Look at the Land Rover Freelander 2 and you think at first that it’s a neat facelift. Look harder, though, and you see it’s a lot more than that. This bigger, better, pricier Freelander is entirely new, with not a single significant part carried over from the old one. Prices start at little more than old-model five-door money – there are no three-doors this time – but at a price range that peaks at well over $50,000, placing the Freelander 2 into BMW X3 territory. A territory that the Freelander 2 is now quite capable of competing in. One reason for the upsizing is the US market, where – incredibly – the more corpulent potential buyers just wouldn’t fit in the old model. The US market, unimpressed with the old car’s feeble V6, is the target for the 3.2-litre, six-cylinder engine option, too.
There’s no small-capacity four-cylinder engine this time, because that’s a market the Freelander has outgrown. The most popular engine in Europe, where the previous Freelander was frequently the best-selling 4×4, will be the 2.2-litre Td4 turbodiesel, a version of the new Peugeot-Citroen unit only available in an automatic gearbox in Australia .
As before, drive is mainly to the front wheels most of the time but it can head rearwards when needed. It kicks in in a matter of milliseconds preventing a spin from the front wheels if you move off quickly.
The new Freelander comes with the off-road goodies expected of a new Land Rover. These include Hill Descent Control, first seen in the old Freelander, Terrain Response, which tailors the front/rear torque split and ESP programming to different terrain, and – new – a Gradient Release Control which releases brake pressure progressively when you take your foot off the pedal on a very steep slope. There’s also a hill-start assistance system which maintains brake pressure for a few seconds between the release of the handbrake and the sensing of powered movement.
The Freelander 2 is based on Ford’s EU-CD (European, upper-mid-size) architecture that also underpins the, the Volvo S80 and Ford Mondeo. Obviously there are changes to suit the Land Rover’s off-road role.
The previous Freelander was a mish-mash of hard plastic mouldings inside, which sat badly with the premium pretensions, but this time it’s the real deal. Panel gaps are nice and tight and the structure feels solid and creak-free, even after close to 20,000 kms.
Owners of the old car will be very interested in this section, because the original Freelander was not known for its reliability, especially when powered by a petrol engine intolerant of neglect. Those engines have gone now and the new car’s engines, though new themselves, have reliable pedigrees. Many of the other systems are already used in other Ford or PAG products.
The Freelander has grown up into the best all-rounder in the class, some say a little expensive compared to the competition, but I reckon it’s on the money – and worth it. I’d buy one.
AUTO FACTS
Price: – $49,990 – $57,990
Engine: 3.2-litre V6 petrol, 2.2-litre V6 turbo diesel
Power: 171kW, 317Nm; 118kW, 400Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
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