 |
| Built for mud-plugging... |
|
|
I was expecting and even more miserable, dull drive home to the wilds of Surrey. It was the time of day when anyone who hadn't already hit the streets, would have, most certainly, done so by the time I got to the delights of Hammersmith. Yes, I am being ironic. The last time I did the journey, I spent a joyous 90 minutes inching my way around the one-way system. Yuk!
Luckily, I'd had the foresight to bring the 'car' CDs, so the first job was to feed them into the 6-CD changer and off I set with Faithless as entertainment. I'm just so intrepid.
At first, the new, face-lifted, Freelander seemed bigger than I remembered from the last time I drove one. But, it was just my imagination. It didn't matter; the already high driving position offers great all-round visibility so you can see well ahead, as to what's going on or not in the case of Hammersmith.
The main changes to the compact 4x4 are in the styling. Now, the Freelander is much more in keeping with the Range Rover in terms of looks, with similar twin-lens headlights and new grille and body-coloured bumpers. The tail lights have been positioned higher, further away from the effects of road-grime and more easily visible to following drivers.
Inside, the list of changes include a new fascia and switches and new seats. It is still unmistakeably Land Rover but a lot less agricultural. My test car was the 5-door station wagon with an equal amount of seats. The rear seats have a 60/40 fold making room for loads of ...er loads. Helped by the continuing boxy shape, the luggage capacities range from 546-litres to a useful 1,319-litres, both measurements are to the roof.
|
