Body style: SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle)
Segment: Medium SUV
Production years: 1998, 1999, 2000
At the end of the '80s, Land Rover desperately needed a new product, and it developed it after British Aerospace bought the Rover Group in 1988.
The development program took almost a decade, but the Freelander exceeded the expectation. It became the most successful vehicle in Land Rover's history and market leader for five years in a row. But it wasn't developed with BMW, as some would think. The project was almost done when the German carmaker acquired the Rover Group in 1994.
Gerry McGovern signed the design, and it was a mix between an off-road vehicle and a compact station wagon. At the front, he installed the headlights up above the bumpers to protect them from bushes and other mild obstacles, shopping-carts included. The functional design worked well for the bumpers, where large areas of black, scratch-proof plastic were left unpainted. Its two-step roofline resembled the Land Rover Discovery shape. Both Frelander versions featured a power sliding window on the tailgate and high-mounted turn-signals.
Inside, McGovern designed an interior. He wasn't satisfied to stuff all the necessary parts and call it a day. He placed a significant number of storage places in and on the dashboard, in the door panels, in the center console, and a locking one in the trunk's floor. He convinced the engineers to find a solution, so the transmission tunnel was almost deleted, which helped achieve a great interior room, especially for the five-door version.
In the first production years, the Freelander featured Rover engines only: 1.8-liter gasoline and a 2.0-liter turbodiesel. Only the facelifted version was improved by BMW and enhanced with the German 2.0-liter turbodiesel unit.
ENGINE SPECS - 1.8i 5MT AWD (120 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 1796 cm3 |
Power: | 88 KW @ 5550 RPM 120 HP @ 5550 RPM 118 BHP @ 5550 RPM |
Torque: | 122 lb-ft @ 2750 RPM 165 Nm @ 2750 RPM |
Fuel System: | Multipoint Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 15.9 gallons (60.2 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 102.5 mph (165 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 11.1 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | All Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 5-Speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Ventilated Discs |
Rear: | Drums |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 195/80 R15 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 172.4 in (4379 mm) |
Width: | 70.9 in (1801 mm) |
Height: | 69.3 in (1760 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 60.2/60.6 in (1,529/1,539 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 100.8 in (2560 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 8.3 in (211 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 12.5 cuFT (354 L) |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 2987.3 lbs (1355 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 4321.1 lbs (1960 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 18.1 mpg US (13 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 27.4 mpg US (8.6 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 23.1 mpg US (10.2 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 244 g/km |
ENGINE SPECS - 2.5i V6 4AT AWD (177 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | V6 |
Displacement: | 2497 cm3 |
Power: | 130.2 KW @ 6500 RPM 177 HP @ 6500 RPM 175 BHP @ 6500 RPM |
Torque: | 177 lb-ft @ 4000 RPM 240 Nm @ 4000 RPM |
Fuel System: | Multipoint Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 15.9 gallons (60.2 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 113 mph (182 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 11.1 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | All Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 4-Speed automatic |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Ventilated Discs |
Rear: | Drums |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 215/65 R16 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 172.4 in (4379 mm) |
Width: | 70.9 in (1801 mm) |
Height: | 69.3 in (1760 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 60.2/60.6 in (1,529/1,539 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 100.8 in (2560 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 8.3 in (211 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 12.5 cuFT (354 L) |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 3417 lbs (1550 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 4542 lbs (2060 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 13.7 mpg US (17.2 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 24.2 mpg US (9.7 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 30.5 mpg US (7.7 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 204 g/km |
ENGINE SPECS - 2.0d 5MT AWD (97 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 1998 cm3 |
Power: | 72 KW @ 4200 RPM 98 HP @ 4200 RPM 97 BHP @ 4200 RPM |
Torque: | 155 lb-ft @ 2000 RPM 210 Nm @ 2000 RPM |
Fuel System: | Direct Injction |
Fuel: | Diesel |
Fuel capacity: | 15.9 gallons (60.2 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 96.3 mph (155 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 14.6 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | All Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 5-Speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Ventilated Discs |
Rear: | Drums |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 195/80 R15 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 172.4 in (4379 mm) |
Width: | 70.9 in (1801 mm) |
Height: | 69.3 in (1760 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 60.2/60.6 in (1,529/1,539 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 100.8 in (2560 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 8.3 in (211 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 12.5 cuFT (354 L) |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 3207.7 lbs (1455 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 4519.5 lbs (2050 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 24.5 mpg US (9.6 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 35.1 mpg US (6.7 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 30.5 mpg US (7.7 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 204 g/km |