Land Rover Freelander gets a facelift, and two-wheel-drive

The styling of the new Freelander gets a mild update, with a redesigned front bumper assembly, a new and less pronounced front grille aligned with the hood, revised headlamps and tail lights, a full width tailgate appliqué and new 18- or 19-inch alloy wheel designs.

The interior, meanwhile, gets revised instrument dials and four new seat styles, as well as an optional Premium Pack which comes with Windsor Leather upholstery, an 8/6 way electric seat, plus unique carpet mats and covered centre stowage.

Under the bonnet, there is a revised version of the 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel engine with a new variable geometry turbocharger. The powerplant is available in two forms, a TD4 with 150bhp that comes with either a manual transmission and Stop/Start tech as standard or an automatic gearbox without Stop/Start as an option, or an SD4 variant with 190bhp and an automatic gearbox, which can go from 0-100km/h in 8.7 seconds and reach a top speed of 190km/h.

The biggest change however, is the introduction of a new high-efficiency version that comes with two-wheel-drive only. Called the Freelander eD4, it is powered by a 2.2-litre turbo diesel that produces 150bhp, and is the most efficient car that Land Rover has ever made.

"The new Freelander 2 eD4 moves Land Rover into the hugely popular and fiercely contested two wheel-drive SUV market," said Land Rover managing director Phil Popham. "The European market for two-wheel drive SUVs represents 23 percent of the segment and we intend to compete strongly here.

"A 2WD option is just one way in which we are developing our vehicles' efficiency whilst adding to the Land Rover range and expanding our appeal to a broader group of customers. We will continue to make the 'world's finest all-terrain vehicles' for those customers who require 4WD but will also now offer an alternative," Popham concluded.