Iħjut Dan huwa l-a ħjar 2 × 4xFar?

Art Rover u firxa Rover aficionados se jagħrfu li I għandhom kemxejn manga l-marki l-a ħjar linja 4 × 4xFar tag, u b ' raġuni tajba.

L-ewwel qatta ' ġimgħa tas-sewqan ta ' Freelander 2 eD4, verżjoni MOTORIZZATA tar-rota ta ' quddiem tas-SUV kompatta b ' stop-start. OK, dan kien diżil spec tar-Renju Unit b ' Manwal ta ' sitt veloċità, iżda Jien irrid ngħid li jien ingawdi sewwa l-karozza.

Kienet lixxa, kellha Ride tajba u għal karozza b ' ċentru għoli ta ' gravità ttrattat it-jdawwru u t-tidwir tat-toroq tal-pajji ż lokali tiegħi bl-aferomb. OK, għalhekk l-intern jista ' jkun li jibda jara ftit bid-data iżda Jien fil-fatt bħall-kwistjoni tar-robustezza tal-fatti u l-ebda approċċ mhux sens għad-disinn.

I żvantaġġi? Tajjeb, naturalment, il-kapa ċità tagħha li ma tkunx fit-triq, meta mqabbla mal-ver żjoni kollha tar-rota, hija limitata severament. Il-ventura f ' post wieqaf fuq il-VI ċin kienet ħafna aktar qawwija, u malajr kemm jista ' jkun ma ' l-żejtni tajn, iżda dan kien ikun l-istess għal xi friends off-roader. Żmien itwal fl-g ħoljiet seta ' għen iżda, jiena suspettat, mhux b ' ħafna.

Dan jista ' jkun l-ewwel karozza li tmexxi r-rota ta ' quddiem fil-linja tal-prodott tal-Land Rover, iżda se tkun magħquda aktar tard din is-sena permezz ta ' drive ta ' żewġ roti range Rover Evoque.

Minħabba li l-marki tal-art Rover u firxa ta ' Rover qed jikbru – b ' dan tal-a ħħar jieħdu rwol aktar luxurjuż u rfinut – u art Rover jżommu l-mantell oriġinali tal-marques bħala l-ebda żwiemel tax-xog ħol mhux tas-sens, għalkemm dawk sofistikati, allura l-Freelander 2 eD4 pariri f ' dak li s-sewqan tar-rota ta ' quddiem Evoque jista ' jagħmel bħalhom iżda b ' Ride u ambiżizzjoni saħansitra aktar sofistikati, flimkien ma ' prestazzjoni aktar sportiva Grazzi għaċ-ċentru ta ' gravità aktar baxx tiegħu u pożizzjoni inqas ovvja tas-sewqan tal-kmand.

Naturalment, il-pro Ċess ta ' sewqan b ' żewġ roti b ' stop-start jgħin lill-Land Rover biex inaqqas il-livelli tiegħu ta ' CO2 u se jkun hemm ħafna klijenti għal Freelanders u Evoques li l-idea tagħhom ta ' off-roading qed tħaddem il-baqta meta tkun ipparkjata: tista ' timmaġina l-istil Beckham fumbling madwar b ' rispons għall-terren? le, lanqas nistgħu

Land Rover and Range Rover aficionados will recognize that I have slightly mangled the brands The best 4×4xFar tag line, and with good reason.

Ive just spent a week driving a Freelander 2 eD4, a front-wheel drive version of the compact SUV with stop-start. OK, this was a UK spec diesel with six-speed manual, but I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed driving the car.

It was smooth, had a good ride and for a car with a high center of gravity dealt with the twists and turns of my local country roads with aplomb. OK, so the interior might be beginning to look a little dated but I actually like its matter of fact robustness and no nonsense approach to design.

Drawbacks? Well, of course its off-road ability, compared to the all-wheel drive version, is severely limited. Venturing across a neighbors steep field quickly proved too arduous for the front tires which rapidly clogged up with unctuous mud, but that would have been the same for any faux off-roader. A longer run at the hill might have helped but, I suspect, not by much.

This might be the first front-wheel drive car in the Land Rover product line-up, but it will be joined later this year by a two-wheel drive Range Rover Evoque.

Given that the Land Rover and Range Rover brands are growing apart – with the latter taking on a more luxurious and refined role – and Land Rover retaining the marques original mantle as no nonsense work horses, albeit sophisticated ones, then the Freelander 2 eD4 hints at what a front-wheel drive Evoque might perform like but with an even more sophisticated ride and ambience, combined with more sporting performance thanks to its lower centre of gravity and a less obvious command driving position.

Of course going two-wheel drive with stop-start helps the Land Rover stable reduce its CO2 levels and there will be plenty of customers for Freelanders and Evoques whose idea of off-roading is riding the curbs when parking: can you imagine style fashionista Victoria Beckham fumbling around with Terrain Response? Nah, neither can I.