Land Rover Freelander 2005 News

New Honda Jazz sets new benchmark for rear view cameras: $14,990.

It should be previewed early next year and on the road in 2015. Land Rover's next bedrock car will be bigger and more luxurious but still in the affordable mid-sized SUV class. This reporter is on Twitter: @paulwardgover

Land Rover is currently working on its next-generation Freelander, which is expected to ride on an extended version of the platform it shares with the Evoque, and is due to appear late next year. However, the new vehicle isn’t expected to wear the Freelander name. Instead, Autocar reports that the next generation will likely adopt the Discovery nameplate. As was previously reported, Land Rover is planning to expand its lineup with several new crossovers and SUVs and to help differentiate these will group them into three distinct categories: luxury, leisure and utility. The luxury category will consist of the Range Rover-branded models like the regular Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Evoque. An ultra-luxurious, long-wheelbase Range Rover will be the next to join this group and it's rumoured that a long-wheelbase Range Rover Evoque is also planned. The utility category, meanwhile, will be made up of models derived from the next-generation Defender, which was previewed by the DC100 concept first shown in 2011. The last we heard, development of the new Defender was being delayed and the number of variants likely to be pruned back. Finally, the leisure category will feature the Discovery and Freelander-replacing Discovery models, which will be targeted at buyers of the BMW X3 and X5 and similar premium soft-roaders, though there will be a distinct price difference between these and the upmarket Range Rover models. If given the green light, a compact crossover would also join this group. www.motorauthority.com  

A new model is coming in 2014 and will be much more edgy than today's Freelander, as well as bigger and more refined.  

The upgrade delivers more comfort, convenience and driving enjoyment. New colours, new exterior design features, upgraded equipment levels and the new lightweight and efficient petrol engine all contribute to make a better SUV. Interior equipment levels improve with a host of fresh and exciting features including new centre console, seven-inch colour touch-screen with enhanced audio systems from Meridian, seven-day timed climate system and satellite navigation. Passive start replaces key dock and there's a new 'intelligent' electric parking brake which adjusts brake force according to the slope the vehicle is parked on. 'Say What You See' - a voice activation system with visual prompts, and rear view camera capability are also both new to the Freelander 2. Exterior design details have been revamped for an integrated and co-ordinated appearance, including more contemporary lights front and rear using the latest LED technology and a new signature graphic in the front running lights. The exciting news on the engine front is that the six-cylinder Si6 petrol is replaced by the turbocharged Si4, four-cylinder engine. The direct injection, Si4 delivers 177kW and an increase of seven percent on torque to 340Nm, providing a broader spread of torque for relaxed cruising and strong low-speed response. The all-aluminium engine is a full 40kg lighter than the previous six-cylinder. It's essentially the same engine used in the Range Rover Evoque, this lightweight Si4 GTDi produces more power than the Si6 yet is more economical and sees a 14 per cent reduction in CO2 to 224g/km. These new features are underpinned by the fact that the Freelander scores five stars in the Euro NCAP for occupant safety.      

Land Rover will be taking the covers off its all-new Range Rover at the 2012 Australian International Motor Show – for just the second time in the world. Fresh from its world unveiling at the Paris Motor Show in September, the all-new Range Rover will be a highlight of the Australian International Motor Show as it shows off a new modern interpretation of the classic Range Rover design cues. The all-new SUV has been engineered from the ground up and is the most capable and refined Range Rover ever, capturing the design of the original model, but with a bold evolution. Land Rover says the all-new Range Rover sits at the pinnacle of SUV refinement, with a spacious and luxurious interior, enhanced all-terrain performance and a truly composed driving experience. The all-new Range Rover will be the world’s first luxury SUV with a lightweight all-aluminium monocoque body coupled with all-new aluminium front and rear chassis’, resulting in a weight saving of up to 420 kilograms. This in turn results in significant enhancements in performance and agility, along with a transformation in fuel economy and CO2 emissions. “Land Rover really did change the global automotive landscape when it launched the world’s first luxury SUV, the classic Range Rover over 40 years ago,” said Russ Tyrie, Show Director. “Evolutions of this model over the years saw exciting increases in refinement, performance and comfort – and the fourth generation Range Rover certainly takes luxury SUVs to the next level. “We are very excited that it will be revealed at the Australian International Motor Show, which also marks the first time it is seen in the Southern Hemisphere.” Land Rover will also conduct the Australian reveal of the 2013 Freelander 2, which has had a premium overhaul to increase driver comfort, convenience and enjoyment. Featuring new exterior design features, upgraded equipment levels and a new lightweight petrol engine, the five-star Euro NCAP safety-rated 2013 Freelander 2 is sure to impress all who see it. The 2012 Australian International Motor Show will be held at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour from October 19-28, 2012. For further information about the Show and to purchase early bird tickets, visit the AIMS website, which is also compatible with all android and Apple mobile devices. www.motorshow.com.au

It will become a baby Range Rover when it hits the road in 2011 and that means hot laps at the 'Ring are essential for its road-focussed chassis. The LRX caught by the Carparazzi crew looks more like a Freelander 2 than the LRX show car, but the mechanical package under the car is exactly what will be coming to showrooms.  A close look shows the rear end is shorter than a Freelander and the front fascia area has a different shape. The LRX is currently testing as a five-door wagon but European sources hint at both three and five-door wagons, while the final design is also going to be taller than the concept vehicle to improve headroom in the cabin. The Land Rover LRX is expected to be unveiled next year, perhaps as early as the Geneva Motor Show in March, with a 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine in the basic car and a 3.2-litre petrol six also available. Further into the LRX story there is also expected to be a diesel-electric hybrid model.

The Range Rover Vogue, flagship of the Land Rover fleet, glides into El Questro trailing red dust and miles of memories. Memories of dust hovering in billowing clouds, of stones flicking up and spitting sideways as Goodyear Wranglers pounded down the Gibb River Road.Our convoy of eight Land Rovers is heading to a well-earned break at the Kimberley resort.The Range Rover Vogue and Sport, the Freelander, three Discoverys, Defender wagon and ute have been comfortable, reliable and capable on this long, dry run from the Alice up through the Tanami Desert.Through corrugations and bulldust, chill desert mornings and gold-red sunsets, the Land Rovers have run easy through a rugged and remote piece of the continent.At the end of the trek, as we head for our first shower in five days, there are few more suitable — and suited — vehicles than a Vogue to roll into the greens of the El Questro oasis.Here, in this stunning part of Western Australia, gateway to a land of geographical treasures, the Vogue and all its comforts and conveniences makes a driver feel extra-special.Inside is soft and quiet, apart from unintelligible Olympic commentators fading in and out on the radio. The Vogue ignores rough, nasty patches of ancient landscape passing beneath.Its mighty turbocharged diesel V8 powers on, its six-speed sequential transmission slurring through the changes, rounding up 50m roadtrains or pushing on through the talcum-soft bog of bulldust.This year, the Range Rover Vogue has benefited from minor changes including a four-zone air conditioning option and Bluetooth connectivity.But the basics remain the same in a majestic off-road machine that sails through this wild country with supreme comfort.The Vogue and its Land Rover mates have crossed the Simpson Desert from Birdsville, then on to Alice Springs. The next leg — Alice to El Questro — was a further 1700km.During this epic drive to mark Land Rover's 60th anniversary, there has not been a single drama aside from the odd flat tyre.And, thanks to the attention paid to build quality under BMW and Ford's ownership of the famous British brand, the fleet is pleasantly free of rattles and loose bits.All of them prove to be great touring and rough-track machines on this run across Australia (despite outback tales of certain Japanese makes being the only means of travel out here).The Vogue is — surprise, surprise — the pick of the Land Rover bunch: elegant and effortless.The Range Rover Sport is very good but, for desert tours, the Discovery wagon is probably a better bet. The Sport is quite capable but with a bias towards on-road handling, while the Discovery sits on a longer wheelbase.If the Vogue is the flagship of the fleet, the acclaimed Discovery is the battleship and the Defender the minesweeper: a tough wagon to send out if the going turns really gnarly and some forward scouting is needed. This square-jawed, 2.4-litre machine is hard to stop, and dings and scratches will only enhance its character.Where the Defender loses out is in cabin ergonomics, ride comfort and noise levels on rough, corrugated roads.The wagon, priced from $48,990, is acceptable if the sweet spot can be found — up the Tanami Track, that was around 90 km/h.That leaves the surprise packet of the convoy, the Freelander. This is the patrol boat, quick and game for anything.Unlike the Range Rover or the Discovery, the Freelander has no low-range gearing or suspension height adjustment (the bigger wagons have air suspension that adjusts the ride height according to the terrain).But the diesel Freelander, with its six-speed transmission and clever four-wheel-drive system, is forever willing to tackle both high-speed runs down dirt roads or off-road crawls.Like its bigger mates, the Freelander has Land Rover's All Terrain System, which sets engine and transmission parameters to suit the work involved — more torque and lower gearing for rocks, more power and quicker changes for sand.On all Land Rovers (aside from the Defender) this system is best proved by setting the centre console dial to the wrong spot.Try to slip through sand and mud with the rocky road setting, and the vehicle bogs down. Try to climb a rock-strewn hill with the sand setting, and it bounces around with too much ground speed.The system does help the Freelander (from $49,990 in petrol form, $52,490 for the diesel) get further than may be imagined; this is arguably the best of the premium compact SUVs for combining good road manners and some rough paddock ability with a fair degree of comfort.It's also a fun machine on a soft dirt road, stability control turned down to allow more tail slides, driver's arms crossed in rally style.All the while, the Freelander's 2.2-litre diesel is returning better than 10 litres per 100km through the scrub. The big Vogue can achieve close on 10 litres on a run down the track, out to a reasonable 13 litres when it's needed to work harder down a bush track.These machines allowed a disparate group of travellers to explore some of Australia's most desolate country, then the magnificent Kimberleys.There are many vehicles capable of such a trip, but this fleet of Land Rovers added extra style and comfort to the journey.For, despite some hiccups over the past 60 years, the British maker (now owned by India's Tata) has been doing it with a passion for the brand and the adventure — characteristics not always seen among the Johnny-come-latelys of the four-wheel-drive business. 

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.