auto reviews

Locals call Moosonee, this frozen outpost on the icy rim of James Bay, "the edge of the world." Land Rover Canada calls it the perfect spot for the North American debut of its new gasoline-engine Freelander SUV.
While the Lower 48 was busy counting blossoms on spring bulbs, Don Robidas, managing director of LRC, outfitted crews with goose-down jackets with hand warmers and reinforced shoulder lapels used to pull mates from the icy waters of the Hudson Bay, if necessary. auto reviews What better way to prepare for a five-hour run in Land Rover's newest cute ute, the Freelander?
Once in Moosonee, we began to compare this new pup of the fleet against its bigger siblings; it is more comfortable than the Discovery Series II and more nimble than the Range Rover.
Driving Freelander in the icy, snowy and muddy conditions of northern Canada, it comes as no surprise that this is a Land Rover. Also not so earth-shattering is that it's the best-selling four-wheel-drive vehicle in Europe, where it is offered only as a turbodiesel.
Freelander has European small-sedan on-road handling with Land Rover back-country capability, including 8.7 inches of ground clearance at the frame and Land Rover's unique Hill Descent Control that automatically engages 5-mph downhill braking.
Freelander has nearly the same footprint as the corporate twins, the Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute-175 inches long with a 101-inch wheelbase. auto reviews But Freelander enjoys the benefits of its Land Rover lineage; it is extremely capable in the most arduous conditions.
Freelander impresses with its robust unibody construction, responsive steering, power-assisted front disc brakes and rear drums, and an engine that-despite its smallish 2.5-liter displacement, 175 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque-revs freely and sounds sexy.
Freelander's five-speed Steptronic automatic transmission allows for independent gear selection, particularly useful on limited-traction surfaces. auto reviews Primarily a front-driver, with nearly 90 percent of engine torque sent to the front axle in normal driving, Freelander's all-wheel-drive system makes near seamless transitions to the rear and can send up to 50 percent of the power to the rear when slippage occurs.
Freelander comes to the States this fall, priced at less than $30,000. It also comes with high expectations-Land Rover officials say the vehicle has the potential to sell 20,000 copies, which would nearly double the firm's total U.S. auto reviews vehicle sales.