Review of the new Land Rover Freelander HST

The merits of the Land Rover Freelander 2 are already well appreciated. Many sell on the strength of the cohesive styling and the Freelander HST model is edgier still, the body modifications giving the car a more aggressive, urban look. The effect may not for everyone but it may well attract new customers to the marque.

It's been interesting watching the Land Rover Freelander develop from rather gauche arriviste to something that could genuinely be purchased by 'old money'. Of course, the Land Rover badge helps with the expedition of that process but there's no substitute for time and solid product development.

It's hard to believe quite how far the Freelander has come in the years since it was first launched in 1997. What was then a high quality concept but rather patchily executed vehicle has been beasted into shape with the Freelander 2 knocking the rough edges away and resulting in a very polished performer. Some groused that with no low range gearbox, the Freelander still wasn't proper, but drive one off road and it's clear that clever electronics do much of the work and a low range box would just be an irrelevant waste of money to 95 per cent of customers. With the development of the HST model, Land Rover has given us a street-biased Freelander that's all about attitude.

It follows on the heels of Range Rover and Range Rover Sport HST versions which, while about as subtle as an elbow to the ocular orbit, both undeniably have presence to spare and, if Land Rover dealers are to be believed, are creating quite a buzz.

"One thing the Freelander HST doesn't lack is presence.."

Choose the 2.2-litre Td4 version of the Freelander HST and it will hit 60mph from rest in 10.5 seconds, so it's not among the quickest of the diesel compact 4x4s but it always feels keen and puppyish, the 158bhp four-cylinder engine delivering its maximum torque at 2,000rpm with peak power chiming in at 4,000rpm, giving a decently wide power band. The 3.2-litre petrol HST packs 230bhp and will get to 60mph in 8.4 seconds and keep accelerating until that not insubstantial frontal area fails to punch a hole through the atmosphere, by which time 124mph should be showing on the clocks. Both get Land Rover's excellent Terrain Response system for off-road driving, which goes a long way towards excusing the Freelander for its lack of a proper low-range transfer case. It's doubtful too many Freelander HSTs will get their wheels overly dirty though.

Many small 4x4s are set up to ride firmly on road, their manufacturers knowing that they will rarely, if ever, be subjected to off-road use. The Freelander is different and was engineered with off-road use very much in mind but the HST has a different bias and has stiffened springs and a lowered ride height to cope with sportier on-road driving.

As with all Freelanders, the shape is instantly familiar, albeit one which looks as if vehicular geneticists have artificially inseminated a Freelander with some purebred Range Rover DNA. The MK1 Freelander was one of those rare exceptions - a vehicle that just got better and better looking throughout its lifetime and the second generation car has upped the ante again. Whilst it retains the chunky good looks, Land Rover has imbued it with a far more premium look and feel, which is just as well given the prices being asked.

In case you weren't so familiar with the Freelander 2, it's a very different vehicle from the original. It's 50mm longer and 109mm wider but the wheels have been moved further towards each corner, freeing up another 105mm in the car's wheelbase, making rear seat accommodation a whole lot better. Weight has crept up to over 1,900kg in the process but a parallel improvement in safety and refinement is a transaction most customers will be willing to accept. The interior is a somewhat unusual mix of very high quality materials with some surprisingly cheap plastics.

Your local Land Rover dealer will charge you £31,990 for the diesel HST variant that almost all buyers will choose - a premium of around £1,000 over the previous flagship HSE model. For the petrol model, you can expect to pay £35,125.

One thing the Freelander HST doesn't lack is presence. The bluff front end differentiates it instantly from standard Freelander models. The HST gets a Sports Styling Pack with front and rear bumper aprons, side sill mouldings and a rear roof spoiler. The 10-spoke 19-inch alloy wheels are finished in shadow chrome and fill out the arches beautifully to give the HST an aggressive, hunkered down appearance that works well with the chunky styling. Privacy glass and metallic paint are also standard.

As with the HSE, HST buyers can expect leather seat facings and a 14-speaker Dolby Pro Logic stereo. It's no use ignoring the fact that all this makes the Freelander into a very expensive piece of tackle but sales figures suggest that many see it as a price worth paying.

Once you've got over the initial purchase price, ongoing running costs are reasonably manageable. There's certainly no grumbles about fuel economy for the Td4 model most will buy, the claimed 37.7mpg fuel figure being one of the best in the class despite the hefty kerb weight. On test, we averaged just under 29mpg, but that was with a notoriously lead-footed crew of drivers and the 68-litre fuel tank gave a very respectable touring range. The V6 petrol engined car doesn't fare so well with a combined fuel economy figure of 25.2mpg and CO2 emissions of 265g/km. On our test route, a bit of spirited driving saw the average drop to significantly below 20mpg, so you'll need to be rather saintly to equal Land Rover's economy figures.

The Freelander HST also looks set to offer extremely strong residuals. The Freelander 2 is no shabby performer in this regard and the flagship HST will be in especially strong demand. Insurance quotations might not be quite as friendly as with some rivals, insurers having cottoned onto the fact that any car that's respectable off road may generate a few claims from pernickety customers with little or no no-claims bonus for items such as scratched alloy wheels or cracked front spoilers.

The Land Rover Freelander 2 HST is a very clever piece of marketing. Strip away the HST fripperies and you have an excellent foundation, the Freelander 2 now being the sort of vehicle Land Rover would have designed from scratch, it being no great secret that the company inherited the original Freelander and were forced to bring an average design up to speed. The HST won't find favour with the type of rural buyers who have taken the Freelander to their hearts but as a cheaper and less cumbersome alternative to a Range Rover Sport, it works surprisingly well.

Both engines are decent powerplants but the Td4 diesel will certainly outsell the rather thirsty V6 petrol unit. Prices start at £31,990 but the market has shown that it will certainly pay this sort of money for a top end compact 4x4. With the likes of Audi and BMW getting their game faces on, the Freelander 2 HST won't have things easy.

TOP 5 FREELANDER 2 DEALS

The results below show the top FREELANDER 2 deals on buyacar

Land Rover Freelander 2 2.2 TD4 GS 5dr diesel sw
Price £24,478 Read Freelander 2 Reviews	Save £1,457
Land Rover Freelander 2 2.2 SD4 HSE 5dr Auto diesel sw
Price £33,019 Read Freelander 2 Reviews	Save £3,216
Land Rover Freelander 2 2.2 TD4 XS 5dr diesel sw
Price £27,504 Read Freelander 2 Reviews	Save £2,131
Land Rover Freelander 2 2.2 SD4 XS 5dr Auto diesel sw
Price £29,739 Read Freelander 2 Reviews	Save £2,396
Land Rover Freelander 2 2.2 TD4 HSE 5dr diesel sw
Price £30,808 Read Freelander 2 Reviews	Save £2,927
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