A Better Freelander
Production of the Freelander 2 was moved from the Solihull plant in Birmingham to Halewood in England near Liverpool. It now shared production of the Jaguar X-Type automobile. It used a chassis based on the global midsized EUCD platform (European C/D class) that accommodated a larger transversely-mounted Volvo SI6 3.2 liter inline 6-cylinder petrol engine that also powered the new Volvo S80.
It came with 6-speed manual and automatic transmission. The UK version didn't get this engine but instead got a 2.2 liter DW12 common rail turbo-charged diesel engine jointly developed with the French PSA (Peugeot Societe Anonyme) to power its new Peugeot Citroen cars.
With improved ground clearance and off-road handling capabilities, the second generation Freelander matched the Land Rover tradition for off-road superiority found in its Discovery and Defender line and proved superior to its European SUV rivals. In addition, the Freelander 2 sported improved interior quality, road safety features as well as modified Terrain Response off-road system used in the new Discovery III and upscale Range Rover. The Rover Group and the Swedish Haldex Traction AB jointly developed its four-wheel drive system using the third generation Haldex coupling which was also fitted in the complete 2005 to 2008 Volvo models
The Landrover Freelander 2 was introduced in the US markets as the LR2 HSE in 2007 sporting the 6-cylinder 3.2 liter inline petrol engine capable of 230 hp on a 6-speed automatic transmission gear train. It came with the luxurious interior appointments the US markets had become accustomed seeing in an SUV but was bettered with a Cold Climate System that heated the front windscreen and front seats at two heating levels as well as a heated windscreen water jet, a 14-speaker 440-watt surround system from Alpine, touch navigation screens, and bi-xenon headlights to mention some.
The Latest Freelander 2 TD4_e
The Rover Group launched the Freelander 2 TD4_e in 2009 which marked the first SUV in the UK to use an eco-friendly stop-start technology to economize fuel consumption and reduce CO2 emissions. The in the designation stands for e-Terrain Technologies presumably referring to 'earth' and was Land Rover's answer to the emerging trends in environmentally friendly road vehicles.
With the e-technology, the engine stops when in idle gear and instantly resumes when engaging the clutch pedal. A heavy-duty starter motor acts as a generator to recover energy from its regenerative braking using capacitors to store energy and restart the engine without engaging the starter battery. The e-Terrain is expected to be used in subsequent hybrid Freelander models.
