The Land Rover Freelander is a
compact luxury crossover SUV that was manufactured and marketed by
Land Rover
Land Rover is a British brand of predominantly four-wheel drive, off-road capable vehicles, owned by multinational car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), since 2008 a subsidiary of India's Tata Motors. JLR currently builds Land Rovers ...
from 1997 to 2015. The second generation was sold from 2007 to 2015 in North America and the Middle East as the LR2 and in Europe as the Freelander 2. The Freelander was sold in both
two-wheel and
four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer cas ...
versions. The name 'Freelander' is derived from the combination of 'Freedom' and 'Lander'.
After having built exclusively
body-on-frame 4WD vehicles for half a century, the first generation Freelander was the brand's first model to use
monocoque
Monocoque ( ), also called structural skin, is a structural system in which loads are supported by an object's external skin, in a manner similar to an egg shell. The word ''monocoque'' is a French term for "single shell".
First used for boats, ...
(unibody) structures, and was offered in three- and five-door body options, including a semi soft-top. The second generation (from 2006) dropped all two-door options, leaving only a five-door stationwagon-like body, and – after 62 years – became the brand's first ever to offer a two-wheel drive option (as of 2010).
After a five-year hiatus, the two-door Freelanders were succeeded by the two-door versions of the
Range Rover Evoque in 2011, and the five-door generation 2 was replaced by the
Discovery Sport in 2015, the nameplate spanning two generations and less than eighteen years.
First generation (L314; 1997–2006)
Development
In 1988,
British Aerospace
British Aerospace plc (BAe) was a British aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer. Its head office was at Warwick House in the Farnborough Aerospace Centre in Farnborough, Hampshire. Formed in 1977, in 1999 it purchased Marcon ...
acquired the
Rover Group
The Rover Group plc was the British vehicle manufacturing conglomerate known as "BL plc" until 1986 (formerly British Leyland), which had been a state-owned company since 1975. It initially included the Austin Rover Group car business (comprisi ...
for £150 million, which allowed resources across
Rover
Rover may refer to:
People
* Constance Rover (1910–2005), English historian
* Jolanda de Rover (born 1963), Dutch swimmer
* Rover Thomas (c. 1920–1998), Indigenous Australian artist
Places
* Rover, Arkansas, US
* Rover, Missouri, US
...
brands and
Land Rover
Land Rover is a British brand of predominantly four-wheel drive, off-road capable vehicles, owned by multinational car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), since 2008 a subsidiary of India's Tata Motors. JLR currently builds Land Rovers ...
to be pooled differently, and the idea of developing a smaller Land Rover became more attainable than previously.
When the board approved the Pathfinder project, it was codenamed CB40 (after Canley Building 40, where the concept was initially developed).
Launch
Remarkably, the new, compact Land Rover had become almost as long as the original Range Rover, that had been phased out just the year before, and even sported an inch (2.5 cm) ''longer'' wheelbase.
Production
When
BMW acquired
Rover Group
The Rover Group plc was the British vehicle manufacturing conglomerate known as "BL plc" until 1986 (formerly British Leyland), which had been a state-owned company since 1975. It initially included the Austin Rover Group car business (comprisi ...
, they terminated the agreement, and instead funded production facilities at
Solihull
Solihull (, or ) is a market town and the administrative centre of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in West Midlands County, England. The town had a population of 126,577 at the 2021 Census. Solihull is situated on the River Blyth ...
, making use of the
Rover SD1
The Rover SD1 is both the code name and eventual production name given to a series of executive cars built by the Specialist Division (later the ''Jaguar-Rover-Triumph'' division) of British Leyland (BL), under the Rover marque. It was produc ...
assembly hall which had been inactive in the early 1980s, when Rover car production was moved to
Cowley.
Popularity
The Mk1 Land Rover Freelander was an instant hit and went on to become the biggest-selling four-wheel-drive model in Europe, with over 540,000 units sold over its nine-year lifespan. The Freelander became Europe's best-selling 4WD vehicle for five consecutive years after launch in 1997; and in 2016 Land Rover embraced it as its 8th 'Heritage vehicle'.
[Best-Selling Freelander 1 Becomes Latest Land Rover Heritage Vehicle , Land Rover International]
/ref>
Model variations
There were a variety of models, based around five-door estate and three-door softback (semi-convertible
A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary among eras and manufacturers.
A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving expe ...
), hardback, and commercial ( van-like) versions. In 2004, Land Rover introduced an improved and upgraded version of the Mark I; changes included a new interior and major external revisions, including a new face and rear.
The three-door model was available in E, S, ES, Sport and Sport Premium trim and the five-door model in available in E, S, ES, HSE, Sport and Sport Premium trim.
Engines
Engine choices included:
* 1.8-litre I4 Rover
Rover may refer to:
People
* Constance Rover (1910–2005), English historian
* Jolanda de Rover (born 1963), Dutch swimmer
* Rover Thomas (c. 1920–1998), Indigenous Australian artist
Places
* Rover, Arkansas, US
* Rover, Missouri, US
...
K-Series petrol (1997–2006), badged as '1.8i', 'Xi' or 'XEi' (Not sold in North America)
* 2.0-litre I4 Rover
Rover may refer to:
People
* Constance Rover (1910–2005), English historian
* Jolanda de Rover (born 1963), Dutch swimmer
* Rover Thomas (c. 1920–1998), Indigenous Australian artist
Places
* Rover, Arkansas, US
* Rover, Missouri, US
...
L-series diesel (1997–2000), badged as 'Di', 'XDi' or 'XEDi'
* 2.0-litre I4 BMW M47
The BMW M47 and Rover Group M47R are straight-4 Diesel engines. Variants were manufactured by BMW from 1998 to 2007. BMW gradually adopted high-pressure common rail fuel injection systems over the lifetime of the M47.
M47D20
The original M47 ...
diesel (2001–2006), badged as 'Td4'
* 2.5-litre V6 Rover KV6 Engine
The KV6 automotive petrol engine has a 24-valve quad-cam V6 configuration, and a pressurising variable-length intake manifold to add hot spots throughout the rev range. Variants exist in capacities. These were built initially by Rover Group, ...
petrol (2001–2006), badged as 'V6'
Manual gearbox
A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed motor vehicle transmission system, where gear change ...
es dominated the early models, but automatic Tiptronic
The modern usage of the automotive term manumatic denotes an automatic transmission that allows the driver to select a specific gear, typically using paddle-shifters, steering wheel-mounted push-buttons, or "+" and "-" controls on the gear sele ...
-style gearboxes (Jatco JF506E) became increasingly popular and were standard on the V6. The Automatic Tiptronic gearbox was also available as an option on the Td4.
Marketing
The first generation Freelander was marketed as a premium compact 4x4,[ and used in the 1998 ]Camel Trophy
Occasionally called "The Olympics of 4x4", Camel Trophy was an off-road vehicle oriented competition that was held annually between 1980 and 2000, and it was best known for its use of Land Rover vehicles over challenging terrain. The event to ...
and participated in Land Rover's G4 Challenge
The Land Rover G4 Challenge is a global adventure competition, and as the successor to the Camel Trophy it has off-road driving at its core. As of the cancelled 2008/2009 event, the G4 Challenge was to be run in support of the International Fe ...
. The vehicle represented a compromise because it did not have a low-range gear selection, nor a locking differential, as found on larger Land Rover models. This meant that in comparison to other Land Rovers, off-road performance was not as good. In comparison to similar models produced by other manufacturers in the same period of time like the Honda CRV or the Toyota RAV4
The is a compact crossover SUV produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. Considered the first ever compact crossover SUV, it made its debut in Japan and Europe in 1994, and in North America in 1995, being launched in January 19 ...
, however, the first generation Freelander was far more competent off-road.
It had more than sixteen patented features, including the IRD or Intermediate Reduction Drive, which acted as a front differential and fixed ratio transfer; the VCU or viscous-coupling, which reacts to the differing rotational speed of the prop shafts, allowing varying torque across itself; and the Hill Descent Control system,[ which was then implemented in the rest of the ]Land Rover
Land Rover is a British brand of predominantly four-wheel drive, off-road capable vehicles, owned by multinational car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), since 2008 a subsidiary of India's Tata Motors. JLR currently builds Land Rovers ...
range and even in the first generation BMW X5
The BMW X5 is a mid-size luxury SUV produced by BMW. The X5 made its debut in 1999 as the E53 model. It was BMW's first SUV. At launch, it featured all-wheel drive and was available with either a manual or automatic gearbox. The second generati ...
(BMW was the parent company of Rover Group
The Rover Group plc was the British vehicle manufacturing conglomerate known as "BL plc" until 1986 (formerly British Leyland), which had been a state-owned company since 1975. It initially included the Austin Rover Group car business (comprisi ...
at the time of introduction of this model).
This first generation also used a Traction Control system and a special version of ABS produced by Wabco, modified to assist driving in off-road situations.[ Lack of the MG Rover K18 and KV6 engines after the end of the MG Rover production led Land Rover to discontinue the model on 31 August 2005 in the U.S. and Canada.
]
Freelander 2 (L359; 2006–2015)
The second generation was internally designated L359; debuted at the 2006 British International Motor Show
The British International Motor Show is an annual motor show held by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders between 1903 and 2008 in England, and as The British Motor Show since 2021 by Automotion Events.
Initially held in London at T ...
and was marketed as the Freelander 2, retaining the ''Freelander'' name in Europe and marketed as the ''LR2'' in North America and the Middle East – mirroring the marketing of the new third generation Land Rover Discovery
Land, also known as dry land, ground, or earth, is the solid terrestrial surface of the planet Earth that is not submerged by the ocean or other bodies of water. It makes up 29% of Earth's surface and includes the continents and various isla ...
as LR3. A presentation at the Kensington Roof Gardens
Kensington Roof Gardens (formerly known as Derry and Toms Roof Gardens and later The Roof Gardens) is a private roof garden covering on top of the former Derry & Toms building on Kensington High Street in central London.
Originally opened in ...
was held for journalists featuring celebrity tennis player Maria Sharapova
Maria Yuryevna Sharapova ( , ; rus, Мари́я Ю́рьевна Шара́пова, p=mɐˈrʲijə ʂɐˈrapəvə, a=Maria_sharapova.ogg; born 19 April 1987) is a Russian former world No. 1 tennis player. She competed on the WTA Tour from 2 ...
. Production ended in January 2015.
The second generation Freelander is based on the Ford EUCD platform
The Ford EUCD platform (for "European Class D") is Ford's global midsize car automobile platform launched in 2006.
EUCD was chosen by Ford's European operations instead of the Ford CD3 platform due to the large number of components shared wit ...
, which itself is based on the Ford C1 platform
The Ford Global C-car Platform is Ford's global compact car automobile platform. It replaces the Ford C170 platform and Mazda B platform (BJ). The C1 platform debuted with the European Ford Focus C-Max compact MPV in early 2004. The platform is ...
. The Ford EUCD platform will be used by more upcoming vehicles from Volvo
The Volvo Group ( sv, Volvokoncernen; legally Aktiebolaget Volvo, shortened to AB Volvo, stylized as VOLVO) is a Swedish multinational manufacturing corporation headquartered in Gothenburg. While its core activity is the production, distributio ...
. The engine range is all-new for Freelander, featuring transversely-mounted 3.2-litre straight-six engine of the Volvo SI6 series, which debuted in the new Volvo S80, as well as the 2.2-litre DW12 common rail turbodiesel
The term turbo-diesel, also written as turbodiesel and turbo diesel, refers to any diesel engine equipped with a turbocharger. As with other engine types, turbocharging a diesel engine can significantly increase its efficiency and power output ...
engine from PSA Peugeot Citroën
The PSA Group (), legally known as Peugeot S.A. (Peugeot Société Anonyme, trading as Groupe PSA; formerly known as PSA Peugeot Citroën from 1991 to 2016) was a French multinational automotive manufacturing company which produced automobiles ...
.
Unlike previous Land Rovers, the second generation Freelander is manufactured in the Halewood Body & Assembly
Jaguar Land Rover Halewood is a Jaguar Land Rover factory plant in Halewood, Merseyside, England, and forms the major part of the factory complex in Halewood which is shared with Ford of Britain who manufacture transmissions at the site, and wh ...
facility, near Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...
, and was until 2009 manufactured alongside the Jaguar X-Type
The Jaguar X-Type is a front-engine, all-wheel/front-wheel drive compact executive car manufactured and marketed by Jaguar Cars from 2001 to 2009 under the internal designation ''X400'', for a single generation, in sedan/saloon and wagon/estat ...
– as Jaguar X-Type and Landrover Freelander both used modified version of Ford's front wheel drive platform. The new Freelander features higher ground clearance and off-road capabilities that are closer to other Land Rover models.
The second generation has improved quality interior with more safety features as standard. The Freelander 2 features a modified version of the Terrain Response off-road driving system as fitted to the Discovery 3 and the Range Rover
Range may refer to:
Geography
* Range (geographic), a chain of hills or mountains; a somewhat linear, complex mountainous or hilly area (cordillera, sierra)
** Mountain range, a group of mountains bordered by lowlands
* Range, a term used to ...
. The 4WD system was developed in conjunction with Haldex and was called Third generation coupling. Vehicles from the 2009 model year are fitted with a modified design of the active on-demand coupling, known as Haldex's Fourth generation.
The new Freelander was first marketed in the U.S. in 2007 as the LR2. The 2008 version is called the LR2 HSE. The limited run HST had added side trim, front valance, and 19-inch wheels. A Volvo 3.2-litre inline six-cylinder engine producing is standard, with a six-speed automatic transmission
An automatic transmission (sometimes abbreviated to auto or AT) is a multi-speed transmission used in internal combustion engine-based motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving ...
and all-wheel drive. In the United Kingdom, the standard engine is the PSA 2.2-litre turbo diesel. The eD4 version of the engine produces , the TD4 comes with , and the SD4 comes with .
Interior appointments include an Alpine 440-watt 14-speaker surround sound audio and a 7-inch touch navigation screen options, while the newer models can be equipped with an Meridian audio system, which comes with a surround sound 17-speaker system with Trifield technology, producing 825 watts.
The Meridian system is also equipped with subwoofers and Audyssey MultEQ audio tuning system. Also a 5-inch colour display screen is standard even at the newer entry-level models. An optional cold climate package includes heated front windscreen, heated front seats with two heating levels and heated windscreen washers. The optional lighting package includes bi-xenon headlights, adaptive front-lighting, memory for the driver seat, as well as exterior mirrors and approach and puddle lamps.
Freelander 2 TD4_e
The Freelander TD4_e features stop-start technology to improve fuel economy and reduce carbon emissions. The system cuts out the engine when the vehicle is stationary, neutral is selected and the clutch engaged; the engine restarts when the clutch pedal is depressed.
The system includes a heavy-duty starter motor that also acts as a generator to recover energy through regenerative braking
Regenerative braking is an energy recovery mechanism that slows down a moving vehicle or object by converting its kinetic energy into a form that can be either used immediately or stored until needed. In this mechanism, the electric traction mo ...
that is then stored in capacitors to restart the engine reducing stress on the vehicle's battery and electrical system. The stop-start system became available in spring 2009 on Freelander 2 TD4 models.
Freelander 2 eD4
For the first time in Land Rover's history, from the 2011 model year, a purely two-wheel drive version, badged eD4, was available. This model also dropped the Terrain Response and Hill Descent Control systems.[Land Rover Freelander 2 eD4 – GreenCarGuide.co.uk]
/ref> Omitting four-wheel drive saved of weight, and the eD4 achieved a combined economy figure of , along with emissions of 158 g/km .
After introduction of the Range Rover Evoque in 2011, this model competed with the Freelander 2, especially with the eD4, as the Evoque was both cheaper to purchase, more efficient, more premium, and combined this with standard four-wheel drive.[
For the 2013 model year, the Freelander got a revised look with a different grille, and new interior trim.
]
Sales
References
External links
* at Land Rover International
{{Land Rover vehicles
Freelander
The Land Rover Freelander is a compact luxury crossover SUV that was manufactured and marketed by Land Rover from 1997 to 2015. The second generation was sold from 2007 to 2015 in North America and the Middle East as the LR2 and in Europe as the ...
Compact sport utility vehicles
Crossover sport utility vehicles
All-wheel-drive vehicles
Ford C1 platform
2000s cars
2010s cars
Cars introduced in 1997