Freelander 2 first drive

Tuesday, 18 October 2011 09:00

Hold on! This one is a real 4X4.

I know that the Range Rover is probably one of the best off-road vehicles in the world, and that the Mitsubishi Shogun is right up there with some of the best in the business, but what about some of the smaller off-road vehicles that we see while were out and about.

I like the Kia Sportage for example, and the Nissan Quashai, but for some reason they don’t feel or look like they could go off-road - Although I know that they can, but would you really want to try?

So, when Land Rover offered me a Freelander 2 to test, I first thought “will this just be another car that wants to pretend it can go off road even though in reality it’s just like all the others”. Well, actually no! The Freelander can go off- road, and actually - it does this rather well.

My first impressions: The Freelander over the years has not changed much, but with the new 2011 model, it now seems to fit right in with it’s modern new look. To be honest, the more I look at it the more it grows on me.

The other thing I have noticed is that more and more motorists are now opting for a 4x4 lookalike instead of a proper off-road vehicle. Why would anybody buy an off-road vehicle that could not actually go off-road? I maybe wrong, but it does seem to be all about image rather than practability.

On the road: I was really impressed by how the Freelander deals with the bumps and potholes, and how direct the steering felt. Overtaking in the Freelander is also not a problem, thanks to the new 2.2 190PS diesel engine. Ultimately, though, this car is more about being a real 4X4, but, it’s also a practical family car that you can take to the muddy lanes of the UK if you so desire.

Engine: The 190PS 2.2-litre diesel engine is really good, and it’s performance is really quite staggering for such a large vehicle. I like this new engine a lot - because it has lots of low down torque - and you can pretty much overtake anything that gets in your way. Top speed has also been set at a very reasonable 118mph, and 0-60 is dealt with in a respectable 8.7sec. The fuel figures are good at 40.4mpg combined - and CO2 emissions of 185g/km. The new engine is also a lot quieter and more efficient, and it has 20Nm of more torque than the outgoing engine.

Inside & out: The Freelander looks great; my test car was fitted with HSE trim, which included Windsor Cream Leather, and is one of the best trimmed cabins that I have seen in a long time. The exterior of the Freelander 2 also gets a new look for 2011, with a new front bumper incorporating new front fog bezels, and a new front grille. There are also improved headlights and tail lamps.

As I said before, the cabin is trimmed really well, and the Land Rover design team have revised the instrument dials and added four new seat styles. The main instrumentation clocks and gauges are all well set out, and cabin space and depth inside is very good; rear leg room is excellent - it also felt very snug up front. Boot space is also huge.

All the major systems you'd expect in a premium car are present in the Freelander, such as traction and stability controls. Remember, these have also been tuned to provide assistance off-road, along with the car's full-time all-wheel drive system. The Terrain Response facility could be viewed as a safety device in extreme off-road conditions. Elsewhere, the cabin boasts seven airbags - including one for the driver's knee area.

Off-road: Brilliant! There was nothing this car would not get over, get up, go down or even swim in. This car does off road like Nigel Mansell does motor racing- brilliantly! No matter how rubbish you are on the muddy stuff; the Freelander just keeps going. Press a few buttons and off you go into the mud. In fact it’s so good, all you really do is steer it. The Freelander really is a proper 4x4 that does the job it was designed to do - and like nothing else I have ever come across. Don’t forget that you will also have the beauty of doing this in one of the most stylish 4x4’s on the current market.

I recently spoke to a few Freelander owners that actually do venture away from the tarmac and even think about using the Hill Descent Control and the variable tricky conditions knob on the centre console, or actually go out of their way to test the Freelander’s wading depth of 500mm. You might be thinking that these people were all farmers, but trust me, they were just like me and you.

Would I buy one? If you want the biggest and best 4X4 on the market, then buy a Range Rover, but if you want the next best thing, buy the Freelander 2.

Land Rover Freelander 2 – HSE SD4 190PS.

Price: £36,245 exc. options
Top speed: 118mph
0-62mph: 8.7sec
Economy: 40.4mpg (combined) emissions g/km (185)
Engine: 2.2 SD4 turbo diesel
Power: 190PS
Gearbox: Auto
Obstacle Clearance – up to 210mm
Wading depth: max 500mm
My Rating: Best small 4X4 by far! By Anthony Yates

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