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THE LIST

In our quest to fulfil our lives on every level, the ‘list’ is ever growing. Thankfully the super-beings of society can exceed our expectations by thinking Five years ahead, they can even sell us things we never even knew we needed…

I believe in the other realm they call it ‘consumerism gone mad’ or in more primordial terms ‘greed;’ one of those ugly seven sins that is always tempting us. Of course we could live without the tailored suits, indulgent dinner parties, expensive gadgets and membership to a posy racquets club, but hell, we’ve worked hard for these luxuries and besides we have an ethical conscience in other ways. If there weren’t people in executive positions then who would raise all that money for charities and pay the benefits of others who are living on the breadline. Surely as long as you appreciate the things you have and see them as an investment then you’re bound to enjoy them.
This includes buying a car, if we’re going to splash out on a new model then we need to know it’s going to go the mileage and when we sell it on, it’s going to still be desirable. Indeed society is becoming much more savvy when it comes to the art of consumerism and manufacturers have a real mission to tick all of the boxes. As with most things in life however, practice and a little bit of foresight goes along way and so it appears with the new Freelander 2, Land Rover has got the blend of wants and needs just so. They’ve even got the ethical bit in there with £85 from each Freelander being sold going to a company called Climate Care which runs C02 offset schemes. Donating this amount effectively cancels out the C02 emissions you use over a typical three years of driving so you can polish up that halo and wear it with pride.
You’ll also feel good about the fact that the Freelander 2 is a serious Off-Roader with a serious terrain response system. No fluffy marketing babble or token gesture ability to cope with a few bits of gravel on the road, this is the real deal. Be it ditches, sand dunes, rocks, precarious angles or steep hills, the new model has an absolute RightGuard approach. As on the Discovery you can select any of the four different settings by turning the knob near the gearlever to suit the various surfaces. For example when you’re on grass, gravel or snow only a certain amount of useable power is transferred to the wheels and on sand the wheels will spin quicker to allow you to gain momentum instead of sinking and first gear is engaged for longer. There is also a setting to gain the best possible traction whilst in mud and one for your standard road driving.
Unfortunately the Freelander 2 hasn’t inherited the Discovery’s air suspension yet it does have bigger wheels which give it a lot more ground clearance. Its Hill Descent Control is something carried over from the previous model and is also worth some hype. Being an Auto-Pilot type braking system it works when you take your feet off the pedals and does a very proficient job of getting you down a steep incline at an ideal rate without the wheels locking up. Starting on a slope is also assisted in the way that there’ll be a couple of seconds between you releasing the handbrake and applying the power where the brakes will automatically be engaged. Once it senses the throttle it then hands the controls back to you.
Whilst clambering the haunts of rural Dartmoor or the Yorkshire Dales, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the way it defies the logic of its bulging 2 tonne physique. Much like a WWF wrestler it’s much more acrobatic than is first apparent and this is all down to its evenly distributed mass. Having crisp and progressive disc brakes all round is another tick in the box as is the gyroscopic sensor which detects and corrects body lean. It makes a decision whether to brake the back wheels and increase the turning radius judged upon the speed and steering angle of the vehicle. This kind of technology is particularly reassuring for customers who are new to the pursuits of off-roading but let’s be honest there will only be a handful of drivers that will get the wheels dirty.
So then on to its tarmac capabilities and the benefits of its predominately front wheel drive behaviour which makes it more car-like than SUV. When you move away the rear-wheel drive is engaged to optimise the traction and anytime you encounter a possible spin it kicks in within 150 milliseconds or when the wheel slip rotation reaches 15 degrees. The Freelander 2 is steady and composed in to corners and although the suspension is pretty soft (we await a more sporty version), it is a compelling drive. You’ve also got the high seating position which gives you an advantageous view of the road ahead and its more compact frame gives it a less intrusive presence than the Discovery.
Having got shot of its not so reliable Rover K-series engine means it’s now a more enticing buy. The most popular choice of engine for the UK is likely to be the modified version of the 2.2-litre Td4 turbodiesel Peugeot-Citroen unit which produces 160bhp and 295lb ft of torque and can be mated to either a manual or automatic gearbox. The main differentiation is that it uses a single turbocharger rather than a sequential duo. Despite the lack of low-ratio gears it has plenty of low down torque so it’s more than capable of towing your boat down the motorway and right to the waters edge. There’s also a 3.2-litre straight-six petrol engine which is fairly punchy and slick but you’ll have to hold out until 3,500rpm to make full use of its 230bhp.
Although it’s quite ballsy on the power front, it does its best to keep itself out of trouble. To absorb any impact from the sides it has deep sills and facia cross rails, you also get seven airbags for all your occupants and included in this cushioning is a knee height one for the driver. Just in case you encounter any unwanted passengers on your travels, be assured that the remote control will open just the driver’s door on the first press; a second will then give free for all access.
The new Freelander 2 endeavours to fulfil all the practical requirements of a every day 4WD model too and it has to be said that its really excelled itself compared to the last model. Forget the all-singing, all-dancing bulk and funky facia colours and you’ll be pleased to know they’ve ditched the external wheel too. Instead its 50mm longer and its also gained some width, even the tailgate opens the way an estate car does. A flat loading bay is a real must on a vehicle like this and a retractable luggage blind keeps things tidy and safe. The Td4 is of course your best bet for economy, offering 37.7mpg on a combined cycle and 194g/km of C02 emissions (which you can offset). You shouldn’t have to twist someone’s arm to sell it on as the Freelander brand would have already sold itself as a second-hand buy over the next few years.
It’s certainly got a roomier and more quality feel to it since they binned the shoddy plastics and padded out the windscreen pillars with softer, tactile materials. Ok so the imitation wood on the dash doesn’t fool anyone but the general layout and fitment is very impressive. Aluminium detailing on the centre console is a nice touch as is the leather steering wheel although you only get this on the flagship HSE model. All but the base model have electronic door mirrors though and for those long journeys you’ll find the glovebox and large cupholders particularly handy.
While Land Rover has pulled their socks right up with the new Freelander, they’ve also hoiked up their prices. The entry level model starts at £20,935 and rises to a figure of £33,990 for the Mac Daddy. You only need £3K extra and you can have the Discovery Turbo Diesel SE model but the Freelander 2 does have a more compact feel and offers some of the highlights of the Range Rover Sport as well so it’s a tempting go-between. There’ll be shipped to the UK by Christmas so go easy on the lavish gifts and you’ll be able to treat yourself.

Verdict

FOR: This time it’s a serious Off-Roader with quality and reliability to back it up in a competitive market. Being around two tonne its no Nutcracker ballerina but it does have balls and pretty good handling too.
AGAINST: It’s now entering the battle zone of the BMW X3 by setting its pricing higher and although it does offer a lot for the money it is being undercut by many other SUV competitors. The suspension feels a bit soft too and we eagerly await the sportier variety.
CONCLUSION: Hats off to the market research department because the Freelander 2 really demonstrates that it knows its sectors and has all the right paraphernalia to close the deal.

Spec

ENGINE: 2,179cc, in-line four-cylinder turbodiesel
Co2 (g/km)/tax: 194g/km
POWER: 158bhp @ 4,000rpm
TORQUE (lb/ft): 295lb ft of torque at 2,000rpm
0-62mph (sec): 10.9sec
TOP SPEED: 112mph
MPG: /-/-/30.6mpg (urban/extra-urban/combined)
TRANSMISSION: Six speed auto or manual, Permanent four-wheel drive with Haldex rear axle differential
PRICE: £33,990
RIVALS: BMW X3, Toyota RAV4, Kia Sportage, Suzuki Grand Vitara, Nissan X-Trail, Honda CRV, Jeep Cherokee, Daihatsu Terios