rover and teased for nearly half a year, officially opened for pre-sale.
The new vehicle targets the NEV mid-to-large six-seat SUV segment, directly benchmarking against domestic mainstream models such as the Li Auto L series and AITO M series, while also facing fierce competition from traditional luxury SUVs.
Regarding versions and pricing, the large six-seat model launches three regular versions: the Pro version with a pre-sale price of RMB 349,900, the Max version at RMB 379,900, and the Max+ version at RMB 429,900; the First Edition, limited to 1,000 units, is priced at RMB 459,900. The large five-seat version is also open for pre-order simultaneously, with a starting price of RMB 339,900.
According to Asia Display Research, the interior of the FREELANDER 8 adopts a T-shaped bridge layout. The biggest highlight of the cockpit hardware lies in the dual Mini LED screen combination: a 46.3-inch 8K panoramic remote screen integrated with HUD/PHUD (Head-Up Display/Panoramic Head-Up Display) functions, paired with a 15.6-inch Mini LED central control screen, creating a dual-tier central control setup. The upper remote screen handles situational awareness information output, while the lower central control screen is responsible for vehicle control and interaction. Asia Display Research has also compiled the complete Mini LED supply chain information behind this cockpit setup.
FREELANDER 8 Mini LED Display Supply Chain: BOE and Longli Technology Collaborate for Implementation
The most recognizable feature of the FREELANDER 8 cockpit is the massive remote display strip spanning the dashboard, which enables integrated HUD/PHUD display. This 46.3-inch remote screen is provided by BOE With a screen width of 1.2 meters, it is 30 centimeters wider than similar remote screens on the market, equivalent to adding the horizontal viewing area of two smartphones; the backlight solution comes from Longli Technology's Mini LED backlight, achieving an 8K ultra-high definition resolution of 7680×46.
The screen's peak brightness can reach 1,000 nits, remaining clear and readable even under direct strong light; it features a 98% NTSC wide color gamut, 16.7 million color display, and full viewing angle characteristics.
In terms of functional division, the 46.3-inch remote screen mainly outputs driving, navigation, intelligent driving, and all-terrain vehicle information; interactive operations such as vehicle settings and audio-visual entertainment are handled by the 15.6-inch Mini LED central control screen. This central control screen is also equipped with Longli Technology's Mini LED backlight local dimming solution, featuring a total of 2,304 independent dimming zones, a zone density of approximately 148 zones per square inch, and a picture contrast ratio of up to 12.5x.
10 Vehicle Models in 2026: The Head Effect Emerges in the Mini LED Automotive Supply Chain
According to statistics from Asia Display Research, 10 key vehicle models have achieved mass production and installation of Mini LED backlight automotive screens in 2026, showing the following trends from the product and supply chain perspectives:
■ Product Perspective
1. Mini LED backlights are concentrated in the 2026 flagship/high-end models of various brands, which has become a core differentiating selling point for smart cockpits, supporting automakers in upgrading their products to higher tiers.
2. The screen sizes of the statistical models range from 15.1 inches (Lotus FOR ME central control screen) to 48 inches (NIO ES9 SkyLine screen). Large/ultra-large screens of 20 inches and above account for over 60%, and large-size adaptability is a core technical advantage of Mini LED backlights.
3. Explosion of multi-screen and customized cockpit forms: Over half of the models adopt multi-screen combination solutions; in addition to traditional central control and passenger entertainment screens, customized innovative automotive forms such as sky screens, starry sky screens, and remote screens are successively launched, focusing on scenario-based development for the cockpit.
■ Mini LED Supply Chain Perspective
1. Automakers implement a multi-supplier strategy: Models with existing supply chain information all select leading industry suppliers. Many projects adopt a dual/multi-supplier model, which not only ensures the stability of complete vehicle delivery but also accelerates the maturation of the automotive Mini LED supply chain.
2. The echelon pattern of the supply chain is taking shape: HIWAY, Refond, Longli Technology, BOE, and Tianma Microelectronics form the main supply echelon, covering over 80% of the disclosed automotive projects. Among them, HIWAY has performed outstandingly in the 2026 automotive Mini LED market and is a core module assembly partner for multiple high-end new forces.
According to data from HIWAY Technology's mid-2026 report, its market share in NEV pre-installed Mini LED automotive display assemblies exceeds 49.9%, accounting for nearly half of the market; its main supporting projects include the NIO full-series sky/panoramic screens, Zeekr 8X/9X, the facelifted Li Auto L9, and the ONVO series, etc.
As a core supplier of backlight components, Refond has connected with multiple domestic and overseas automaker projects, achieving mass production and implementation for models such as the NIO ES9 and WEY V9X in 2026. According to data predictions from the "2026 Mini LED Consumer and Automotive Application Research White Paper" to be released soon by Asia Display Research Research, its automotive Mini LED backlight business revenue is expected to achieve a year-on-year doubling in the first half of 2026. It provides backlight components for assembly manufacturers such as HIWAY and BOE, with products covering multiple automotive display scenarios including central control, instrument panels, HUDs, and electronic rearview mirrors.
Longli Technology takes the automotive business as a strategic focus, and its Mini LED automotive backlight has achieved large-scale mass production. It continues to expand into new cockpit display applications such as smart cockpits and HUD/PHUD. The current FREELANDER 8 project is a representative implementation case of its dual Mini LED solution for remote screens and central control screens.
Notably, Zhang Mengcheng, Head of Optical Development at HIWAY Technology; Zhu Jianfei, R&D Technical Expert at Refond; and Peng Yi, Dean of the Innovation Research Institute at Longli Technology, will attend the "2026 Mini LED Backlight Picture Quality Advancement Trend Analysis Conference" hosted by Asia Display Research in Shenzhen on September 8, to share the latest progress in automotive Mini LED backlights.