| First Drive | Barcelona, Spain | Land Rover Freelander 2 eD4 |

Revisions for the 2011 Land Rover Freelander 2 bring a smarter exterior, greater economy and improved emissions, along with this green-focused eD4 front-wheel drive model.

In the Metal

As smart off-roaders go there's little to match the chunky style of the Freelander 2. Looking like the offspring of a Discovery and Range Rover, the Freelander 2 oozes gravitas and off-road pedigree. That's no different with this eD4 model, even though, in a bid to make it greener, this rugged looking car is only front-wheel drive.

Tiny details have changed outside. There are new lights front and rear, and if you're a Land Rover obsessive you might notice a bigger grille and a badge that is now backed in silver rather than gold. The changes run across the entire range.

The interior also benefits from a mild refresh. Sadly Land Rover hasn't binned the LCD displays in the centre console or instrument cluster, which look ancient. All very familiar then, and solid, though even with the enhancements the Freelander is beginning to look and feel a bit old in comparison to newer rivals.

What you get for your Money

The eD4 is a Freelander 2, only without drive to the rear wheels and stop-start. Most drivers won't notice, and the loss of four-wheel drive comes with some benefits to economy and emissions. Official economy and emissions figures are 47.2mpg and 158g/km of CO₂.

Trim levels will echo that of the four-wheel drive range, which means S, GS XS and HSE. The eD4 models should start at around £22,000, which will be around £750 less than their all-wheel drive relatives when it arrives in 2011. All come with air conditioning and alloy wheels but you'll need XS and above if you want leather seats as standard.

Driving it

The removal of four-wheel drive isn't going to make a significant difference to everyday driving. It feels a bit lighter to drive, and will be lighter on fuel. The same commanding driving position remains, as do the fine ride and reasonable engine refinement - at low revs. The gearbox is light and easy too, while the Freelander's upright, squared-off extremities make it easy to position and manoeuvre. There's some wind noise at higher speeds, but not so much that it's intrusive. The steering is light and direct for such a high-riding car, and the suspension does a very impressive job of providing both fine comfort and control. The 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine has lots of torque, but it's not particularly quick. Overtaking requires a bit of planning, the 150bhp version lacking the easy thrust of the 190bhp SD4 version of the same engine.

Land Rover's DNA is rich with off-road heritage and although the Freelander 2 eD4 loses its four-wheel drive it remains pretty capable off-road. The ride height isn't changed, and if you're determined enough it'll go almost anywhere its 4x4 relative will go. To do so you'll need to throw out the usual trickle-around-and-let-traction-do-the-job approach and give it a bit more welly than you would in the 4x4, and there's no trick Terrain Control to allow you to dial up the correct settings for the conditions. Given that most Freelanders tackle nothing more challenging than speed bumps at the Waitrose car park then the eD4 should be fine for most buyers.

Worth Noting

The eD4 is the first front-wheel drive Land Rover and allows it to provide a model that's got CO₂ emissions under 160g/km for the first time. Even so it's not going to save you on road tax, as the four-wheel drive TD4 version only emits 7g/km more. However, that does sit in the 25 percent rather than 23 percent tax band. Losing all-wheel drive also benefits fuel economy, but you'll only get 3mpg more from the eD4 over the TD4.

What's more significant though is BMW's new X3. The X3 xDrive20d SE has 34bhp more power, retains four-wheel drive, emits just 149g/km of CO₂ and achieves 56.5mpg. Specify the eD4 to the BMW's equipment level and you'll pay within a couple of thousand pounds of the X3's £30,490 list price.

Summary

Land Rover's Freelander 2 eD4 demonstrates that you don't have to have 4x4 to venture off-road, and it drives nicely on the road too. It is greener and cleaner than before, but it perhaps doesn't go far enough. That BMW's X3 can offer 149g/km and slightly better fuel economy from a significantly more powerful engine and yet retain four-wheel drive underlines that. If you want a greener Freelander then the eD4 isn't without appeal, but given how slight the differences are on emissions and economy, we'd probably just have the 4x4 model.