2009 Land Rover Freelander 2 TD4_e Road Test Review

2009 Land Rover Freelander 2 TD4_e Road Test Review

A BOXY SUV doesn’t ordinarily fit the tag "fuel efficient”. Most, even the smaller ones, are beaten at the bowser by passenger car equivalents.

However Land Rover’s new entry-level Freelander 2 TD4_e might just change your mind about that.

Introduced to Land Rover’s Australian line-up in August this year, the Freelander 2 TD4_e is the first SUV to make use of fuel-saving start-stop technology. Land Rover says it’s the greenest model to ever grace its showrooms.

With the car’s ability to automatically switch off its engine at traffic lights and conserve fuel during urban driving, could the TD4_e be the first truly guilt-free SUV?

Styling

From the outside, there aren’t many clues about the TD4_e’s greener disposition. In fact, bar the “_e” suffix on the TD4’s rear badging, it’s cosmetically identical to the rest of the Freelander 2 range.

The TD4_e doesn’t wear its heart on its sleeve. And unless you’re the type that prefers to make a statement about your environmental friendliness, that’s a good thing.

It’s better to leave the Freelander 2’s bluff visage unspoiled anyway. It's an attractive body. The Freelander 2 is a significant stylistic improvement over the original Freelander, which it replaced in 2007.

The big, rectangular headlights, two-bar grille, fender vents and bold C-pillar call to mind the much larger Discovery, but its more compact dimensions and longer nose deny it the sheer presence enjoyed by its bigger brother.

Foglights, 17-inch alloy wheels, self-washing headlamps and electrically-folding heated wing mirrors are standard on the TD4_e.

Roof rails, side rails, side steps, extra driving lights and a sports body kit are available as optional extras, while our tester was fitted with optional 7-spoke 19-inch alloy wheels.

Not all angles are as kind to the Freelander's style. Viewed in profile, it suffer s a little from a receding chin and the canted-forward C-pillar doesn’t quite gel with the rest of the glasshouse.

Still, it’s a character-filled shape, and it cuts an imposing figure next to other softroaders like the Nissan X-Trail and Toyota Rav4. Ours, in black, looked particularly businesslike .

Interior

The TD4_e is the new base model in the Freelander 2 range, and its interior fit-out reflects that. Our tester came with fabric upholstery, alloy-look dash trim and black upon black everywhere you look.

That said, the plastics and composites may be hard, but they don’t feel cheap. The seats are supportive without being too firm and all the buttons and switchgear have a nice robust feel to them.

The plastic door pulls are a convincing substitute for metal items, things open and close and 'snick' together snugly, and the interior door handles are satisfyingly solid. It's these touches that make the interior of the Freelander feel a cut above the common rung - which, of course, you pay for.

The manually-adjusted front seats are quite high even at their lowest setting, but the interior's overall ergonomics are generally good. The steering wheel adjusts for reach and rake, there’s plenty of room in the footwell and all controls on the centre-stack are within easy reach of the driver.

The instrument cluster features large and clearly legible instruments, with a tachometer, speedometer, temperature gauge and fuel gauge surrounding a central LCD display for the trip computer.

The steering wheel carries buttons for the cruise control and audio system, and the gear lever sits nicely to hand.

The placement of the power window switches on the window sill is a unique touch - we're not quite so sure how well this will fare under a hot Aussie sun, but they’re conveniently located right next to the driver’s right hand.

Another curious touch is the door armrests, which simply can't be used unless you have a three-year-old's forearm.

The rear seats are a little flat, but comfortable enough even for longer journeys. Legroom is good and there’s very little intrusion from the transmission tunnel, but the lack of a centre armrest, rear cupholders and rear airconditioning outlets is a significant downside.

Our test car was equipped with the glass roof option, which features a retractable front sunroof and a fixed rear moonroof.

The addition of all that glass makes the cabin a light and airy place to be, but there’s only a pair of mesh fabric screens to protect your scalp from the midday sun. Even with the screens drawn, the glass roof gets the Freelander’s interior pretty toasty on a hot day.

Storage spaces are plentiful. There's a cubby hole in the centre stack, a commodious glovebox, a tray in the centre console and a smaller tray curiously placed in the rear footwell.

There are also door bins in each door (the rear door bins are small and won’t carry large drink bottles, but the front bins are generously sized) and two deep pockets at the side of the boot floor.

The boot area can accept up to 755 litres with the rear seats up, and 1670 litres with the 60/40 split rear seats folded flat. There are four tie-down points in the boot, and three child seat anchorages for the second row.

Equipment and Features

Being the new base model in the line-up, the Freelander 2 TD4_e misses out on some of the high-tech features of its more expensive stablemates. But it's not lacking in the things that matter.

Dual-zone climate control cruise control, auto-on headlights and rain-sensing wipers are standard, as is a trip computer, illuminated vanity mirrors and a retractable cargo cover. Rear parking sensors are also standard on the TD4_e, and are a handy feature given the Freelander’s size and shape.

A nine-speaker single-CD AM/FM stereo handles entertainment and features a 3.5mm auxillary audio jack in the centre console. An iPod integration kit and a six-stacker CD player are offered as options, and those seeking higher-quality sound can select a premium 14-speaker surround sound stereo system.

Standard safety equipment comprises ABS, electronic brakeforce distribution, brake assist, stability control, traction control and cornering brake control.

Cornering brake control automatically feeds in extra braking force to the outside front wheel when the driver simultaneously brakes hard while turning the wheel, minimising the risk of a slide.