Land Rover Celebrates Production Milestone of 250,000th Freelander 2

Today, Land Rover celebrates a new milestone in the life of its Freelander 2 as the 250,000th vehicle rolled off the production line at the Company's Halewood manufacturing plant in Merseyside. The 250,000th Freelander 2 is a 2.2 litre TD4 Diesel GS in Fuji White and is destined for a customer who lives in Scotland.

The production total includes all vehicles built from 2007 until today. The Freelander 2 received a subtle facelift in the fall of 2010. According to the British firm, retail sales for the Freelander 2 are up 22%, year to date (Apr 2010 – Feb 2011) compared with the same 11 month period in 2009/2010.

"This milestone achievement and the increasing sales for Freelander 2 highlights just how important this vehicle is, not just to Halewood but also for the regional and UK economy − around 70% of Freelanders produced at Halewood are exported overseas,” said Halewood operations director Richard Else.

Depending on the market, the 2011 Freelander 2 is available with either 2WD or 4WD and a 2.2 litre diesel engine offering two power outputs – the 190hp SD4 and the 150hp TD4.

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Land Rover Freelander 2 SD4 Sport Limited Edition 190HP Revealed at Bologna Show

A new limited version of the Freelander 2 was unveiled today at the Bologna Motor Show in Italy. Set to arrive in early 2011, the Freelander 2 SD4 Sport LE will be built in a limited run with the UK to receive 500 units priced from £33,945.

“The Freelander 2 SD4 Sport Limited Edition offers customers the practicality, performance and efficiency of our best-selling compact SUV with more dramatic, sporty styling and the overall package represents good value for money,” said Colin Green, managing director, Land Rover UK.

In a similar fashion to the Discovery 4 Landmark Special Edition, the Freelander 2 SD4 LE receives a front grille finished in black and shares two out of the three exterior color options with its bigger sibling, including the Fuji White and Santorini Black, joined by the all-new Firenze Red tone, shown in the pictures.

A discrete bodykit and 19-inch alloys improve the look of the car, while front and rear parking sensors are offered as standard. The interior can be clad either in Ebony Windsor or Ebony Napoli leather, with contrasting stitching or leather stripes. Parts of the dashboard have a Piano Black finish, complemented by new duo-tone floor mats.

The Limited Edition comes with a 190 hp 2.2-liter four-pot diesel, coupled to a six-speed automatic, capable of accelerating the car from standstill to 60 mph (96 km/h) in 8.7 seconds. Top speed is pegged at 118 mph (190 km/h).

Thanks to the Intelligent Power Management System (IPMS), the battery is charged by recovered kinetic energy whenever the vehicle is decelerating. The Freelander 2 Sport SD4 Limited Edition can run on 10% biodiesel and has CO2 emissions of 185 g/km.

By Csaba Daradics

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Recall Alert for 3,000 Land Rover LR2 Freelanders

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced a new recall for certain 2010-2011MY Land Rover LR2 Freelanders built from November 12, 2009, through August 23, 2010. According to the safety agency, in the affected vehicles the driver's frontal airbag may not deploy as intended or at all because of a potential problem with the shorting bar in the clock spring, which may become disconnected when the air bag module connector is installed.

To fix the problem, the company said it will install a spacer into the driver's airbag clock spring harness connector. This service will be performed free of charge with the safety recall expected to begin on or before December 13, 2010. For more information, owners of the affected LR2s can contact Land Rover at 800-637-6837.

Land Rover Freelander