CAR reader James MacDonald spotted the facelifted Land Rover Freelander recently – parked in the car park at a service station on the M42 not far from the company’s Gaydon HQ.
CAR reader turns paparazzo
‘I papped this Land Rover on Saturday night at a services on the M42,’ says James. ‘It was parked right at the back of the car park, with a chap in the driving seat. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to stop long enough to get a shot from the front, but it too was cloaked like the rear.
‘I drove round the car park to get to the exit, and spotted the Landy in the back corner. Noticing the cloaking, I decided to take a slight detour from my route and pulled up behind it. Thankfully I had the camera with me on the back seat, so grabbed it and took a couple of snaps. Had the driver not been in the car, I probably would have braved taking some photos from the front.
‘It was exciting to see it parked up, and in my haste to take photos, I managed to block up most of the car park, drawing ever more attention to the poor chap in the Freelander clearly trying to shrink into his seat!’
Last time we showed you spy pictures of the Land Rover Freelander, the company was busy preparing the Evoque (né LRX) ahead of its launch. Now the Evoque is done and dusted, Land Rover is able to concentrate on facelifting the Freelander before its launch in autumn 2010.
So what’s new on the facelifted Freelander?
A series of cosmetic and hardware changes will keep the Freelander up to date. Inevitably in this carbon-crunched age, many of the updates will focus on engines producing less C02 and more mpg. A new Ford-PSA derived 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel is one of the main technical upgrades.
Cosmetic changes will keep it in line with the other Land Rover family cars, though the 2011 Freelander won’t have the split tailgate like the Range Rover. It sticks with the conventional hatchback.
That looks good! Where and when can I see it in the metal?
The facelifted Freelander will be launched at the 2010 Moscow motor show. If Moscow is too far away for you, expect to see it at Paris with the car going on sale in early 2011.