Land Rover Freelander has been face lifted to keep the customers happy.
After subtle styling improvements just two years ago accompanied the introduction of the new diesel engines in 2010 this measure is to ‘keep the customers happy’ rather than a response to the overwhelming success of the Range Rover Evoque.
[portfolio_slideshow]“It was the right time to give the car a good, general premium uplift against some stiff competition,” said chief programme engineer Dave Mitchell after the revised Land Rover Freelander was unveiled at the Moscow show.
“We didn’t feel there was any need to respond to the success of the Evoque. A lot of people who come into the showroom to look at the Evoque find it has some limitations for their lifestyle in terms of package and move into a Freelander.
“What the Evoque has done is allow us to use some of its technology, especially in terms of its electrical architecture, to add new features such as the seven-inch colour touch-screen and say-what-you-see voice activation. But the two cars were developed as entirely separate programmes,” Mitchell added.
The revisions also see the end of the six-cylinder petrol engine in the Freelander. The 3.2-litre in-line unit is replaced by the 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo from the Evoque. This not only raises power from 231 to 237bhp, lowering average fuel consumption by more than 11 per cent, but it also trims around 40kg off the car’s frontal weight, which necessitated a suspension retune.
The Freelander diesels are mechanically unchanged.
The ‘premium upgrade’ mainly focuses on the interior, where there is an all-new fascia with an electronic handbrake, which makes space for the covered centre storage area requested by UK buyers.
The Freelander’s Terrain Response system, which adjusts the car’s dynamic settings according to the type of surface being driven on, is now controlled by switches rather than a rotary knob, although Mitchell says this will not necessarily transfer to other models.
Push-button starting without first having to insert a key, a rear-view parking camera, a faster navigation system with more features and the option of Meridian sound systems are other changes, and there are two new trim levels, Dynamic and HSE Lux.
There are new front and rear LED lights and new exterior and interior colour options.
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