Remember the Freelander? Land Rover’s once-familiar family off-roader has returned, but it has clearly been spending time in the gym. Meet the new Freelander 8, a colossal 5.1-metre SUV developed by the Chery Jaguar Land Rover joint venture in China. And this time, it’s bringing some seriously impressive numbers to the party.

The five-seat version has officially begun customer deliveries in China, joining the six-seat model that arrived earlier. Prices start at 309,900 yuan (approximately $46,520), although promotional discounts reduce that figure to 289,900 yuan.

Underneath its substantial bodywork sits a range-extender powertrain. A 1.5-litre petrol engine acts as a generator, supplying electricity to a 60.3 kWh CATL battery. The result is an electric driving range of up to 310 km (193 miles) on China’s CLTC test cycle. Fast charging is equally impressive, with a 20-80 per cent recharge taking just 12 minutes.

However, the real party trick is its dual-motor drivetrain. With 818 bhp and 813 Nm of torque available, the Freelander 8 can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in just 4.6 seconds. That’s properly rapid for something this size.

There’s also rear-wheel steering, dual-chamber air suspension, Huawei-developed intelligent all-terrain technology and a two-tonne towing capacity.

Inside, occupants get a huge panoramic display, massage seats, a built-in fridge and a cavernous 935-litre boot.

Whether it can match the legendary off-road ability of its predecessors remains to be seen. But with supercar-bothering acceleration and luxury-car equipment, the Freelander has certainly returned with a bang.