Land Rover’s fancy Freelander 8 EREV reveals high-tech, ultra-luxe interior

This one is about a car, not a home upgrade, but here's the gist. Land Rover has shown off the interior of its new Freelander 8, a luxury SUV built for the Chinese market with Chery. Photos posted on Chinese social media show a six-seat cabin with reclining "zero gravity" second-row seats that heat, cool, and massage, plus a ceiling-mounted entertainment screen, a 46.3-inch dashboard display, a 15.6-inch touchscreen, and crystal-style knobs meant to echo luxury-watch design.

Under the styling, the Freelander 8 is what's called an EREV, a plug-in vehicle with a gas engine that recharges the battery once it runs low, extending range beyond what the battery alone provides. Land Rover says it gets more than 135 miles of electric-only range on the Chinese test cycle from a 60.3 kWh battery, with the gas range extender adding more distance after that.

None of this affects home energy upgrades or rebates, so there's nothing for a homeowner to act on here. It's simply a look at how one automaker is blending plug-in electric range with a gas backup engine and heavy luxury features for a specific overseas market.