Brands like Jeep, Land Rover and General Motors' now-defunctHummer all come from rich military backgrounds, with their forebearers having proven their ability to tackle just about any terrain, from desert to jungle. Each has faced the difficult challenge of evolving from battle-tested off-road vehicles to civilian-ready status symbols. For Land Rover, which is arguably to New York City and Miami what the Toyota Prius is to Los Angeles, this is especially true. Yet even so, the British automaker still relies on rugged capability to sell products ranging from Range Rovers with six-figure price tags right on down to the LR2 shown here.
Positioned in a class full of vehicles with nicknames like "cute ute" and "soft roader," the 2013 LR2 – known as Freelander 2 in other markets – stands out even more for its respectable off-road abilities in spite of its car-based underpinnings, so Land Rover has focused its attention on refining its entry-level product as a midcycle refresh for 2013. The 2013 Land Rover LR2 still rides on the provenFord/Volvo EUCD chassis also shared with the Range Rover Evoque, and rather than killing off the existing model when its sleeker, more street-minded relative arrived, Land Rover has done just the opposite, incorporating most of the technology developed for the Evoque into the 2013 LR2.
So how successful has Land Rover been at improving the finer aspects of its gateway model without messing up the off-road ruggedness that defines its brand as a whole? We spent a cold, snowy day near Montreal testing the limits of this baby Land Rover to find out.
Now aimed at more traditional buyers who shy away from the avante-garde Evoque, the 2013 LR2 carries an old-school, boxy design broadly similar to the iconic Range Rover. Much like the styling updates made to the LR2 in 2009, the differences incorporated into the 2013 model might only be noticeable to keen eyes. The most obvious elements are fresh headlights with unique new LED running lamps, and taillights with dual light pods that resemble figure-eights when illuminated. A must-have for any midcycle update for new models these days, the LR2 also gets a restyled front fascia and fresh wheel options. Considering this design is going on seven years old, we think Land Rover has done a fine job of preventing the LR2 from looking boring or dated.
As much as the boxy exterior can get away with mimicking the classic lines of Range Rovers of yore, the interior is by far the LR2's biggest downfall. We realize Land Rover might be going for a simple yet chic look inside the LR2, but the instrument panel is deeply dated – this even factors in despite all of the changes, including an updated center stack, gauge cluster and center console. Our biggest gripe about the LR2 overall might be the seating position for the front and rear seating. Land Rover is pushing a command seating position for the front occupants and a stadium-style view for the rear passengers, but it ends up feeling like you're sitting too high inside the vehicle – especially true for the driver's seat, which can only be lowered to a point that still feels unnecessarily high. Such a lofty perch might be advantageous for visibility when negotiating objects off-road, but in day-to-day driving, it feels unnecessarily tippy.
Once you overlook the aesthetic issues of the LR2's cabin, then you can really start to enjoy what the LR2 offers, ranging from top-notch materials to updated technology. The chunky Terrain Response knob has now been replaced by simpler buttons (takethat Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ford Explorer), and the gauge cluster is now cleaner, with a more informative five-inch display centrally located. Another new feature is the standard seven-inch touchscreen display with Land Rover's optional new "Say What You See" voice-controlled navigation system, as well as an interesting take on the maybe-soon-to-be-standard rearview camera. Most backup cameras have trajectory lines that bend when you turn the wheel or weird boxes, but the LR2's optional camera displays a single line in the middle that it calls Hitch Assist, which is aptly named to help make hooking up to a trailer easier. We're not sure how many LR2 owners will be towing trailers, but this is a practical idea nonetheless.
Speaking of towing, the new LR2 is still able to tow the same 3,500 pounds as the outgoing model, despite now coming standard with a smaller engine. Smaller, yes, but in in no way less powerful or less capable. Land Rover has ditched the heavy, Volvo-sourced 3.2-liter inline six-cylinder engine and replaced it with a lighter and more powerful turbocharged 2.0-liter inline four found in the Evoque. This Ford-sourced unit is effectively the EcoBoost engine found in various places in the Blue Oval kingdom. The deletion of two cylinders also helps drop 88 pounds from the LR2's curb weight while adding 10 horsepower for a total of 240 and 16 pound-feet of torque (250 lb-ft) to the LR2's spec sheet.
Read more by Jeffey N. Ross at Autoblog.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment