Land Rover Freelander

The Freelander is a compact crossover SUV from Land Rover. Introduced in 1998 in the UK where it competes with the Jeep Liberty, Toyota RAV4 and similar vehicles, and in North America in 2002 where it pioneered the premium compact SUV segment (since joined by the BMW X3 and others). There are a variety of models on the market, 3-door removable-top (SE3) and 5-door versions, diesel and petrol engines. Current US Freelander models are powered by V-6 engines, and have mixed Auto/manual Tiptronic-style gearboxes; most have air conditioning, power steering, power windows and other amenities standard.

While the Freelander is quite suitable for moderately rugged roads, it does not have a low range gear selection to master serious inclines or sufficient clearance for broken terrain. Its ABS, traction control, hill descent control features however make driving off-road a pleasant experience.

While some reports show the Freelander to be the most popular Land Rover model in Europe, sales of the Freelander in the United States have been slow. Just 5,430 were sold in 2004, adding up to just over 33,000 sold in the three years the car was offered in that market.