Thread: Land Rover Car

As much as suvs are getting more fashionable and trendier in India, they are getting politically more incorrect in Europe. And it's not just political incorrectness that keeps me away from being a fan of SUVs. I like to travel fast on highways, corner hard on winding, snaking roads and enjoy the very sensation of speed that an automobile gives you, especially on the autor outes of Europe, all of which is hardly possible on a high-seating SUV with a high centre of gravity and scary body roll. At the same time I do appreciate the practicality of an SUV in the Indian context, given our pockmarked roads and conditions. Yes, I might consider an SUV in India, but never in Europe, where the roads are superb, the conditions so much better than in India. And my wife? Well, she hates SUVs. She thinks that they are for the brash, the arrogant and the aggressive macho kinds.

And so when I told her that I was getting an SUV for a long weekend away from Paris, and that for the next two thousand-odd kilo metres we would have to live with it, she wasn't one bit happy. But then it's my job, so she relented, and the Land Rover sledgeham¬mer treatment. It also helped that her dear uncle has a Range Rover. Plus, that little piece of news that Land Rover, along with Jaguar, had just been taken over by an Indian company.

This Indian company isn't saying very much as to what its plans are with Land Rover. But then LR already has an Indian presence, albeit in a very modest way. But that, we expect, will change soon. Sometime later this year, Mumbai-based Navnit Motors, the Indian distributors for Land Rover are expected to launch a homologated version of the Freelander one of LR's cheaper models, and by far, its best selling product worldwide in India. Reason enough for me to ask for one from Jean-Eric Perrot, the PR head of Land Rover France.

The Freelander in Europe is positioned against the likes of the Honda CR-V, the Nissan X-Trail and the BMW X3. The base CR-V - the 2.0-litre, similar to what is on offer in India, but with four-wheel-drive whereas the base Freelander - with a 2.2litre diesel. And BMWs 2.0-litre X3, while the 2.5 (which is what is sold in India)Coming into India the story may change. The CR-V, which is imported by Honda as a CBU from Japan, adds just a few lakhs to a not-so-unreasonable Whereas the Beemer, as a CBU import directly from Germany. So, what will be the price of the Freelander7 Our guess.



So it needs to be very good to take away punters from the CR-V, the X-Trail, or for that matter, the Mitsubishi Pajero. And the Freelander, I must declare, is very good. If your daily commute is more about tarmac-tackling than trailblazing, then this 2.2 diesel- powered automatic manages to combine mud-plugging promise with excellent on-road refinement and driveability. The coupling of auto 'and derv power makes for a ver)practical vehicle, not least because the system has a Command Shift feature for manual sequential gearchanges, but also makes for smooth, effortless driving, as well as refined cruising.

Delivering a peak torque of 400Nm at 2000rpm, the 160bhp 2.2 is very good to drive, with pleasantly weighted steering and an excellent ride. Under hard acceleration, power delivery is smooth and seamless. There's none of the usual frustrations of jerky ratio changes, while throttle response is very sharp. What's more, the engine (a Ford-Peugeot joint development) is quiet, with very little noise entering the cabin. There are comfortable seats and an elevated driving position. The Freelander also seems to have decent off-roading capabilities: the company's impressive Terrain Response system - which switches between traction modes - is also standard in all but the entry¬level model and there's a useful Hill Descent Control system, too.

On the styling front, the Freelander has a distinctive LR look about it, such as the clamshell bonnet, slightly stepped roofline and bulbous nose. Though the rear doors are a little short, once you're inside, legroom is decent. The high-floored boot doesn't look very spacious, but did swallow all of our weekend luggage. And much attention has been paid to the driving environment. You sit high, the window line is low and you can see the bonnet, so the Freelander is very easy to place on the road - handy for parking. The dash looks fresh and uses high-quality materials.
Some 2,000-odd km later, we really came to appreciate the Freelander. And not only did it win me over, even my wife was impressedl For the first time, she liked an SUV. So, politically, the Freelander may not be all that incorrect.