Land Rover has announced a facelift for the Freelander promising better comfort, convenience and driving enjoyment.
Visually, the exterior has been tweaked to keep things feeling fresh. There are three new colours available, a new wheel design for the XS derivative, Xenon LED lighting at the front and rear, revamped front and rear light designs, a redesigned grille and fog lamp bezels along with a raft of tweaks to the front bumper.
The interior gets an all-new centre console which does away with the old car’s Terrain Response system, making way for switchgear and more storage space. There’s a new five-inch screen that displays vehicle information such as temperature, fuel level, gear selection and the aforementioned Terrain Response mode. This screen sits between the dials, its functions operated via steering-wheel-mounted toggle switches.
Keyless entry also makes an appearance on the facelifted Freelander, and you also get a clever new electronic parking brake which ensures that not only will the car remain stationary unless the driver’s seat is occupied, it’ll also be able to judge whether the car is on a hill or if the brakes are hot and adjust the clamping force it applies accordingly.
There’s a rear-view camera to make parking easier, which also includes a graphic superimposed on the screen showing where the tow ball is – making hitching up a trailer much less stressful.
Voice activation comes as standard, while an updated navigation system with a faster hard drive is also part of the package.
In terms of trim levels, the entry point is Freelander S – which includes cloth seats. Moving up to GS nets you full leather, while XS gets a gloss black grille surround and an upgraded sound system. Dynamic spec means the addition of a bodykit, gloss black exterior detailing and three colours of electrically adjustable leather sports seats. There’s also a new set of 19-inch alloys available for the Dynamic car.
The HSE trim level gets wood trim, a panoramic sunroof, a memory function for the driver’s seat and an 825w sound system. Top-of-the-range HSE Lux adds better quality leather seating, premium floor mats and exclusive 19-inch alloys.
There’s no change to the powertrains available, with the most company car driver-friendly model the eD4. This two-wheel drive version gets a 2.2-litre diesel engine with a six-speed manual gearbox, and is capable of a claimed 47.1mpg on the combined cycle, with CO2 emissions of 158g/km. Assuming a P11d value of £25,485 for a GS-trimmed model, you’re looking at company car tax payable at £212 per month on the 40% pay scale.
