Freelander is a model manufactured by Land Rover. It is a small 4×4 car that is suited to both tarmac and off road use. It is not however a go anywhere 4×4 as it does not have a low ratio gearbox like some of it’s bigger brothers such as the Defender and Range Rover. It will get you off a muddy field with ease and an amazingly long way off the beaten track. Freelander vehicles come in a range of engine sizes from the 1.8 petrol to the v6 petrol as well as the BMW sourced TD4 diesel engine. The Freelander also came with either a 5 speed manual or a 5 speed automatic gearbox.
The Freelander model was first launched in 1997 in three body styles, 3-door hardback, 3-door softback and 5-door station wagon. There were then two trim levels which were the ‘I’ for petrol and ‘DI’ for diesel and the ‘XEI’ for petrol and ‘XEDI’ for diesel. The differences are in the higher spec models having 16” alloy wheels, ABS and Hill descent control, uprated ICE, passenger airbag and air con. It rapidly became Land Rover’s most popular model. Freelander was designed from the outset to deliver car-like levels of ride and handling on-road whilst achieving Land Rover’s world-renowned off-road performance. Over 80% of all owners of 4WD models of all makes of Freelander have no previous experience of 4WD. They move over from 2WD vehicles and become very loyal to the new brand. Over the years there have been minor updates and the Freelander 2 was launched in 2006.
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