Land Rover has now completed new versions of the Discovery, launched the Range Rover Sport and brought out a totally revised Freelander in just three years. And you can tell that the latest launch, Freelander 2, is very much cast of the same metal, with a strong family resemblance to the Sport and many internal and 'under the skin' components from the Discovery.
Land Rover Freelander
It just looks more handsome, more rugged, and is a thoroughly more pleasant place to be in than the outgoing model, itself a huge seller since launch in 1996. Out has gone the 2.0 diesel, in comes a more powerful, frugal and satisfying 2.2 unit, and the interior is simply unrecognisable.The whole design is more unified, with better materials, which feel tighter and more 'car-like' overall, with more comfortable and height adjustable seats and steering wheel, more useable storage and the kind of gadgets you expect now from a £21,000 car.
The gearbox is 6-speed, allowing plenty of torque to move away using low revs in high gear, and comfortable cruising, without any drama getting up to speed. Handling, on twisty roads on a wet day, was composed for a car that weighs 2.5 tonnes and stands taller, wider and longer than before, yet actually makes you feel more part of it, rather than 'on it' in the original car.The boot space is actually larger and headroom better in all 5 seats, and the tailgate hinges are now at the top rather than side so access is much easier. A simple change, but it shows that the designers have challenged everything to make this car better.
Freelander console
And it's still a proper Land Rover and does work off road. A Land Rover Experience instructor assured me it handled the course at Rockingham Castle without any problems, even on road tyres. It comes with 4 choices of off-road mode, Roll, Dynamic Stability and Corner Brake controls, ABS, Brake Assist and Brake Force Distribution and 7 airbags. I could go on - the general feeling is much more of everything and bang up to date, even on the entry S model.
The Freelander 2 is clearly a more upmarket car now, with the entry price of £20,995 around £3,000 more than the outgoing model, though this is for the 5 door model. With the top HSE spec at £30,935 including full leather, sat nav, puddle lamps, heated seats and more, there's a version, in diesel or 3.2 petrol, for everyone.
* On general sale from Jan 1 2007 Marshall Land Rover, by the Showcase Cinema, Peterborough, PE1 5AU Tel: 01733 566767