Land Rover released first details of the 2011MY Freelander 2 which hosts a number of upgrades and also comes with a new turbo diesel engine. Also for the first time you can order the car with 2WD as well. On the outside the car features a new front bumper with new fog lamps, a new front grille finish, improved headlights and tail lamps, new full width tailgate appliqué and new 18- or 19-inch alloy wheels. There is also three new colors including Kosrae Green, Baltic Blue and Fuji White.

The interior is upgraded as well, with revised instrument dials and new seats. You can also opt for a Premium Pack that includes Windsor Leather upholstery, an 8/6 way electric seat, plus premium carpet mats and covered centre stowage.

As for that new engine, it’s a 150 PS 2.2-litre turbo diesel engine (eD4) featuring Stop/Start technology as standard, available only with a six-speed manual gearbox. with fuel consumption of 47.2mpg combined, and CO2 emissions of just 158g/km, this unit is EU5 compatible. The other option is the SD4 model delivering 190 PS which is only available with automatic gearbox and can do 0 to 60mph in 8.7 seconds and has a top speed of 118mph.

“The new Land Rover Freelander 2 eD4 moves Land Rover into the hugely popular and fiercely contested two wheel-drive SUV market,” said Land Rover managing director Phil Popham. The European market for two-wheel drive SUVs represents 23 percent of the segment and we intend to compete strongly here.

A 2WD option is just one way in which we are developing our vehicles’ efficiency whilst adding to the Land Rover range and expanding our appeal to a broader group of customers. We will continue to make the ‘world’s finest all-terrain vehicles’ for those customers who require 4WD but will also now offer an alternative.”