Land Rover has always been happy to set trends rather than following them. The first generation Freelander was just such an example - anticipating customer demand for smaller 4x4s, Land Rover was right on the ball with its own offering.
Early examples suffered terribly from reliability issues and the car was disappointing dynamically, but from an image point of view the car was a success. The objective for the second car was simply to build on the first car's strengths whilst avoiding its talent for self-destruction.
The company has done a good job updating the Freelander - the evolutionary, bringing the entry-level Land Rover in line with the company's latest design language. Some have criticised it for being too conservative, but the attempts to improve quality and reliability have been unequivocally successful.
The cabin is made of decent materials and the look and feel of interiors from the Freelander's bigger brothers has been successfully imported into this car, save for the odd bit of surprisingly cheap plastic. There is reasonable room inside for four people and plenty of room in the boot - the Freelander lacks some of the niftier tricks that make life easier in some rivals though.
We were impressed with the Freelander's refinement on the move - the suspension smothers bumps in town and the ride when you're at a cruise on the motorway is impressively svelte. Running through corners, body roll is kept in check too. It's not a dynamic car to drive, but the Freelander feels very comfortable. External noise is kept to an admirable minimum.
What does set apart the Freelander from its rivals is its off-road ability - Land Rover wouldn't let a car out of the factory without being able to plough through the toughest of off-road situations and the Freelander is no different. The car is obviously not going to be taken regularly off the beaten track, but to have the ability means peace of mind for a driver if you're, say, parking at the British GP.
The 2.2-litre TD4 diesel is the only choice of engine here, offering hushed motoring with some urgency should you need it. We like the Freelander - it might be too pricey for some, but Land Rover has decided it will charge a bit extra for the badge. The rest of the car might be worth the spend.