LAND Rover is riding the crest of the wave at present, with all models in its line-up enjoying a sales boom and the launch of its Evoque model scheduled for this summer.
Sales for 2010 were up some 28 per cent compared to 2009 with the smallest of the company’s vehicles – the Freelander - leading the charge.
Sales of Freelanders were up a staggering 37 per cent and the launch of the first-ever two-wheel-drive Land Rover, the Freelander 2 eD4 is expected to boost sales even more in 2011. The newcomer was only introduced in January so the full impact of its launch has yet to be felt.
As some 23 per cent of all Sports Utility Vehicles bought in Europe this year were two-wheel-drive it makes sense for Land Rover to offer their customers the choice – a Freelander with two or four-wheel-drive.
The new Freelander 2 eD4 is powered by a new, more refined, more torquey 2.2-litre, 150 bhp turbo diesel engine which also goes into its four-wheel-drive cousin. On the eD4 it’s only available with a six-speed manual gearbox and comes with the fuel saving Stop-Start system.
The Land Rover Discovery too is enjoying dramatic sales growth – up 27 per cent last year alone. Changes to the Discovery have recently included new headlamps, a new grille and a re-designed bumper.
Almost 30 per cent more Range Rovers were sold last year and now the marque’s flagship model has received a new 3.5-litre diesel V8 engine which sees fuel consumption improve by nearly 20% compared to the outgoing engine that trend could well gain pace.
Changes to the bodywork on the Range Rover have included a deeper grille, shallower lamps and a cleaner bumper design while the Range Rover Sport has a “leaner fitter” front end.
Inside the Range Rover now has even better quality materials, using things like twin needling to accentuate the leather and the option of a full leather headlining.
Freelander prices start from £21,780 while top-of-the-range Range Rovers peak at more than £84,000.