Land Rover Freelander Review (2005)

How It Looks - Interior

The interior has been given a much needed makeover, the quality of materials have vastly improved. The makeover has propelled the interior into another league with a new fascia, instrumentation and switchgear. There is now a very useful twin drink holder in the centre of the dashboard, which was not only good for keeping drink bottles in, we could also keep our onboard stash of sweets to hand.

We were very keen on the seats, and found them comfortable and supportive on our seven day, nearly non stop trip. We liked the seat materials, which were a mixture of leather and alcantara.

One thing that we did not like about the interior was the intrusion of what we assume is a compressor in the passenger footwell. We kept catching our feet on it, and where does it go in the event of an impact?

Infotainment

The SE model is fitted with radio/6 CD auto-changer which is built into the dashboard, which in turn drives six speakers. There are options for satellite navigation and a Harman/Kardon 9 speaker set up. The sound quality from the standard system was in keeping the Freelander and we were not disappointed.

The steering wheel mounted audio controls keep your hands safely on the wheel.

Rivals

• BMW X3, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Nissan X-TRAIL Review & Toyota RAV4

What We Liked

• Exterior styling
• Off-road capability

What We Disliked

• Lack of side and curtain airbags

What We'd Like To See

• A new Freelander as this model has been with us since 1997 and in our opinion it is time for Land Rover to produce a new class leader