COMPARED to a few years ago there seems to be a much more responsible attitude over 4x4s.
High fuel prices, higher road tax and congestion charges may be putting the brakes on the so-called Chelsea tractors, but the day of the 4x4 is far from over due to vehicles like the Land Rover Freelander 2 TD4-e 2 Stop/Start.
Anyone who though it would never be possible to get more than 40mpg from a Land Rover should think again because this new-generation SUV is out to capture a large slice of what is left of the 4x4 market after the onslaught of the environmentalists.
With a system that cuts the engine while you are waiting in traffic and automatically restarts it this Land Rover gives the economy of a diesel saloon with a styling that makes it look like a smaller Range Rover.
The Freelander may have been born the baby of the Land Rover range, living in the shadow of big brothers such as the Range Rover and Discovery, but it has suddenly shot to prominence in its new generation as the vehicle that has the pure green pulling power to drive Land Rover out of recession.
It is the first SUV with this particular type of intelligent stop/start system and has brightened the future for SUVs.
It works like this. You stop in traffic, and bring the gear into neutral. A green indicator appears on the instrument panel and the engine stops. It starts again when the clutch is depressed. Simple, but much more clever than you think.
It automatically overrides the operation if the temperature is minus four degrees centigrade or above 25 degrees.
It also will override if the vehicle is in special terrain response mode or if there is high demand on the climate control or the battery is low.
It delivers an improved fuel consumption of 4.5mpg and an 8% reduction in CO2 emissions.
It is also Land Rover's most fuel-efficient vehicle to date.
This is certainly not a gimmick to net sales, but the result of a massive £800 million investment in sustainable technologies by Jaguar and Land Rover.
Along with the intelligent Stop/Start system, the Freelander 2 TD4_e includes a series of additional enhancements which help to deliver fuel economy and CO2 benefits.
There is a new gearshift indicator light in the instrument panel, advising the driver to change gear when a higher gear will allow the vehicle to operate more fuel-efficiently. This is calculated by the Freelander 2 TD4_e's fully mapped engine.
Land Rover has beefed up the starter to cope with its extra demands with grease seals enhanced significantly and new hard-wearing copper-tungsten contact material sourced and specified across the TD4_e range to enhance wear resistance within the starter solenoid.
An all-new ring gear is specified for all TD4_e models to cope with the increased frequency of starts.
And the battery has not been forgotten with absorption glass mat technology which offers deeper discharge and recharge characteristics and reduces battery deterioration under much heavier usage.
But all of this may be left on the starting grid if the customer thinks he or she is driving a lesser vehicle, which is why the latest Freelander has been soundly hit with the image stick.
With its attractive frontal design plus an interior which would do justice to a premium saloon, a high degree of comfort and no compromise whatsoever to the Freelander 2's formidable off-road performance the future suddenly seems much greener for this famous manufacturer.
FAST FACTS
Land Rover Freelander 2 TD4-e Stop/Start
Price: £32,595
Mechanical: 158bhp, 2179cc 4cyl diesel engine driving four wheels via 6-speed manual gearbox
Max speed: 112mph
0-62mph: 11.7 seconds
Combined mpg: 42.2
Insurance group: 13
CO2 emissions: 179g/km
BiK rating: 29%
Warranty: 3yrs/ unlimited mileage