British Land Rover has added a forth vehicle to its line-up, a small, rather
strange vehicle probably meant to target a younger audience, one not
traditionally part of the company¹s usual audience of high-level executives
and country club habitués.

Land Rover has benefited only modestly from the sport-utility craze. Most
buyers think of the brand strictly in terms of the fashionably upscale Range
Rover, which seems permanently ensconced in the hearts and minds of old
money and the landed gentry. Overall, the company is on target to sell only
about 35,000 total vehicles in North America, a drop in the bucket in
comparison to the sales volume of Toyota, Ford and General Motors. One of
land Rover¹s problems is that its lower-cost vehicles do not have much of
the drawing power of its high-end model.

The new Freelander SE3 is an attempt to put something on the market to
broaden its appeal, but to this point, I cannot say that I have seen one on
the road in car-obsessed California. But based on my experience, the
Freelander is probably best experienced off road rather than on public
thoroughfares. 

The essence of the Freelander SE3 is an ultra-rugged, two-door,
four-passenger vehicle with twin removable sunroof panels and a detachable
rear hardback. With the roof parts removed, the SE3 offers a great deal of
exposure to the elements, particularly for rear-seat passengers. The SE3
probably is best seen as a competitor to the ubiquitous Jeep Wrangler. And
the price point for the SE3 is set at roughly the same level as the top of
the Wrangler series. Our test vehicle was finished in a searing yellow
color, which underscores its commitment to the youth market.

Like Jeep, Land Rover has solid off-road credentials. These are made
apparent with the inclusion of a stout V-6 engine and full-time all-wheel
drive with four-wheel electronic traction control.  The SE3 also sits high
off the ground and offers high approach and departure angles to prevent the
vehicle from getting hung up on irregular terrain. The Freelander SE3 rides
on two, stout, longitudinal boxed rails that provide excellent rigidity. The
front and rear suspensions are buttressed with steel subframes, which
ensures structural integrity as the vehicle encounters boulder, stumps and
tree limbs in its path.

Descending steep terrain in an SUV can be terrifying. A useful bit of
technology is the Land Rover¹s Hill Descent Control to ensure safe travel
down steep slopes. The feature uses the braking system¹s ABS sensors to
rapidly pulse the brakes, allowing the vehicle to creep downhill at a very
low speed without the driver doing anything but hanging on and steering.

While the Freelander SE3¹s off-road credentials are impressive, its on-road
character is very demanding. Because the vehicle sits tall and has a
relatively high center of gravity, it demands an impeccably smooth driving
technique on mountain roads. The old adage about slowing way down before
entering a curve is critical. If you enter a fast curve at high speed while
braking and turning, you must deal with a lot of inertia that keeps the
vehicle going forward, which may result in an unwieldy situation as you
wrestle to change direction.

The V-6 engine delivers adequate power for most any application and is
smooth enough by SUV standards. The five-speed automatic transmission allows maximum engine control, but both on-road and off-road adventures.

The removable roof may appeal to some buyers, but it is not a one-person job
to remove and reinstall. If the buyer lives in a mild, relatively dry
climate and can garage the vehicle, it seems better to just leave the roof
panels in the garage and consider the SE3 an open-air vehicle.

The SE3 offers comfortable front seats and the controls are quite easy to
access and use. Nevertheless, I had a difficult time feeling comfortable in
the compact interior, particularly in light of the relatively high seating
arrangement.  

 
Vehicle: Land Rover Freelander SE3

Price as tested: $27,095

Engine:

         Type: 2.5-liter V-6

         Horsepower: 174 hp @ 6,250 rpm

         Torque: 177-ft. lbs. @ 4,000 rpm

Fuel economy, automatic transmission

         City - 17 mpg

         Highway - 20 mpg

Curb Weight: 3,577 lbs.