Handsome, capable Freelander

In terms of power the Freelander outguns competitors like Honda CR-V, Nissan X-Trail, BMW X3 and Audi Q5, but this comes at a price, so do the sums and make the comparisons before you sign on the dotted line.

However, the Freelander is a completely different animal. This is the smart, sophisticated older boet who has been to varsity, has a proper job, earns good money and wears expensive shoes.

And although it looks much snazzier than its Defender sibling and costs a heck of a lot more, it can also more than hold its own in a mud and sand fight. Yet there is just a little niggling voice which whispers that perhaps it is too smart, too sophisticated for the bush and that some fancy piece of electronic gizmo will die in the middle of Botswana or in the Namib Desert.

They will - and they do

Which is a bit unfair because it is a very capable off-roader and, after all, very popular with the horse-box towing crowd of Constantia and they would certainly not buy something of doubtful reliability... Or would they?

Well yes, they will and they do, because in spite of urban legends about reliability South Africa's wealthier set seemed to be totally in love with the Land Rover's snob appeal badge and status. Which is why just about every second vehicle on mom's taxi duty at snob schools is part of the Land Rover Discovery, Freelander and Range Rover clan.

But the point is: how many of these shiny Land Rovers who sleep in the comfort of treble-garages in the leafy suburbs ever get to breathe the fresh air of the Kalahari or get to claw their way over thick sand dunes in the Namib Desert?

Not many, but that doesn't mean they won't be able to or that they will break down or that they will prove to be awful and uncomfortable.

It shouldn't take long to rediscover the old Land Rover black magic.

In fact, totally the opposite, as I found out when I recently spent a week with the nipped and tucked latest Freelander and came away with an understanding of why the wealthier denizens of planet earth are so fond of their Landies.

It certainly didn't take long for me to rediscover the old Land Rover black magic and once I got used to the classy ride, sophisticated finishes and fancies our Freelander SD4 test model was decked out with it was hard to hand back the keys.

No chance for a rumble in the jungle, but...

Unfortunately I didn't have the opportunity to go and rumble in the dirt with it but I have done that before in the same vehicle before it underwent cosmetic surgery and it more than held its own, so this time round we spent the week together on the tar, where most Land Rovers spend most of their time in any case.

All the bells and whistles you will need.

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Just to get you on net, Land Rover re-shuffled its Freelander pack at he end of last year so that it now offers only one petrol model powered by a 3.2 litre V6 engine. The rest are gunned along by 2.2 litre diesel power plants, kicking out 118kW and 149kW respectively.

Our test car was the 140Kw model with 420Nm (the most powerful of the "baby" Freelander models).

It is also the fanciest of the 2.2 litre models with tick-offs for fancy rims, touch screen, Terrain Response dial on the central console with which you can select four different drive modes, including pre-set 4x2 and 4x4, good aircon, fancy audio, and big boot (which its rather high load floor) and flexible seating which almost but not quite folds completely flat.

The living quarters are ample.

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In terms of power the Freelander outguns competitors like Honda CR-V, Nissan X-Trail, BMW X3 and Audi Q5, but this comes at a price, so do the sums and make the comparisons before you sign on the dotted line.

Where the Freelander also scores very well is in the comfort stakes. The ride is really good and even on uneven, pot-holed surfaces the Freelander gallop along with confidence and it maintains its poise even when being handled quite roughly and in spite of its rather upright stance.

A bit of a yawn, but then...

The brakes initially felt a tad squishy, but it is just the way they are and once I got used to them we worked together quite smoothly.

There is an initial yawn at take-off but when the power surge kicks in it squirts off the mark quite enthusiastically.

The ride is comfortable without feeling like a wafting magic carpet ride and the cabin is airy and spacious, offering great all-round views.

What could be clearer and easier to read than this?

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I found the front driver and passenger arm rests a little irritating because they always seemed to be in the way of something, so I kept them folded up for most of the ride.

Other than that I could find nothing to mutter about. I would have loved to find a nice challenging playground somewhere in the bush, but time was against us.... However, maybe there will a next time to see how effective the better approach and departure angles function and whether the single knob with its four different settings is as clever as it makes out to be.

To conclude: a very nice ride, lots of status - expensive, but classy and capable, the Freelander range only really poses one question: which model to buy - and the answer to that lies in where and how you will be using it and how pain-proof your wallet is. Prices range from R392 995 to R533 995.

Footnote: To find out more go to www.landrover.co.za

All New 2011 Land Rover Freelander 2 Facelift (New Pictures)

2011 Land Rover Freelander 2 facelift

Short review: 2011 Land Rover Freelander 2. (HD)