Land Rover's Freelander steps up a gear
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• Land Rover has overhauled the Freelander range, introducing a common rail engine and Steptronic transmission.
The Td4 common rail unit replaces the current turbodiesel engine and is a two-litre, 16-valve model developing 110hp (82kW) at 4,000rpm and 260Nm (192Ibft) at 1,750rpm. A 2.5-litre V6 is also now available giving 174hp (130kW) at 6,500rpm and 240Nm (1771bft) at 4,000rpm.
A new five-speed manual is introduced as well as a fivespeed automatic Steptronic box with normal and sport mode for improved acceleration and response. Drivers can also select gears by pushing the gearstick forward and back. Both gearboxes can include Land Rover's Hill Descent Control, which uses the Freelander's four-charnel antilock braking system, while cruise control is a further option for the automatic, Braking is improved with larger vented discs at the front, larger drums at the rear and a new electronic distribution circuit, while a variable nozzle turbine has been added to reduce lag.
Commercial version specifications are not yet released, but a three door Td4 has been given a starting price of £17:195.