LAND ROVER Freelander · photos, packages and modifications

After the Range Rover released the Evoque, the Land Rover which was most compact in the range known as Freelander 2 was easily forgotten. However, this is actually a mistake because the Freelander 2 is actually quite excellent with its beautiful features that are able to provide an extremely comfortable experience to the driver, along with its sturdy built and its excellent off-road ability. It is an expensive buy, though and it did not prove to be as much of a sporty drive as BMW X3.

The Freelander has chunky shape and it has borrowed different designs from the much larger models. However, it has been able to create a design of its own. You may find the front end a bit imposing but when you look at the car in real, it does have a car-like look, rather than just a SUV look that is more aggressive. As far as the interior is concerned, the dashboard has a high quality using the soft-touch materials which includes a metal and a wood trim. The newer models that were produced in 2012 saw the removal of the Terrain Response Dial and replaced them with some small buttons. In fact, even the centre console has been given a much neater look. However, once the Range Rover Evoque was introduced, the Freelander was sidelined because of the outdated look that it gave both on the inside as well as the outside.

Land Rover no longer offers this car in a petrol engine. The Freelander only has the option of a diesel engine although you have the choice of choosing between the 138 bhp engine and the 188 bhp engine which had a turbocharged unit. However, the latter is much preferred because it will always have a high power and it is able to produce low-end torque so that overtaking is easy. In fact, this engine will also prove to be swift since it can achieve 0-60 mph within 8.7 seconds. In addition, this engine was able to acquire a speed of 118 mph. You may find the engine a bit noisy when it starts but when you are driving, the engine is actually quiet. The six-speed gearbox which is automatic comes as a standard. The other units also have a six-speed manual gearbox option. When you are cornering, this car will not prove to be as precise as Audi Q5 or even the BMW X3 as well as its sister car, the Range Rover Evoque. This is because it has a steering along with a body roll that has proved to be vague.

Because of its safety features, this car was able to acquire a five-star rating on the Euro NCP crash tests. These safety features include a host of airbags that are standard on the front, curtain and the sides. To provide better levels of grip, this car also includes traction as well as stability control.

For a rough and huge family life, the Freelander will prove to be perfect since it has a storage capacity of 755 liters when the rear seats are in place. On the other hand, when the rear sets are down, the storage capacity increases massively to 1670 liters. This enables this car to have an edge over its competitors such as BMW X3. The other features such as wipe clean materials, cubby holes and heavy duty throughout the interior cabin gives it further more of an edge. The seat space in the front is excellent, but in back, it is adequate but not that good. If you sit up high, you can easily get a huge view of the road made possible due to the narrow A-pillars combined with the windscreen that is wide.