UK Insurer Parts the Most Unreliable and Costly Car to Fix

In an article on a BMW-faced Honda Accord we found for sale on Craigslist back in 2008, we wrote that in a perfect world, our ultimate car would be “designed by Italians, engineered by Germans, built by Japanese and marketed by Americans”.

So, what’s the worst car one could imagine? Well, if we played around with the above statements, we’d say one designed by Japanese, engineered by Americans, built by Italians and marketed by Germans.

But UK insurance firm Warranty Direct had something a little bit different in mind. Instead of playing the origin card, the company decided to check out its database of 50,000 live policies on cars aged five years on average to part the UK’s most unreliable vehicle that would break down every other month and cost an average of £2,050 (equal to US$3,270 - €2,330) to fix each year.

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Jaguar-Land Rover Opens Assembly Plant in India, Rolls Out its First Model [with Video]

Gone are the times when you knew where cars were made just by looking at the brand, and when luxury carmakers made the manufacturing of their vehicles in their home country one of their top selling points. Nowadays, you have BMWs built in China, India, South Africa and the USA, Mercedes-Benz cars made in Russia, Thailand and Egypt and so on.

The latest premium automaker to go global is the Jaguar-Land Rover group, which inaugurated its first Indian factory on Friday. A Land Rover Freelander 2 SUV was the first vehicle to roll out of the assembly plant, which is located just outside Pune in the Maharashtra region of India. We’ll remind you that Ford Motor Co. sold Jaguar and Land Rover to India’s Tata Motors in 2008 after losing some US$15 billion in two years.

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Land Rover Celebrates Production Milestone of 250,000th Freelander 2

Today, Land Rover celebrates a new milestone in the life of its Freelander 2 as the 250,000th vehicle rolled off the production line at the Company's Halewood manufacturing plant in Merseyside. The 250,000th Freelander 2 is a 2.2 litre TD4 Diesel GS in Fuji White and is destined for a customer who lives in Scotland.

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Land Rover Freelander 2 SD4 Sport Limited Edition 190HP Revealed at Bologna Show

A new limited version of the Freelander 2 was unveiled today at the Bologna Motor Show in Italy. Set to arrive in early 2011, the Freelander 2 SD4 Sport LE will be built in a limited run with the UK to receive 500 units priced from £33,945.

“The Freelander 2 SD4 Sport Limited Edition offers customers the practicality, performance and efficiency of our best-selling compact SUV with more dramatic, sporty styling and the overall package represents good value for money,” said Colin Green, managing director, Land Rover UK.

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Recall Alert for 3,000 Land Rover LR2 Freelanders

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced a new recall for certain 2010-2011MY Land Rover LR2 Freelanders built from November 12, 2009, through August 23, 2010. According to the safety agency, in the affected vehicles the driver's frontal airbag may not deploy as intended or at all because of a potential problem with the shorting bar in the clock spring, which may become disconnected when the air bag module connector is installed.

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New Land Rover Freelander 2 "White & Black": Two More Special Edition Models for the UK

It seems like Land Rover's marketing division has nothing better to do these days than to reveal special edition versions of the Freelander 2. Following the introduction of the "Sport" edition, the Brits announced the release of two new entry-level additions to the Freelander 2 range for 2010. Named "White" and "Black" for obvious reasons, the two new models will be on sale in the UK in January 2010, priced from £19,495 on-the-road.

The new Freelander 2 specials are available in an Alaska White and a Santorini Black exterior finish and both come with an Ebony cloth interior. Other standard features include start and stop system, 17-inch alloy wheels, load space cover and keyless starter button.

Both models are fitted with a six-speed manual 2.2-litre diesel powertrain, which is claimed to deliver a combined fuel economy of 42.2mpg UK which is equal to 35.2 mpg US and 6.7 lt / 100 kilometers.

Land Rover Freelander 2 TD4_e Stop/Start: Most Frugal Landie Ever Debuts in Paris

Even Land Rover was spellbound by the fellowship of ‘the green automakers’ at this year’s Paris Motor Show as the Brits introduced their most fuel efficient vehicle ever, the Freelander 2 TD4_e Stop/Start. As you may have guessed, this Freelander which uses the standard 160HP 2.2-liter diesel engine comes equipped with start and stop system, a first for Land Rover. The system basically shuts down the engine in appropriate conditions therefore saving fuel that would otherwise be used when idling. But that’s not all as the more eco-conscious Freelander also includes a series of additional enhancements that help improve fuel economy. -Continued

Along with the start/stop system, the Freelander benefits from a new gearshift indicator light in the instrument pack that advises the driver when to change gear, low-rolling-resistance tyres and new software developments to the driveline systems.

Together, these measures help improve consumption from 37.7 mpg UK to 41.3 mpg UK (7.7lt to 6.8lt/100km) while on the standard EU4 cycle, the CO₂ emissions of the Freelander 2 TD4_e are reduced by 8 per cent, compared with the outgoing manual diesel Freelander 2.

Phil Popham, Land Rover's managing director, said: "The Stop/Start Freelander 2 is the first production vehicle to benefit from the massive £700 million investment in sustainable technologies by Jaguar and Land Rover. From mid-2009, the Stop/Start feature will be included as standard on all Freelander 2 TD4 manual models, with no associated increase in list prices."

2007 Land Rover Freelander 2 features the world's first automotive application of Dolby Pro Logic II 7.1

Land Rover's new 2007 Freelander 2 is getting some pretty cool or should I say, "icy", attention as its the first car in the world that will be fitted with a Dolby Pro Logic II 7.1 surround sound technology system from Alpine. Up to now, this technology was commonly seen in high-end home cinema and entertainment systems.

Alpine promises to reward Freelander owners with its premium sound system that consists of a new sonorous 440 watt amplifier and a comprehensive 14 speaker system that has been specifically created for the latest Land Rover SUV.

Press Release

What is Dolby Pro Logic II 7.1 technology? It works by processing any stereo (two-channel) audio into seven playback channels of surround sound plus a subwoofer channel for low frequency sounds. By detecting the directional cues that occur naturally in stereo content, Dolby uses these elements to create a surround sound playback experience. The technology has been developed specifically to suit the unique listening environment of a vehicle, enabling all passengers to experience enveloping and exciting audio regardless of their position within the car.

Surround Sound Speakers Technical Overview

Centre Fill: Powered directly by the amplifier, the 2 Ohm, 100mm centre fill provides the surround experience for front occupants. As the name suggests the speaker fills the void between front occupants, enhancing the impression of the concert being played out right in front of you. Responsiveness is assured through the use of lightweight neodymium magnet materials. Lightweight materials at the top of the dashboard have the added advantage of lowering the centre of gravity, significant for an SUV.

Tweeters: Neodymium tweeters are used to increase responsiveness. Ideally located in the front and rear doors the tweeters ensure faithful reproduction of the higher frequencies. Highly specified, the 4 Ohm units are fitted in both the front and rear of the cabin ensuring audio excellence wherever you are seated.

Bass Woofer: For faithful reproduction of lower frequencies, a powerful and substantial bass unit was developed. Fed by separate 40 watt audio channels, these units have the ability to move large volumes of air. With a distinct mid unit in the premium system, the bass unit can be tuned to focus purely on deep, crisp and accurate bass reproduction.

Mid: For more accurate mid range reproduction, the Freelander 2 has new mid range speakers. With most of what we hear being in this range, the performance of this speaker is critical. With rapid response, the mid speaker can perform in harmony with the mid bass and tweeter arrangement.

Subwoofer: The substantial subwoofer is driven by two 40 watt amplifier channels to accurately reproduce the lowest frequencies. A substantial ferrite magnet system is used to move the air that creates not only the sound but the deep feeling. Strong and light, the enclosure has been designed specifically for the Freelander 2 creating an environment that permits Alpine’s audio engineers to tune the system for the best bass response across the range.

Rear Surrounds: For the true surround sound experience, the new Freelander 2 has a further two mid units in the rear of the vehicle. Providing scale and depth to performances, they are ideally suited for concert or live music reproduction.

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2007 Land Rover Freelander 2 - Official

After quite a few leaks on the net over the past weeks, Land Rover finally decided that time was right to officially unveil its 2007 Freelander. Called Freelander 2 in Europe, its Land Rover’s fourth all-new vehicle in just over four years, and follows the new Range Rover (2002), Discovery 3 (2004) and Range Rover Sport (2005).

Technical highlights of the Freelander 2 include two brand-new engines (a 3.2-litre straight-six petrol and a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbocharged diesel) and Land Rover’s unique Terrain Response system that will be standard on all but the entry-level model.

Press Release

New I6 Petrol Engine: The 233 PS (171 kW) i6 petrol engine provides a top speed of 124 mph (200 km/h) and 0-60 mph acceleration in 8.4 seconds (0-100 km/h in 8.9 seconds). Combined fuel economy is 25.2 mpg (11.2 litres/100 km). The engine is matched to a new six-speed automatic transmission, with Land Rover’s CommandShift™ offering manual sequential gear changes when required. There is also a driver-selectable sport mode, for livelier performance.

New TD4 Turbodiesel :The second engine for the Freelander 2 is an all-new 2.2-litre TD4 turbodiesel, which combines great torque and impressive refinement. Maximum power for the new diesel engine is 160 PS (118 kW) up from 112 PS (82 kW) on the outgoing Freelander’s 2.0-litre diesel. Maximum torque is 400 Nm (295 lb ft) – up from 260 Nm (191 lb ft).

Acceleration from 0-60 mph takes 10.9 sec in manual guise, substantially reduced from 13.2 sec for the previous Freelander diesel (0-100 km/h now 11.7 sec, from 14.4 sec). The combined average fuel consumption is 37.7 mpg (7.5 l/100 km), better than the outgoing Freelander diesel despite a 43 per cent increase in power.

An optional catalysed Diesel Particulate Filter (cDPF) is also available for even cleaner performance. Two transmissions are offered: a new six-speed manual gearbox and the same six-speed automatic used on the petrol engine (diesel auto available from spring 2007).

Interior: The interior package of Freelander 2 is a major improvement over the outgoing vehicle. Although only 50 mm longer, the Freelander 2 has more generous head, shoulder and legroom, in both the front and rear. Large glass areas emphasise the spacious feel and complement the elevated ‘command driving’ position – a Land Rover hallmark – and ‘stadium seating’, where rear passengers sit slightly higher than front occupants, for a clearer view of the world outside. Boot space is also among the best in class and 38 per cent larger than that of the outgoing Freelander (with rear seats up – 755 litres vs 546 litres).

Design: The exterior and interior design of Freelander 2 is completely fresh, integrating the company’s unique design language with a form that is instantly recognisable as the latest Land Rover.

"We purposely kept strong cues from the original Freelander, such as the clamshell bonnet, stepped roof and the basic form," says Land Rover design director Geoff Upex. "But the overall look is new and much more contemporary. The design is chiselled, geometric and simple – it looks like it’s hewn from the solid. We have kept a close design relationship with the new Discovery 3 and Range Rover Sport, but interpreted the design language to suit the requirements of customers for a more compact 4x4."

Chassis: The body is a five-door monocoque structure, with a high level of torsional rigidity which benefits refinement, comfort and handling on-road as well as ensuring the vehicle is fit for serious off-roading. The suspension is fully independent and uses the most modern stability control systems, including Roll Stability Control (RSC), a new and sophisticated technology that helps mitigate the risk of roll-over.

Technology: Freelander 2 is packed with new technologies to improve both on-road and off-road performance, many new to the class. Land Rover’s unique Terrain Response™ is standard on all but the entry-level model, to make off-roading easier. Other interesting technologies include a new full-time intelligent 4x4 system for superior traction and better on-road fuel economy, and the patented Gradient Release Control, which improves driver confidence and control when releasing the brakes on steep and slippery slopes.

Features: Other features and options rare in this class include: keyless starter button, bi-xenon headlamps, adaptive front lighting, rain-sensing wipers and park distance control (front and rear). A two-part panoramic sunroof increases the cabin’s airiness: air-conditioning is standard on all models and a full colour touch-screen DVD satellite navigation system is also available. The choice of top-level audio systems includes DAB digital radio and 12-speaker Dolby™ Prologic IIx Surround Sound with fibre-optic interconnects. An auxiliary audio connection (for iPods and MP3 players) is standard on all vehicles.

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2007 Land Rover Freelander II Pictures

Just a few weeks after the 2007 Freelander press-kit leaked on the internet (click here: Carscoop), I found these first official pictures of Land Rover’s new compact SUV.

Planed to debut on the British International Motor Show (18-30 July), the Freelander 2 will be available only as a five door model. According to information I collected, Land Rover’s new SUV will be offered with two engines, Volvo’s new 3.2 straight six that produces 233 Hp and Jaguar’s X-Type’s 160 Hp 2.2 turbo-diesel. The Freelander 3.2 can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 8,9 sec while combined consumption is 11,2 lt/100 km.

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2007 Land Rover Freelander II

These are the first pictures of the all new 2007 Freelander II. The leaked press kit of Land Rover’s new compact SUV model reveals that the new car looks very similar to the existing model, especially around the nose where Landrover trademarks such as the grille and clamshell bonnet are obvious –also think Discovery / LR3.

The car seems to have grown slightly in every dimension, with a wider track and longer wheelbase, thus improving space for both passengers and luggage. The pictures also show that the rear doors have grown in size, making access easier.

Despite its similar looks, the Freelander II is based on an all-new platform -a stretched version of the C1 platform that underpins the Ford Focus, Mazda 3 and Volvo S40. The new Freelander is expected to be an even more capable vehicle off-road than the current model, with a stiffer chassis and increased ground clearance. Most of the components are said to come from parent company Ford, but upgraded to ensure the new car performs like a genuiune Landrover.

Although the new Freelander will be offerd only as a five-door model, it is rumored tha we will eventually see a 'baby' 3door Landrover which will sit below the Freelander II in the Landrover range, possibly as early as 2008.

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