Land Rover Freelander TD4_e Stop/Start (2008) CAR Review

Land Rover is going green…honest. The first of its CO2-reducing technologies – the Freelander TD4_e featuring stop/start technology – launches in April 2009 and promises to be the most fuel-efficient Land Rover ever offering 42.2mpg and 179g/km of CO2. The authentic 4×4 brand also claims the Freelander TD4_e is the world’s first SUV to sport an intelligent stop/start system.

A Land Rover Freelander that does 40-plus mpg? Am I dreaming?
Of course that’s the official combined figure so probably yes, but the fuel-sipping technology is still great news for drivers wanting all the ability and authenticity Land Rover is famed for, wrapped up in a greener package that will genuinely improve day-to-day economy. The stop/start tech – married to the existing 2.2-litre TD4 diesel manual – boosts official mpg by 12% (37.7 to 42.2mpg) and reduces emissions by 8% (from 194 to 179g/km) and could, says Land Rover, improve economy by 20% in heavy stop/start conditions. Land Rover’s stop/start specialist boffin Phil Whiffin believes savings could equate to £13 per tank or £680 every year.

Which engines get the technology and how much will it cost?
For now Land Rover’s launching only on the Freelander diesel manual – automatics are trickier to engineer with stop/start technology and the Freelander’s 3.2-litre petrol sales are minuscule in the UK – but stop/start systems will be rolled out to other diesel manual models in the range in time. Expect the Discovery to be next. Stop/start will be standard on the Freelander TD4 manual and incur no extra cost over the current model.

Is the driving experience affected?
When stationary, yes. Put the gear lever into neutral, release the clutch and the engine cuts out – with the reassuring confirmation that you haven’t stalled registered in the driver display with the message ‘eco stop/start on’. Otherwise no. Re-starting is just as easy – touch the clutch pedal, select a gear and accelerate. All round there’s no diesel cut-out or start-up shudder or rattle, something Land Rover’s engineers have specifically worked to mitigate. The system can be disabled too – manually at the touch of a button and automatically by the car’s computer when certain all-terrain settings are turned on – so you don’t get caught out off-road, something amply demonstrated on our London test route via the inside of Battersea Power station.

Is anything else new on the TD4_e?
Yes, the eco-focused car also has low-rolling resistance tyres and a beefed-up starter motor to help achieve its stop/start mpg excellence, plus an optimum gear selector indicator in the dash to nudge drivers into the most frugal gear for their speed. Prices for the TD4_e range from £21,325 for the S to £32,345 for the HSE model.

Verdict
This is an important variant for Land Rover that signals the start of a much more eco-aware range – from stop-start in 2009 to diesel hybrid by 2012 – and crucially without sacrificing the brand’s off-road credentials. They can’t come soon enough.

This article was taken from: Car Magazine Online

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 10th, 2008 at 9:29 am and is filed under Land Rover. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.