RIDEZ
They are the cause of the hectic traffic
jams we go through day-to-day during
the rush hour, yet they make
travelling smoother. Of course, we’re
talking about motor vehicles which in
urban lingo we call them ‘rides’ and
here are some of the trending ones
LAND ROVER
FREELANDER 2
It may have been largely forgotten
in the hype of its more glamorous
sister, the Range Rover Evoque, but
the success of the updated Land
Rover Freelander 2 remains crucial
to the iconic British brand in the
lead-up to the launch of a newgeneration model in 2015.
The 2013 Freelander 2 update
brings several styling tweaks, an
interior makeover and a new 2.0litre turbocharged petrol engine in a
refresh Land Rover hopes will
provide enough of a boost to
ward off challenges from both
premium and non-premium
competition such as the Audi
Q3 and updated Q5,
Volkswagen Tiguan, Volvo
XC60 and even the Evoque
itself.
EXTERIOR
Most noticeable are the front
and rear lamps that now
incorporate LED technology, and
there’s a new signature graphic
for the front running lights. Less
obvious i s the bright finish to the
grille and fog lamp surrounds,
together with minor detailing
enhancements to the grille
surround and front guard vents
Additional features include autodimming rear-view mirror, seven
airbags (including driver’s knee),
power-folding side mirrors and
approach lamps, rear parking
sensors, 18-inch alloy wheels
(19-inch on HSE models),
full-size spare wheel and
climate control.
Fitted with 19-inch alloys our
Freelander Si4 HSE provided
a firmIsh ride over less than
perfect road surfaces, but
without being uncomfortable.
The standard 18-inch wheels
offered a slightly suppler ride
over the same surface.
INTERIOR
The interior is where most of
the effort has been focused with
the 2013 update, with several
features borrowed from Evoque.
There’s a new-look centre
console that boasts an electric
parking brake, while the original
Terrain Response dial has been
replaced with easy-to-use flushmounted buttons, freeing up
more space for storage –
something lacking in the
outgoing Freelander.
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