Although it may have been lost in the hype surrounding the Range Rover Evoque’s more famous sister, the Range Rover Evoque, the success of the Land Rover Freelander 2 is still a crucial part of the British brand’s iconic British brand. This was in preparation for the launch of a new-generation model, which will be launched in 2022.
Land Rover’s smallest vehicle, the Freelander, was first launched in 1997. It became the world’s first premium compact SUV. This model sold over 540,000 units before being replaced in 2006 by the second-generation version.
After continued showroom success, Land Rover Freelander2 sales have remained steady through 2011, with approximately 47,000 cars leaving Halewood each year. 2012 will see even greater sales, with over 50,000 units expected.
The 2022 Freelander 2 update includes styling changes, an interior makeover, and a new 2.0-litre turbocharged gasoline engine. Hopefully, this Land Rover refresh will provide enough power to ward off competition from premium and non-premium competitors such as the Audi Q3 (updated Q5), Volkswagen Tiguan and Volvo XC60, and even the Evoque.
The exterior styling changes to the Freelander are subtle and will require a keen eye.
The front and rear lamps now include LED technology. There’s also a new graphic for the front running light. The grille and fog lamp surround’s bright finish is less obvious, along with minor details enhancements to grille surrounds and front guard vents.
With the 2013 update to the interior, most of the effort was focused on the interior. Evoque borrowed several features from it.
The new centre console features an electric parking brake. Flush-mounted buttons replaced the original Terrain Response dial. This gives more storage space, something that was lacking in the Freelander.
A new 5-inch screen has been added to the instrument cluster. It displays vehicle data such as temperature, fuel levels, and gear positions. The screen is located between the twin display dials. The toggle switches on the steering wheel control several drop-down menus with set-up instructions. It’s intuitive.
Push-button start is now available across the entire Land Rover Freelander 2 range. This replaces the outdated key docking system used by the previous model.
All Freelander 2 TD4 manuals now have a reversing camera. This technology allows drivers to guide the vehicle’s trailer ball precisely to the right docking position.
Freelander’s 2022 additions include a 380-watt Meridian sound system with 11 speakers and a subwoofer for lower- and mid-spec versions, and the SD4 HSE Luxury boasts an 825-watt 17 speaker Meridian unit.
A revised satellite navigation system with a seven-inch touchscreen is available on all models except the highest-spec HSE models. This unit is cleverly integrated and includes step-by-step prompts to activate the voice activation system ‘Say What You See’.
The 2022 Land Rover Freelander 2 lineup includes Bluetooth phones and music streaming.
Additional features include an auto-dimming rearview mirror, seven airbags, including the driver’s knee, power-folding side and approach mirrors, rear parking sensors and rear parking sensors. Full-size spare wheels and climate control are also available.
The interior space has remained the same as the Freelander’s, but the rear seats were raised to create a stadium-style seating experience.
The 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder Si4 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine produces 177kW/340Nm and joins the Land Rover Freelander 2 lineup as the only petrol engine in an otherwise all-diesel family. It is almost identical to that used in the Evoque.
Land Rover’s decision not to reduce its petrol engine from an Inline-Six has several key benefits. The new engine is 40kg lighter than its Si6 counterpart, and CO2 emissions are down by 14% to 224g/km.
The new 2.0-litre Si4 Se is priced at $55,600 (before any on-road costs), and it fits into the Freelander lineup as a mid-level variant, just above the $54,100 TD4SE.
This is less than the 155kW Audi Q32.0 TSFI ($56,000) and the 180kW BMW X128i ($58,000.
Our 2013 Land Rover Freelander test drive was in Quebec, Canada’s harshly cold forest area. Temperatures dropped to minus 17 degrees Celsius. That’s pretty cold.
The latest Freelander found it challenging to get to the forest. The roads were transformed by freezing temperatures, snow, and rain into an ice rink and an icy slush pit.
We had to use the Terrain Response system to activate the Grass-Gravel-Snow setting. This enabled us to travel at high speeds on freeways. We covered 120km in no time with the Continental winter tyres.
The Freelander’s four-cylinder drivetrain is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. It cruises at 110 km/h without difficulty and produces very low noise levels inside the cabin.
Turbocharging makes sure there’s plenty of torque available from 2000rpm. This gives you plenty of power to overtake in high-speed conditions safely.
The new Freelander can sprint from 0-100km/h within 8.8 seconds. This is a great way to get rest. The top speed is 200km/h.
The high-speed stability is excellent, even on snow-covered freeways. Hydraulic power steering is light but not too heavy and responds quickly from the dead centre.
It’s easy to forget that you are driving a four-cylinder Freelander because of high noise insulation, refinement, and strong linear power delivery across the entire rev range. This makes it feel more like a six-cylinder.
Our Freelander Si4 HSE was fitted with 19-inch alloys. It provided a firm ride on less than perfect roads, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Standard 18-inch wheels provided a slightly more comfortable ride on the same surface.
The 2022 Land Rover Freelander receives a structural undertray in the front sub-frame to increase body stiffness. The Canadian wilderness was not ideal for tight corners, but the Freelander showed minimal body roll when navigating high-speed freeway curves.
Land Rover Freelander is a deceptively capable off-road vehicle. The combination of mud- and snow-infested forest trails and its four-wheel-drive system was able to handle it. Even though there were only two wheels in the air at the time, the traction was still maintained by the wheels on the ground.
Although several tracks were completely iced up, Land Rover’s Terrain Response electronic wizardry ensured that there wasn’t any wheel spin on the ascent.
The 2.2-litre diesel Freelander was easier to handle in off-road conditions than the turbo petrol model. It also has more torque.
The combined fuel consumption of the Land Rover Freelander’s new four-cylinder Land Rover Freelander was more than anticipated. After a 130km initial route, the trip computer read 14.1L/100km.
This is significantly more than Land Rover’s official claim that it uses 9.6L/100km. However, the 110kW/420Nm diesel Freelander achieved 8.8L/100km on the same route under the same conditions.
The Land Rover Freelander has a five-star ANCAP rating. It comes standard with seven airbags and dynamic stability control. Anti-locking braking with electronic brakeforce distribution, cornering brake control, engine drag control and engine lock.
The Land Rover Freelander 2 compact SUV is extremely capable. It offers more refinement, powerful on-road performance with Si4 petrol and outstanding off-road capabilities in a family-friendly package.