The Fab & The Furious

Furious writes…

A friend of mine took me for a spin in his brand-new Land Rover Freelander today and I thought I’d write a review since I’m so impressed with its performance both on and off-road.

Outside, the Freelander 2 is light-years ahead of its dumpy predecessor. Inside, the dual-zone climate control also quelled the typical “I’m cold/I’m hot” arguments. The steering wheel’s vertical aluminium horn strips are a brilliant idea, easily reached by your thumbs. There is plenty of room for a young family of weekend warriors, and the interior is hardy enough to soak up the occasional McDonalds thick shake. Up front, there are two massive cup holders atop the dash, which I’m sure is a very stable place for them, but I think they’re too far away to be convenient. All in all, the interior is a comfy, stylish and contemporary place to be, and compared the competition, I think it’s streets ahead.

Setting off, the ride around town is certainly firm, and can be a little hard-edged, but once the speeds rise, so does the comfort level. Using the 4WD knob, the Freelander accurately selects traction-control, gear and rev levels to suit the terrain. The superb 2.2-litre diesel is a perfect match to the six-speed automatic which intuitively selects the perfect gear for the conditions. Even when braking, it downshifts like it mind-reads, ready for your command.

On a particularly treacherous wet grassy slope, we dialled in the “Grass, Gravel or Snow” setting. Without it, the car was slipping, sliding, and scrabbling for grip. With it, the Land Rover simply walked up. This contrasts nicely with the “Sand” setting, which supplies plenty of revs, and backs off the traction control to keep the vehicle’s speed up, and the tyres spinning. In short, it works.

Bravo, Land Rover, bravo. The Brits’ tilt at compact four-wheel drives is a winner, and really shows up the competition in the ruggedness stakes. The Freelander is the most capable for the money. In an era where function gives way to fashion, Land Rover has gone against the grain and produced a capable little off-roader.

Tags: 4WD, Freelander, Land Rover