Class Leader Revised
by David Finlay (16 Feb 04)

In sales terms, the Freelander is one of the minor miracles of its time. It was introduced in 1997 and there has been a healthy flow through the dealerships ever since, with around 24,000 examples per annum going to UK owners since 2001. This is despite the fact that the compact premium 4x4 (as Land Rover describes it) has been facing increasingly stiff competition lately.

This competition is one of the reasons why the Freelander has been considerably upgraded for 2004. Having created a new market seven years ago (much in the same way as Renault did with the original Megane Scenic), Land Rover can no longer rely simply on being the only player in the field.

Well, perhaps it can in one respect. For anyone who needs a small-ish vehicle with exceptional off-road and towing capabilities, the Freelander is an obvious choice. The mechanicals were heavily reworked three years ago, and there has been no change to the specification of the grubby bits since then.

Attention has instead been paid to the on-road experience and the styling. It's difficult to miss the message even at a first glance - the front and rear ends have been updated very effectively with design cues from the way-upmarket Range Rover, the most noticeable change being the twin-pocket style headlamps. These are not there simply for show - Land Rover claims "whiter" light, a better spread and 70% greater intensity.

The test car certainly illuminated night-time scenes with great efficiency. I kept having to adjust the beam height (using a switch to the left of the steering wheel) to avoid dazzling oncoming traffic, which I suppose demonstrates how powerful the new lights are.

Restyled Front And Back

Redesigned front and rear bumpers - body-coloured rather than black as before - help the new look, and the rear lights are mounted higher to improve visibility for drivers behind and to reduce the possibility of the lenses picking up dirt. For the benefit of anyone who does a lot of off-roading, Land Rover says that the new bumpers do not affect the Freelander's approach and departure angles.

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