Land Rover has done its homework pretty accurately with the new Freelander due for release at Alto Land Rover in early 2007.

Climb aboard the all new Land Rover Freelander and you could almost be fooled into thinking you?ve climbed aboard a luxury mid-sized sedan. Which is precisely the impression Land Rover?s interior designers were attempting to create, and it?s the best of both worlds.

In five-door form the new Land Rover Freelander is a roomy beast. Heave yourself up into the rear seats and you?ll find as much leg and elbow room as there is in most luxury cars, while headroom is even more impressive. Behind this is a vast, well-shaped boot, easily accessible from the big rear door (whose glass can be lowered at the touch of a button on the console).

Previous Land Rovers relied on a low-feedback steering box to minimise steering wheel kickback over rough surfaces, but the new Land Rover Freelander has a high-feedback hydraulically assisted rack-and-pinion system.

This confirms its on-road driving priorities. Another fresh concept is the transverse-mounted engine ? in this case a 1.8-litre 16v K-series unit fine-tuned for torque. The new Land Rover Freelander also boasts 119bhp at a usefully low 2750rpm.

Highway refinement is a particularly strong suit, it is a much quieter high-speed cruiser than any of its rivals or predecessors, and better than some saloons.

On road the disc/drum set-up does a fine job of slowing the car. Off-road, thanks to the optional Hill Descent Control, it is crushing. The system tickles the anti-lock when sliding down slopes, providing stability where a RAV4 or CR-V would slither. Even if you use it only once during the car?s life, it could prove invaluable.

The new Land Rover Freelander is nimble and grippy, Body control, is admirably well resolved over rough roads, providing a surprising degree of handling fluency and composure.

But what will really distinguish the new Land Rover Freelander from most of its opposition is its exterior, and its unmatched feeling of solid quality.

It looks like a class act. And from the moment you climb aboard, it feels like a class act.

Be the first to experience Land Rovers latest marvel, make your enquiry online today and stay ahead of the rest.