Land Rover Freelander SE3

Land Rover has added a fourth model to its existing line of premium sport-utility vehicles in the USA and Canada – the Freelander SE3. The sporty 3-door shares its 5-door stablemate’s mechanicals and 2,557 mm wheelbase, and with twin removable sunroof panels and a detachable rear hardback, the SE3 adds open-air motoring to the long list of impressive Freelander attributes. The SE3 will be available in Land Rover Retailers in December with a MSRP of $37,400.

“The Freelander SE3 has capability and personality that is distinctive -- an upscale package that can take you to remote places and bring you back in style,” says Jacques Parent, vice president of Marketing for Land Rover Canada. “It's like no other open-air vehicle on the market, as it offers permanent all-wheel drive, four-wheel electronic traction control, Hill Descent Control and four-channel anti-lock brakes. We're confident Canadians will be very excited with what the Freelander SE3 has to offer.”

While the 3-door SE3 shares the 5-door’s mechanical components, it has a completely different personality.

It's a personality that shows up in the black composite A-frame brush bar and in the silver underbody brush plate. You can see it in the edgy 17-inch Triple Sport Evolution alloy wheels and in the high-energy colors such as Borrego Yellow and Tangiers Orange. You can feel it in the black “Technical Fabric” seats and you’ll hear it in the 240-watt, 9-speaker harman/kardonâ sound system with single in-dash CD player. You can grab it in the leather-wrapped steering wheel, which contains buttons for the cruise control and audio system.

On top, there are roof rails that run down the back of the vehicle that not only give the SE3 a distinctive appearance, but are ideal for hauling the kind of equipment Freelander SE3 owners are likely to take with them – like snow and surf boards, kayaks and mountain bikes.

Freelander SE3 comes standard with air conditioning, power windows, cruise control, power steering, heated front windscreen, side view mirrors and rear window. The interior provides room for five, with supportive front bucket seats, a 60/40-split rear bench and convenient storage space throughout the cabin. There are 1.32 metres cubed of cargo with the rear seats folded.

EUROPEAN HANDLING

The SE3 shares the 5-door Freelander’s variable intake 24-valve, 174hp V6 engine and CommandShiftÔ five-speed automatic transmission. Factor in a fully independent suspension and Freelander SE3 drives more like a small sports sedan than a traditional SUV.
Freelander uses four-wheel independent MacPherson strut suspension with coil springs all around. This design provides generous amounts of wheel travel and outstanding bump control. The steering is rack-and-pinion with an 11.6 metre turning circle. The actual steering rack is mounted on the firewall, up and away from road hazards.

Freelander is also exceptionally surefooted. Land Rover engineered the company’s innovative Hill Descent Control (HDC) to act in place of low range gearing, thus assuring safe, sure travel down steep slopes. HDC uses the ABS sensors to repeatedly pulse the brakes – particularly on the downhill wheels – thereby allowing the vehicle to descend at no more than 9 kph. In keeping with Land Rover’s off-road reputation, Freelander SE3 has four-wheel electronic traction control (4ETC) and anti-lock brakes (ABS) that work both on-and off-road.

BODY ENGINEERING AND SAFETY

Freelander was the first Land Rover to be built with unitized body (monocoque) construction allowing the vehicle to meet exacting standards of strength and durability without excess weight. Freelander is equipped with dual front airbags and height-adjustable seatbelts with pre-tensioners for front-seat occupants and three-point seatbelts for all passengers in the rear.

In addition, a standard Lower Anchor and Tether for Children (LATCH) system can be used to secure child seats to the outboard seating.

LAND ROVER WARRANTY & SERVICE

All Land Rover vehicles are backed by a 4-year/80,000-kilometre new-vehicle limited warranty, a six-year/unlimited-mileage corrosion perforation limited warranty and Land Rover Road RecoverySM 24-hour service provided for the duration of the new-vehicle warranty.