Some observers reckoned we'd see the all-new Land Rover Freelander as early as this year's Detroit Show, but it was conspicuous by its absence. However, the advanced state of the car in these pictures shows it's close to production-ready and, instead, we now expect to see the finished car for the first time at the Paris Show later this year, and sales should start late in 2006.
It's clear from the pictures that the new Freelander looks very similar to the existing model, especially around the nose where Land Rover trademarks such as the grille and clamshell hood are obvious, even under the camouflage.
However, we expect that several styling cues from the LR3 and Range Rover will find their way onto the new Freelander. Look closely, for example, and there appears to be a new air intake ahead of the front passenger door, as on the LR3.
Another change on this new model is that the central location of the rear license plate seems to confirm that the spare wheel will not hang on the rear door, as on the current model. Likewise, the position of the handle on the tailgate seems to suggest that it will open from the top, whereas the current model's is a side-hinged affair. The Freelander itself is believed to have grown slightly in every dimension, with a wider track and longer wheelbase, but head of design, Geoff Upex, has already said the ute will be basically the same size as the current model. What will improve, though, is the car's packaging, so it should provide more space for both passengers and luggage. The pictures also seem to show that the rear doors have grown, making for easier access.
Despite what the similar looks might suggest, the new Freelander actually sits on an all-new platform, a stretched version of the C1 platform that underpins the Ford Focus, Mazda 3 and Volvo S40. In due course, we expect to see a 'baby' Volvo 4x4, the XC50, on the same building blocks.
The new Freelander is expected to be an even more capable vehicle off-road than the current model, with a stiffer chassis and increased ground clearance. Most of the components will come from parent company Ford, but upgraded to ensure the new SUV performs as well as we expect of a Landrover away from Tarmac. The gearboxes and engines, likewise, have been upgraded to improve their off-road performance and will include stronger V6 units that are crucial to the car's success in America.
The car in the pictures is a five-door and, unlike the current model, that will be the only body style available. The slow-selling three-door and soft-top models are not being directly replaced. However, rumours persist that we will eventually see a 'baby' Land Rover which will sit below this new Freelander in the Land Rover range, possibly in 2008 and including a front-wheel drive model.
Brenda Priddy & Company
foofighter
03-14-06, 07:42 PM
Nice find...glad to see them replace that god awful freelander
LexLaw
03-14-06, 09:07 PM
Now that makes sense. Never liked the Freelander from day one and this is coming from a diehard Land Rover fan. I'm so glad to see it based on the LR3. I don't know why they do that the first time around. The freelander should have been based on the P38 Range or at least the Disco. Glad to see Ford/Landrover got it right. :thumbup:
DASHOCKER
03-14-06, 09:22 PM
Oh wow, that looks real upscale. They did a great job with the design. Looks like its bigger brothers now. :thumbup:
Text & Photos courtesy Lehmann Photo Syndication
03-30-2006
Bigger, wider, longer and more upmarket
LandRover’s engineers are currently testing the upcoming new Freelander on the roads of Southern Germany.
Here are three recent photos showing the final shape of the car on an almost undisguised prototype. As can be seen from the pictures the next Freelander will be bigger, wider, longer and more upmarket than the current model and adapts styling elements from the new Discovery.
Accordingly the prototype is revealing the wider track, and flared wheel arches, and the extra height between the bodywork and the wheels shows that the test car is riding on an all new platform. The latter is Ford’s C 1 platform, which is a reworked version of what can be found underneath a Ford Focus and Volvo’s S 40 and V 50.
According to the wider front the next Freelander will switch to transversely mounted in line six-cylinder engines, expected to be 2,8 or 3.0 litre units from Volvo with a six speed manual transmission and a Diesel engine from Ford with 2,3 litre 5 cylinders. Talk is also of an additional V 6 cylinder Diesel engine as an option.
The 2006 Freelander will be available only as a five-door model, a three door version has been abandoned.
source : worldcarfans
foofighter
03-30-06, 12:34 PM
that's quite the departure from the toy look of the previous model.
Ullevi
03-31-06, 02:36 AM
Let's hope for LR's sake their reliability has improved.
Previous Freelanders had an atrocious reputation for reliability .
Wow... slight improvement from the current ;) Looks good though... completes the lineup :thumbup:
GFerg
05-24-06, 09:54 PM
I really like the way this looks, except for that grill. What the hell is that?!?!
videcormeum
05-24-06, 10:03 PM
This should compete nicely with the H3 ... in the entry-level earth-destroyer segment. .... :p
Oh well - it looks quite a lot better than the previous generation.
M.
foofighter
05-24-06, 10:31 PM
wow i like it...although at first it resembled that of a Pilot/CRV/Highlander front end with a Ford escape rear portion
foofighter
06-05-06, 09:16 PM
update: ran into a friend that works for the media group for Land Rover US and apparently there's a full investgation going on right now at LR as to who leaked out the pics...
I'm sure some of you know but he told me that ever pic that floats around are serialized so who has those are assigned that number so if it leaks they can trace it back...kinda like what the academy does w/ their screening tapes but that was an interesting tid bit of info
TheRupp
06-05-06, 09:18 PM
update: ran into a friend that works for the media group for Land Rover US and apparently there's a full investgation going on right now at LR as to who leaked out the pics...
I'm sure some of you know but he told me that ever pic that floats around are serialized so who has those are assigned that number so if it leaks they can trace it back...kinda like what the academy does w/ their screening tapes but that was an interesting tid bit of info
Wow... hope your friend doesn't get busted for that :eek2:
I've always wondered about these types of things though... especially after I saw that pic of (I think?) the new Caravan and the one guy pointing and yelling at the photographer :p
1SICKLEX
06-05-06, 09:26 PM
This should compete nicely with the H3 ... in the entry-level earth-destroyer segment. .... :p
Oh well - it looks quite a lot better than the previous generation.
M.
Thank Goodness it will at least have a V-6.
Looks good to me.
Hope it actually starts :D
foofighter
06-05-06, 10:49 PM
Wow... hope your friend doesn't get busted for that :eek2:
I've always wondered about these types of things though... especially after I saw that pic of (I think?) the new Caravan and the one guy pointing and yelling at the photographer :p
well it's not him someone within LR marketing leaked it and they're going to loose their job basically.
the stuff you see spy shots of isnt so bad...they're out in public so it's fair game...it's the internal marketing stuff that's a no no
INHOCJP
06-06-06, 12:37 PM
The new Freelander looks nice. Really like the designs of the entire model line :thumbup:
that looks a lot worse than those CGI's before... Seriously, car companies should hire some of these car artists that do impressions for mags. Their versions usually look a lot better than end product.
The official pictures of the Land Rover Freelander II are out. As expected, it takes its cues from the Range Rover and from the LR3 (headlights, grille and so forth). It has also grown in length by 5 cm.
Big news also under the hood: a 3.2-liters V6 gasoline engine that outputs 233 ps that can take the Freelander from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.9 seconds, while the average fuel consumption is 11.2 liters/100 km; a 2.2-liters turbo-diesel engine that outputs 160 ps, with a torque of 400 Nm and an average fuel consumption of 7.5 liters/100 km (available also with a particulate filter).
The Freelander will be available either with a 6-speed manual gearbox or with an automatic transmission. Traction is on all 4 wheels, obviously, with systems such as Terrain Response, an integrated control system for the suspensions, torque redirection and hill descent already seen on the Range M.Y. 2007 and Gradient Release Control (that assists the driver when releasing the brakes on slippery slopes).
Pricing has not been announced, nor where and when the model will publicly debut, although the timing of these pictures suggests next month at the British Motor Show.
Following the leak of a brochure for the 2007 Land Rover LR2 in May, official press photos have now surfaced online of the truck. The images have appeared on a number of automotive discussion forums and blogs. The vehicle will be known as the Freelander 2 in Europe.
source : leftlanenews
mmarshall
06-22-06, 08:43 AM
The new one looks a lot more like Big Brother Range Rover. The first Freelander, IMO, should not have been dropped....Land Rover needed a small starter model in the American market, especially since the mid-slotted Discovery is gone. The big Range Rovers are just too expensive, despite being some of the world's best mountain goats....and were ( and are ) unreliable to boot. In fact, reliability is something that Land Rover needs to seriously work on in all of its vehicles across the board. For years they have languished at or near the bottom of both J.D. Power and Consumer Reports reliability rankings.
you heard the story about her and LR right? Apparently she went to a LR dealer down in Florida wanted to check out the new RRS. Dealer thought, wow great opportunity, handed her the keys to let her have it on an extended test drive. Fast forward 1 week or so, a LR dealer in the Midwest calls dealer in Florida, saying we have your RRS here and it's all tore up, dirty, trashed up inside, apparently this young lady beat on it dropped it off at the next dealership and said I dont like it. So what does she get for doing that? A 20 million endorsement deal to pitch LR products.
ebruce2
06-23-06, 10:33 AM
neither the chinless, egocentric tennis player nor the Rover suit my style. Give me Anna 1,000,000 X over any day.
Gojirra99
06-23-06, 11:56 AM
you heard the story about her and LR right? Apparently she went to a LR dealer down in Florida wanted to check out the new RRS. Dealer thought, wow great opportunity, handed her the keys to let her have it on an extended test drive. Fast forward 1 week or so, a LR dealer in the Midwest calls dealer in Florida, saying we have your RRS here and it's all tore up, dirty, trashed up inside, apparently this young lady beat on it dropped it off at the next dealership and said I dont like it. So what does she get for doing that? A 20 million endorsement deal to pitch LR products.
It's the first time I' ve heard of this story, thanks for sharing. :)
I'm a little surprised they would still give her an endorsement deal. There are many celebrities you can get to endorse your product for that kind of $$$, somebody at LR must be really enamoured with her . . .
spwolf
06-23-06, 03:46 PM
It's the first time I' ve heard of this story, thanks for sharing. :)
I'm a little surprised they would still give her an endorsement deal. There are many celebrities you can get to endorse your product for that kind of $$$, somebody at LR must be really enamoured with her . . .
except that US is minor part of LR's business, and she is a lot more famous in Europe.
P.S. Whats up with 90's style headlight washers?
foofighter
06-23-06, 06:07 PM
yah i was surprised as well...but i guess you do get away with a lot of crap when you're a celeb
Yoko
06-23-06, 07:17 PM
dang she's so hot, but for some reason on those pics Maria kind of looks like she was photo shopped.
Stage3
06-23-06, 09:30 PM
The first pics posted looked like another boring Ford product... but the Gold one looks SMOKING!
Oh... and Maria Sharapova is alright too. :D
J.P.
06-24-06, 04:58 AM
I like the products they have been coming out with.
And on Maria, I cannot stand her.
Some may drool, but I would like to kick her in the face.