The baby Land Rover has been with us since 1997 and like all replacements has grown. Boot space is 38% bigger and the cabin is larger making it a genuinely spacious family vehicle.
The family resemblance to the very handsome Range Rover Sport is undeniable and has to be the strongest selling point. Freelander 2, unlike the new CRV from Honda or Toyota’s Rav4, is happy to puff out its chest and say it’s an AWD (All Wheel Drive) vehicle. The only thing I miss on the outside is the quirky but useful rear electric tailgate window that could be operated by the press of a button.
Freelander 2 now has a rear that is near identical to the much more expensive Range Rover Sport. The exterior on my HSE version is enhanced by huge 18-inch alloys that come as standard. The five-seat Freelander 2 also gets a striking front end that gives the SUV strong road presence.
Inside is a very nice place to be. My top spec HSE test car (€55K+) features all the toys. Behind the wheel I have a tall commanding driving position and all the controls are light and easy to the touch. The Range Rover influence is ever present in this car and infectious. I am sure if I had the vehicle any longer I would have felt compelled to join the ‘horsy set’ and buy my kids ponies!
Build quality was an issue with the original Freelander but I am glad to say it has improved massively with this latest Halewood built car. There are plenty of party tricks and options available such as keyless start and stop, adaptive headlights, sat nav, parking radar (front and rear) and an ipod/mp3 connector which comes as standard.
Land Rover doesn’t make two-wheel drive vehicles so it is no surprise to find the new Freelander has what it takes to tackle most off road conditions. My test car uses Land Rover easy to operate ‘Terrain Response’ four-wheel drive set up. This enables the driver select the right type of traction for conditions encountered by the simple twist of a dial.
On the road Freelander 2 is a revelation. This is a car you can happily spend a lot of time in.
The old entry-level 1.8 litre petrol engine is no more and is replaced by a four-cylinder 160bhp 2.2 litre turbo diesel (TD4). This engine is just right as it delivers strong pulling power (400nm) and good fuel consumption returning on average 7.5l/100km or 37.7mpg. Freelander 2 makes respectable progress with a 0-100km/h time of 11.7 seconds using the standard six-speed manual gearbox.
If you have cash to burn a 233bhp, 3.2 litre V6 petrol engined car is available that can sprint from 0-100km/h in just 8.9 seconds, but thanks to VRT the price is crazy.
€42,000 can get you a Freelander 2, a car that bucks the latest trend towards more subtle looking SUVs. It projects a rugged image it can deliver on and I like it.
Michael Sheridan
