Land Rover Freelander 2 powers up

The whole vehicle is new from the ground up and will include Land Rover's terrain response system for more surety off bitumen.

The technical highlights of Freelander 2 include a choice of two new engines in this compact wagon.

A 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbocharged diesel delivers 118kW of power and an impressive 400Nm of torque – much better than the current model's two-litre unit which delivers 82kW of power and 260Nm of torque.

The petrol engine is a 3.2-litre six-cylinder producing 171kW of power. The previous 139kW, 2.5-litre V6 as dropped from the range in Australia early in 2004.

The two engine options in Freelander 2 are said to be fractionally better than their predecessors in fuel economy despite the big improvements in power output.

Freelander 2 will have a full-time "intelligent" four-wheel-drive system. It will have an electronic centre coupling to continuously vary the amount of torque directed to front and rear wheels, according to grip available.

Land Rover's terrain response system has been a big hit on Discovery 3 and it will be put into the Freelander 2 offering four settings. The driver can dial up settings for the sort of terrain about to be driven and the car's electronic management systems and traction controls are adjusted accordingly.

Land Rover says more technologies will be revealed as Freelander 2 is formally released.

Land Rovers are designed for serious off-bitumen ability no matter how much comfort and driving ease is put into them for on-bitumen commuting. Few compact lifestyle wagons can be expected to go near a Freelander 2 off-road.

SMALL TORQUE

Land Rover's new Freelander 2 is expected in European showrooms in December and in Australia by mid-2007. It made its debut at the British International Motor Show in London alongside the V8 turbo-diesel powered Range Rover Vogue. Both will be at the Sydney Motor Show in October.

POWER PROBLEM

Although the Freelander appealed as a compact 4WD, it initially lacked power when launched here in 1998, the 1.8-litre petrol engine from the MGF sports car was not up to the job in a heavier, off-road vehicle. A 2.5-litre V6 overcame the power deficit in 2000 but that engine was dropped a few years ago. The current Freelander is not a big seller, available only with a two-litre turbo-diesel.

ALL ANGLES

Freelander 2 will have a 31-degree approach angle, a good 34-degree departure angle, 210mm ground clearance and a 50mm wading depth.