Land Rover Freelander - Second Generation (2006-)

Second Generation (2006-)

The Freelander 2 debuted at the 2006 British International Motor Show. While the new model retained the Freelander name in Europe, it was marketed as LR2 in North America (mirroring the marketing of the new third generation Land Rover Discovery as LR3). A presentation at the Kensington Roof Gardens was held for journalists featuring celebrity tennis player Maria Sharapova.

The second generation Freelander is based on the EUCD platform, which itself is based on the C1 platform. The EUCD platform will be used by more upcoming vehicles from Volvo. The engine range is all-new for Freelander, featuring transversely-mounted 3.2 litre I6 engine of the Volvo SI6 series, which first debuted in the new Volvo S80, as well as the 2.2 litre DW12 common rail turbodiesel engine, co-developed by PSA Peugeot Citroën.

Unlike previous Land Rovers, this car is manufactured in the Halewood Body & Assembly facility, near Liverpool, and was until 2009 manufactured alongside the Jaguar X-Type. The new Freelander features higher ground clearance and off-road capabilities that are closer to other Land Rover models. It 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. The 4WD system was developed in conjunction with Haldex and was called Third generation coupling. Vehicles from 2009MY are fitted with a modified design of the active on-demand coupling, known as Haldex's Fourth generation.

The new Freelander was first sold in the U.S. in 2007 as the LR2. The 2008 version is called the LR2 HSE. The HSE has added side trim and 19 inch wheels. A Volvo 3.2 litre inline six-cylinder engine producing 230 hp (170 kW) is standard, with a six-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. In the United Kingdom, the standard engine is a 2.2 litre diesel. Interior appointments include an Alpine 440 watt 14-speaker surround sound audio and touch navigation screen options. 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.