Land-Rover has upped the ante in New Zealand with its new Freelander 2, putting the mid-segment off-roader into a new class – in fact, almost a class of its own.
To do this the company started with a clean sheet, as well as a platform that’s dedicated to the rigours of off-roading.
The result is a vehicle that’s all-new from the ground up, including two of the finest engines currently available in its market segment.
Wally Dumper, MD of Motorcorp Distributors, the New Zealand importer of Land-Rover, stresses that it was decided to wait before launching the new model in New Zealand until all models and options were available.
And then, having done that, to limit the offering to just one body shape, five-door, one grade, the luxury HSE, and two engines, the PSA-developed 2.2-litre four-cylinder common rail turbo-diesel – but modified further for Freelander use by the addition of vibration-smoothing balance shafts – plus a straight six 3.2-litre petrol unit from Volvo.
A six-speed automatic gearbox, with CommandShift for manual sequential gear changes is standard on both models.
Land-Rover took us to the South Island to try out the new Freelanders for the first time.
The idea was that we would fly into Christchurch and then head out north for Nelson, basically taking as straight a line as possible.
This, however, meant that much of the time we eschewed main roads and instead hived off onto gravel routes which ranged from smooth and open to tight, twisty, and rough surfaced.
The VEHICLES
First up, styling is more evolutionary than revolutionary, and you immediately recognise the Freelander, thanks to strong cues from the original version such as the clamshell bonnet, stepped roof and the basic form, upgraded with elements of the Range Rover Sport and Discovery 3.
The suspension is fully independent and uses stability control systems, including Roll Stability Control (RSC).
The new vehicle is longer, wider and higher than the outgoing one, and with the spare wheel now placed underneath the vehicle, offers a lot more space inside.
The rear seat passengers sit slightly higher than their front seat counterparts, so they too can enjoy the view. The rear seat is wide enough to accommodate three adults, and includes a central armrest. An asymmetrically split design, it folds forward to offer a completely flat floor area.
As mentioned the specification levels are high, and the Freelanders come  with leather interior, electric seat adjustment, seven airbags, six-disc in dash CD player, nine-speaker sound system, auxiliary MP3 audio socket (for iPods and MP3 players) 18 inch alloy wheels, dual automatic climate control air conditioning, rain sensing windscreen wipers and cruise control.
The big boot provides plenty of space and a neat touch is the reversible load floor cover with carpet on one side and a water-resistant surface on the other.
Total luggage volume is 1,670 litres with the rear seats folded forward and 755 litres when raised
Other features include: keyless starter button, bi-xenon headlamps with washers, adaptive front lighting, rain-sensing wipers and park distance control (front and rear). A two-part panoramic sunroof is optional.
There’s electric adjustment and armrests on driver and front passenger seats, with a three-position memory on the driver’s seat. Two-stage seat heating is an option.
Safety features include ABS with brake assist, cornering brake control, electronic brake force distribution, electronic traction control and dynamic stability control.
There is an alarm with the engine immobiliser, deadlock remote central locking, three-point seat belts for all seats with load limiters and pre-tensioners for the front seat belts.
Other standard equipment includes heated power-fold exterior mirrors, trip computer, electric windows and audio controls on the steering wheel.
The engines
The 3.2-litre i6 petrol delivers 171 kW at 6,300 rpm, plus 317 Nm of torque at 3,200 rpm.
However for us the best option is the 2.2-litre TD4 diesel with 118 kW at 4,000 rpm and massive torque of 400 Nm, with over 200 Nm available from 1,000 rpm and maximum at a lowly 2,000 rpm.
The i6 petrol engine provides a top speed of 200 km/h and 0 -100 km/h acceleration in 8.9 seconds. Combined fuel economy is 11.2 litres/100 km.
The diesel engine offers a combined average fuel consumption of 7.5 litres/100 km. The 0 -100 km/h sprint comes up in 11.7 secs, a huge improvement from the outgoing model, and top speed is 181 km/h.
The Freelander also gets a “stripped-down” version of Land Rover’s Terrain Response.
This offers different mapping in the auto gearbox, traction control, and stability system to suit the conditions, and also changes the setting of the electronic centre coupling to optimise 4WD in tough conditions.
There’s also Hill Descent Control, first introduced world-wide on the Freelander.
Other interesting technologies include Gradient Release Control which improves driver confidence and control when releasing the brakes on steep and slippery slopes.
There’s a minimum 210 mm of ground clearance and it can wade through water up to 500 mm deep. Approach and departure angles are excellent.
The full-time intelligent 4WD transmission has front-rear torque split which varies continuously to suit dynamic conditions.
Only a small amount of torque is fed to the rear wheels under normal conditions, such as on a straight tarmac road, but in tough off-road situations, almost all the engine torque can be fed to the rear wheels if required.
The petrol automatic is able to tow a 2,000 kg braked trailer and the diesel automatic up to 1,750 kg
ON THE ROAD
Getting comfy is easy, and the seats offer good under-thigh and back support, plus strong side bolsters to give excellent lateral support. The upright seating provides a comfortable driving position and increases usable legroom.
All-round vision is excellent, with big windows.
Both engines are easy starters, and immediately impress with their smoothness and quietness.
A lot of attention has been paid to interior refinement, and these new Freelanders offer a level normally associated with much bigger, more expensive vehicles, including luxury sedans.
The diesel is particularly impressive, and those balance shafts really do smooth out the vibrations inherent in a diesel to the point where you are never made to feel you’re in a diesel vehicle!
The in-line six, of course, is even smoother, and offers the sort of responsiveness and performance you’d expect from a hot hatchback!
On-road handling is superb, and we were able to push it quite hard through a few mountain passes.
Off-road, switch to the gravel and snow setting on the Terrain Response dial and the Freelander feels like a rally car, the system allowing a high degree of tail-out driving, a touch of wheelspin, and even turns off the ABS to allow you to skid the brakes when pushing hard, which enables a wedge to build up under the tyres and assists stopping on loose surfaces.
Summing up, as mentioned a quantum leap for Land-Rover, and a brand new competitor that’s going to develop a new market segment for the company.
Right size, right credentials, and for what you get, right price too.
Prices for both models are the same - $69,990.