From December (if you’re a fleet customer) or next May (if you’re a private buyer) you’ll find that diesel-engined Land Rover Freelanders fitted with manual transmission have become surprisingly economical.

These cars will have their names changed slightly from TD4 to TD4_e, and they will be identical in all respects to the current models, with one important exception: they will be fitted as standard with Land Rover’s new Stop/Start technology, which has an important effect on fuel economy and CO2 emissions.

The figures for the current TD4 manual are 37.7mpg and 194g/km on the official EU test. Stop/Start improves the situation to 41.3mpg and 179g/km, which means a £55 reduction in annual car tax (according to the new VED structure which will start next year) as well as the obvious fuel savings. The system is of course at its most effective in urban driving, or in other slow-movement situations such as a jammed-up motorway.

Land Rover has also devoted a lot of effort to making both the starting and stopping procedures as smooth as possible, which has always been an issue with diesel engines. Looking further ahead, Land Rover is trying to make the system work in conjunction with automatic transmission.

This article was taken from: Car Keys

IT’S the same collection of cars from the Auto Express 2007 Used Car Honours, but in a different order! And this year, there was little contest. While the Volvo XC90 is fashionable with lifestyle buyers, the Discovery 3 takes the prize when it comes to off-road prowess.

Land Rover has binned the old Discovery’s breathless five-cylinder diesel in favour of a more refined and frugal V6. Air-suspension makes for an accomplished ride on the road and the steering is pleasant enough.

Auto Express judge Jeff Paterson said: ‘The SUV sector has been suffering dramatically of late, but this means it’s possible to find some real bargains on the used market. The Discovery is more widely available than its immediate rivals, and the spacious cabin is a delight.’

If you’re not bothered by fuel economy there’s always the beefy 4.4-litre V8, but most buyers will opt for the more sensible V6. The proud, boxy styling hints at the fact that the Land Rover is more capable off-road than any other car in this class – so if you want an authentic, grass-roots 4×4, the Discovery is the one to go for.

COMMENDED

VW TOUAREG (2003 to date)

Price: £14,275-£31,000

FAR more capable than you’d expect off-road, and the VW has strong diesel engines. Seats only five, but is roomier than the Disco or XC90, and cabin finish and road presence impress.

VOLVO XC90 (2003 to date)

Price: £13,425-£29,350

STILL a popular choice with families, even though it’s showing its age. Volvo has a five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating and clever interior, while the D5 diesel gives reasonable economy.

This article was taken from: Hamilton Advertiser

NO matter what other manufacturers field you cannot deny that the Range Rover is a masterpiece of automotive engineering.

The twin-turbo V8 diesel powered Vogue SE model I drove recently certainly hammered this point home because in the elevated armchair driving position of this great British design you certainly do feel king of the road.

There has been much said of the high cost of vehicles such as this but let’s put it into perspective. The model I drove costs £69,495 – expensive to some. But when you think that a top-end BMW 5 Series Touring model can set you back nearly the same money or a Mercedes-Benz CLS Coupe can cost around £75,000 then the Range Rover suddenly does not seem that over the top.

It has defied its critics and is still at the top of the hill in terms of combining luxury and sheer off-road grunt. There are very few vehicles in the world that can come anywhere near it for image and sheer ability.

But what really astonishes me about the Range Rover is how it can look so shatteringly modern when it is such an old basic design. You have to understand that the development work on it started in 1966 when Rover’s design chief Spen King put pen to paper.

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The Range Rover has come under a lot of fire from the environmentalists in recent times being branded a gas-guzzling Chelsea tractor by some.

So is it that bad on fuel? I took the car on a seven hour drive to Cornwall and at a steady legal maximum on the motorway was, at one point achieving 30mpg. But in normal driving you can expect between 21 and 25mpg. So the diesel model is not the greatest gas guzzling ogre that some people make it out to be.

The actual driving experience of this vehicle is awesome. It can do 124mph and accelerate like a sports saloon. Despite its height it is beautifully poised and offers astonishing long range luxury. For an extra £2,400 you can even have a rear seat DVD entertainment systems. And if parked with the brakes on the driver can even watch TV.

Not that I was able to take this particular vehicle off road, but I have driven Range Rovers through some very wild areas and they demonstrate time and time again that they are up to just about anything. For instance, its water wading capability is 700mm and its obstacle clearance is up to 275mm.

But above all Range Rover does it all in style and I have a feeling it will still be around for decades to come.

FAST FACTS

Range Rover TDV8 Vogue SE

Price : £69,495

Mechanical : 271bhp, 3,630cc, 8cyl diesel engine driving four wheels via 6spd automatic gearbox

Max-speed : 124mph

0-62mph : 9.2 secs

Combined mpg : 25.1

Insurance group : 17

CO2 emissions : 299g/km

BiK rating : 35%

Warranty : 3yrs/ unlimited mileage, 6yrs anti-rust

This article was taken from: motors-merseyside.co.uk

THE original Land Rover is still personified in the Defender – an almost unstoppable icon that still sells well all over the world.

It’s available in short and long wheelbase variations and I recently re-acquainted myself with the short wheelbase county station wagon at the top of the range.

I swear this machine would climb the wall of a house, claw its way over the roof and let itself gently down the other side.

That’s how good it is off-road, with proper low ratio gears, a differential lock and excellent traction control that stops the wheels spinning.

The 2.4-litre turbo diesel engine gives fair performance with very good 28mpg economy with a standard six-speed gearbox, but the clutch is still pretty fierce, the driving position far from perfect and the ride dreadful out on the road.

Having said all that, nothing else has the same handsome, rugged good looks and reliability is excellent according to the trade.

Interior

There are only four seats in this model, with the two rear ones each folding up sideways to clear the load area for bales of hay.

The rear door is very heavy and awkward and the height daunting for many, but it does have aircon, electric front windows remote locking, huge alloys and a decent CD stereo.

FAST FACTS

Land Rover Defender 110 County Station Wagon

Price : £25,250

Mechanical : 122bhp, 2,401cc, 4cyl diesel engine driving four wheels via 6spd manual gearbox

Max speed : 82mph

0-62mph : 15.8 secs

Combined mpg : 25.7

Insurance group : 12

CO2 emissions : 291g/km

BiK rating : 35%

Warranty : 3yrs/ unlimited mileage, 6yrs anti-rust

Marks : 9/10

Main rival : Jeep Wrangler

This article was taken from: AC Advertiser

The iconic British Land Rover has been turned into an £80,000 sports car by two fans of the off-road classic.
The Bell Aurens Longnose – designed by Thomas Bell and fellow enthusiast Holger Kalvelage – will be more powerful than a Ferrari.
Using a long wheel base Land Rover 109, they plan to fit it with a massive V16 engine, slice the top off and revamp the interior.

But the Longnose will stick to the traditionally minimalist Land Rover cockpit, including the distinctive wide steering wheel.
But an aluminium finish and leather seats have been added.
And the front grille and headlights will still bear a strong resemblance to the classic series two Land Rover, which was first launched in 1958.
All the components, from the axles to the gearbox and steering system, will come from classic Land Rover models like the Defender.
And even the traditional leaf spring chassis will be in place so the driver feels “every detail of the road’s surface unvarnished and without any compromise.” The open-top “off-roadster” will be available to buy in black, Sahara cream or in British racing green.
When produced for public us it will be available with either a V8, V12 or even a whopping V16 engine.

The most powerful options available to buy will be able to churn out an impressive 700 break horse power.
A Ferrari 430 can only develop 483bhp.
But, leaving the rest of the competition behind, a special version will feature the Merlin engine out of another British icon, the Spitfire – and will be able to produce a staggering 1,500bhp.
Briton Mr Bell and German Mr Kalvelage came up with the idea after meeting on an online forum.
They immediately set about combining their two loves – the classic British roadster and the Land Rover.
The result is the 15ft long, six feet wide Longnose, which Mr Bell, 33, and Mr Kalvelage, 46, describe as being ‘full of character, authoritative and stylish’.
Mr Kalvelage said: ‘I first fell in love with the Land Rover at a very early age when I used to see them being used by the military close to where I grew up.

‘It is such an iconic car all over the world and is certainly very special to both of us. In fact, between us we own five Land Rovers.
‘We came up with the idea for the Longnose three years ago but the hardest part was finding a factory who could manufacture the cars for us.
‘Eventually we found one who were as excited as we were about the project.
‘We see it as a deferent evolution of an icon of the British automotive industry.
‘The Longnose is truly an offroader from the front fender to the rear lights – yet it is still a roadster.’
But he says that because most of the car will come from an original series two Land Rover, they plan to limit the speed to around 125mph for safety reasons.
He said: ‘The top engine available to buy will be a 700bhp, V16 engine but we are also planning on building a special edition with a Merlin engine from a Spitfire.

‘It will be fantastic to combine two British icons like the Land Rover and the Spitfire,’ Mr Kalvelage added: ‘Every piece of the Longnose will be handbuilt from the original Land Rover part.
‘We want to keep it as exclusive as possible so we are only planning to build ten each year.
‘Buyers can either come to us with their own Land Rover 109s for us to rebuild or we can buy one for them.
‘We”ve actually already had around ten orders from people all over Europe.
‘We are planning to show the prototype Longnose in Peterborough, in September.’ Anyone ordering a Longnose will get inducted into the exclusive Bell Aurens Owner Club.
And they will be invited to travel to the factory, in Nuremberg, Germany, to see their vehicle on the production line.
They will also get an exclusive Bell Aurens register which logs all the owners of the cars as well as detailing exactly who was responsible for crafting their vehicle.
A spokeswoman for Land Rover said: ‘We have had no involvement in this project.

This article was taken from: Daily Mail