The Land Rover Freelander is a compact SUV from the subsidiary of Tata Motors, the British Land Rover. The company is now producing the second generation model named the Freelander 2 or LR2. The latest edition of the Freelander is hitting the Middle East and North American markets.
The Rover Group conceptualized the original design of the Freelander in late 1980s after doing market researches that suggested the creation of compact off-roaders. The Rover Group was about to develop the Freelander project in early 1990s when they had a limited budget for its product development. To battle it out the Rover looked for a partner for the development of the Freelander. Their formal partner, the Honda has declined to join the project but came out with the similar Honda CR-V in 1997. With their failure to find a partner the Rover Group decided to go alone with the development of the Freelander that they named CB40 with their limited available resources. They come up with a unique suspension, transmission, and body construction. The Freelander was launched in 1997 after several years of development from their limited parts bin. In 1994, the BMW took over the operation of the Rover Group but not with the development of the Freelander.
The cost cutting done in the old Freelanders was retorted when the early Freelanders were found to be suffering from several inconsistencies such as clutch failure, head gaskets problem, and electrical problems. The new Freelander has seen a change in design and improvements in the problem areas of the past and this has accounted for the vehicle remaining on top when it comes to sale value. The Freelander was the best-selling 4x4 in Europe.
One notable feature of the Freelander was the hill descent control system that was first used in this model of the Land Rover. This system uses the ABS to give an off road Traction Control system and to individually control the brakes while maintaining better driving control in off road terrains. The Freelander was out of the production line after its poor sales in 2006 in U.S. and Canada.
The second generation of Freelander or the Freelander 2 was developed not to save the original Freelander from shame. The Freelander 2 is another unique development but only carrying the original Freelander nameplate. This new generation model was first seen in 2006 British International Motor Show and initially marketed in Europe and eyeing the future sales in the markets of North America. Before the actual launching of the LR2, journalist had a preview of the Freelander 2 in a private presentation held at Kensington Roof Gardens that also featured Maria Sharapova, a celebrity tennis player.
The Freelander 2 used the Ford EUCD platform that is also used by the Ford Galaxy, Volvo S80, and Ford S-MAX. The Freelander 2 used power engines like the same transversely mounted engine used in Volvo SI6 series, the 3.2 V6 engine that was first used in Volvo S8. Other LR2 models also used the 2.2 DW12 engines, a common rail turbo diesel that was collaboratively developed by PSA and Ford. The latest Freelander had some improvements in its ground clearance and off-road capabilities matching other Land Rover models. The interiors also had some major enhancements and added with some standardized safety features. The Terrain Response system used in Discovery 3 and Range Rover was also used in Freelander 2 with some modifications to fit the new model.
The Freelander 2 reached the U.S. market in 2007. The latest 2008 version known as the LR2 HSE is another innovation on the Freelander 2 that uses 19” wheels and with additional side trims. All the Freelander 2 models use the six-speed automatic transmission and the all-wheel drive capacity. Latest innovations include the Technology Package, Lighting Package, and the Cold Climate Package.
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