KEY POINTS:
Ever since the original Freelander was launched in 1997, there's been debate over whether it's a real Land Rover. The question persists, but at least with the release here of the second-generation model, it sure looks like one.
From any angle, the lines of the sleek, yet purposeful,
newcomer reveal glimpses of Discovery 3 and the Range Rovers. As Wally Dumper who heads the Land Rover importer, Motorcorp Distributors, notes, it's the latest of four models to share the Land Rover DNA.
Indeed, the only Land Rover now lacking the corporate DNA is Defender, the direct descendent of the one that started it all, 59 years ago.
Freelander feels like a slightly cosy version of one of the larger Land Rovers, successfully conveying the luxury brand's solid, substantial nature - a rolling version of a stately home that's had an extreme makeover for the 21st century.
Although it still lacks both low-range gearing and some of the long reach of the suspension that help its siblings do so well after the road ends, Freelander 2's abilities have been boosted by more and better off-road aids, added ground clearance and a wading depth that's 100mm better, at 500mm.
On-road, during a long run up the spine of the northern half of the South Island for the press launch, Freelander 2 was at home on any of the back roads or highways, wet or dry, sealed or not. It's built on Ford's EUCD platform, until now shared by Ford and Volvo, and well regarded as a driver's chassis. The basics are backed up by a suite of electronic aids, including roll stability control (RSC) to help prevent a rollover. It also comes with a top safety rating.
Particularly encouraging is the way it mixes responsive handling with good ride comfort, and an absence of rattles.
The biggest decision some will face is whether to go petrol or diesel, especially as they cost the same. Although the diesel's an all-rounder with enough torque to provide excellent flexibility, the petrol also has good torque across the rev range, plus a high-spirited sense of urgency.
The SI6 (which stands for short inline six-cylinder) petrol is one of relatively few with a flat front and all auxiliary drives at the rear. It first appeared in the Volvo S80.
The motor's compact enough to be turned sideways for mounting in the Freelander's short engine bay. Producing 171kW and 317Nm of torque, it's 30 per cent more powerful than the outgoing V6.
The TD4 common rail turbodiesel is a newcomer developed by Ford, Peugeot and Citroen and has much in common with the TDV6 diesel that has found such favour in the Discovery 3 and Range Rover Sport. It provides 118kW and 400Nm of torque - a big jump over the previous BMW unit.
Both motors feed a six-speed automatic transmission that can be used manually.
Land Rover in New Zealand is hoping it has the bases covered with the two engines. "Freelander is important, not because it will bring a lot of original Freelander owners back to the fold but because it will bring a lot of new people to the brand," says Dumper. "We see it as a gateway for people aspiring to own a Land Rover product."
Plus, of course, not everyone wants a vehicle the size of a Range Rover.
Fortunately for Land Rover, Freelander 2 is already being referred to as a mini Range Rover, no doubt helped by the decision to offer it here in only the top HSE specification.
Explains Dumper: "We don't want to be down where the others are. There are many [sports utility] vehicles in the $45,000-$55,000 market and we want to step away from that, which is why we brought in the HSE at $69,990. We want to take the high ground."
Freelander 2 is slightly larger than its predecessor, and cabin space and furnishings are considerably upgraded.
The most obvious upgrade to its off-roadability is fitting a version of the terrain response system now in all Land Rover products except Defender. This offers settings for various ground conditions and electronically sets up the vehicle to give it the best chance of getting through.
The system misses the rock-crawling mode found on Discovery and the Range Rovers because Freelander has a conventional steel all-independent suspension rather than the height-adjustable air suspension of senior models.
Another key improvement for both on- and off-roading is the replacement of the previous viscous centre differential with a faster-reacting Haldex unit, a mechanism found in a number of higher-end all-wheel-drive vehicles.
It's always sending 50Nm of torque to the rear wheels and this helps the traction control to get on with its job more quickly when the tyres encounter slippery conditions.
And the hill descent control, a feature pioneered by the first Freelander, is supplemented by gradient release control that helps a stopped vehicle move away safely again up a steep hill.