The Land Rover Freelander receives a new upmarket image and is now called the LR2
By Tushal Bhadang
The all-new LR2 from Land Rover looks fresh and zingy! Straight out from the gym with a sporty stance and long bonnet for this class of vehicle. The wire mesh radiator grille added some element of class to the LR2. The version we tested even came with extra body cladding which gave her a lower ground clearance and more road presence as a sports SUV. Sharp chiseled lines go across the body from front to rear making her look more compact than it is, a small vent on the front wheel fender giving a classy look indicates the Freelander has grown up and started stepping into its older sister Discovery’s shoes.
Powered by a new generation of i6 inline transverse mounted six-cylinder engine, she seemed set to take up challenges with mediocrity. Producing 233 PS@6300 RPM and an amazing torque of 317Nm@3200 RPM, the not so free-revving engine is made completely of light weight die cast aluminium alloy, definitely a bonus in overall weight reduction. A 0-100kph time of 8.9 seconds gives a sports-car-like rush of adrenaline. Despite the high torque figures, its jerky torque delivery off the road turned into short spurts instead of smooth climbing motion. The LR2 has a host of gadgets in its arsenal, primarily the stability systems of Emergency Brake Assist, Electronic Traction Control, Corner Brake Control, Dynamic Stability Control and Roll Stability Control, which are standard systems through the range. It’s tall body proving to be a bit of a swinger, as we negotiated tight corners on the road, it seemed to have more pronounced body roll which was no doubt corrected by the stability systems but in the end took away driving pleasure.
Off the black, she performed reasonably well, the major hindrance being the extended bumper and side skirts which deprived it of its approach, ramp break over and departure angles, reducing them significantly. Ground clearance of 210mm and wading depth of 500mm are impressive in this segment. The large turning radius of 11.4m is again a compromise in tight spots. Land Rover now has a brilliant Terrain Response system which is mated to a full-time 4x4 gearbox with an electronic centre coupling comprising of six forward gears with Command Shift (aka tip-tronic). A knob (very awkwardly placed behind the gear shifter) controls the off-road terrain settings namely, general driving, grass/gravel/snow, mud and ruts and sand. The hill descent control system is smart and automatically engages when descending hills in case you forget to switch it on.
Our test car came with all black, dull interiors, which made the cabin look small and dreary. A 6-disc in-dash CD changer with nine speakers provided entertainment. Driver and passenger seats are comfortable and have excellent lumbar support. People taller than 6 feet would have problems getting into the rear seats as the legroom is minimal. Steering wheel (adjustable for rake and reach) has entertainment, cruise control and trip computer switches. Powerful air conditioning performs well even under extreme engine loads and is enabled with dual temperature control for driver and front passenger.
Commanding a 5-star EuroNCAP safety rating the LR2 comes replete with a set of 10 airbags hoping that the need to use them never arises. Reverse vented front disc brakes and solid discs in the rear provide excellent stopping power. 17’ alloy rims with 235/65R17 all-terrain tyres look small on the outset.
Last word
The Land Rover LR2 is an engineering masterpiece. But it takes away the feel of the road by intrusiveness of the many electronic gadgets trying too hard to make sure you don’t crash into a lamp post. Despite being poised as an up-market SUV, it is only a 5-seater with the wrong shoes on it without a sun-roof or all-round parking sensors. Surely Land Rover could’ve made the lower priced variants with more options as standard. Land Rover enjoys a prestige value that is associated with performance and go-anywhere attitude, the LR2 the smallest in their range at this trim level offers an above average feel with a superior badge.
Rating 3/5
Car supplied by, Euro Motors, Kingdom of Bahrain
By Tushal Bhadang
The all-new LR2 from Land Rover looks fresh and zingy! Straight out from the gym with a sporty stance and long bonnet for this class of vehicle. The wire mesh radiator grille added some element of class to the LR2. The version we tested even came with extra body cladding which gave her a lower ground clearance and more road presence as a sports SUV. Sharp chiseled lines go across the body from front to rear making her look more compact than it is, a small vent on the front wheel fender giving a classy look indicates the Freelander has grown up and started stepping into its older sister Discovery’s shoes.
Powered by a new generation of i6 inline transverse mounted six-cylinder engine, she seemed set to take up challenges with mediocrity. Producing 233 PS@6300 RPM and an amazing torque of 317Nm@3200 RPM, the not so free-revving engine is made completely of light weight die cast aluminium alloy, definitely a bonus in overall weight reduction. A 0-100kph time of 8.9 seconds gives a sports-car-like rush of adrenaline. Despite the high torque figures, its jerky torque delivery off the road turned into short spurts instead of smooth climbing motion. The LR2 has a host of gadgets in its arsenal, primarily the stability systems of Emergency Brake Assist, Electronic Traction Control, Corner Brake Control, Dynamic Stability Control and Roll Stability Control, which are standard systems through the range. It’s tall body proving to be a bit of a swinger, as we negotiated tight corners on the road, it seemed to have more pronounced body roll which was no doubt corrected by the stability systems but in the end took away driving pleasure.
Off the black, she performed reasonably well, the major hindrance being the extended bumper and side skirts which deprived it of its approach, ramp break over and departure angles, reducing them significantly. Ground clearance of 210mm and wading depth of 500mm are impressive in this segment. The large turning radius of 11.4m is again a compromise in tight spots. Land Rover now has a brilliant Terrain Response system which is mated to a full-time 4x4 gearbox with an electronic centre coupling comprising of six forward gears with Command Shift (aka tip-tronic). A knob (very awkwardly placed behind the gear shifter) controls the off-road terrain settings namely, general driving, grass/gravel/snow, mud and ruts and sand. The hill descent control system is smart and automatically engages when descending hills in case you forget to switch it on.
Our test car came with all black, dull interiors, which made the cabin look small and dreary. A 6-disc in-dash CD changer with nine speakers provided entertainment. Driver and passenger seats are comfortable and have excellent lumbar support. People taller than 6 feet would have problems getting into the rear seats as the legroom is minimal. Steering wheel (adjustable for rake and reach) has entertainment, cruise control and trip computer switches. Powerful air conditioning performs well even under extreme engine loads and is enabled with dual temperature control for driver and front passenger.
Commanding a 5-star EuroNCAP safety rating the LR2 comes replete with a set of 10 airbags hoping that the need to use them never arises. Reverse vented front disc brakes and solid discs in the rear provide excellent stopping power. 17’ alloy rims with 235/65R17 all-terrain tyres look small on the outset.
Last word
The Land Rover LR2 is an engineering masterpiece. But it takes away the feel of the road by intrusiveness of the many electronic gadgets trying too hard to make sure you don’t crash into a lamp post. Despite being poised as an up-market SUV, it is only a 5-seater with the wrong shoes on it without a sun-roof or all-round parking sensors. Surely Land Rover could’ve made the lower priced variants with more options as standard. Land Rover enjoys a prestige value that is associated with performance and go-anywhere attitude, the LR2 the smallest in their range at this trim level offers an above average feel with a superior badge.
Rating 3/5
Car supplied by, Euro Motors, Kingdom of Bahrain
1 comment:
Hi TJ,
Nice to read your lively reviews.
It is good to know that you've finally turned into a MOTOGRAPHER!!
Congrats & welcome to the exciting world of Motoring or simply motor- ring-ring.
ATVB
Venkat
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