Land Rover goes little and large

Land Rover used the Sydney motor show to show off two new SUVs that hit the market at both ends. At the entry level was the all-new Freelander 2 which goes on sale in May priced from about $40,000. At the top end was a new V8 diesel engine for the Range Rover Sport as part of a mild upgrade.

It was the Freelander, however, that was the big news. The previous model never managed to find favour in Australia thanks largely to its lack of refinement, underpowered petrol engine and high price compared to its rivals.

But with the new model being more upmarket, substantially bigger -- so much so that it could almost be classified as a medium SUV rather than compact -- with new turbo diesel and six cylinder engines, it promises more substance to match its price.

The two new engines are a 171kW/317Nm 3.2-litre straight six and a 118kW/400Nm 2.2-litre turbo diesel. The petrol engine drives all four wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission while the diesel is also offered with a six-speed manual.

Although the vehicle is claimed to be only 50mm longer than the previous generation, the interior packaging has significantly increased interior space, particularly in the boot which has expanded by 38 per cent.

The body is now a monocoque construction with a fully independent suspension while the full time 4X4 system features traction and stability control systems and a range of other electronic aids.

The vehicle promises to be well-specced with features available as standard and options including adaptive automatic Xenon headlights, DVD satnav, and high end Dolby audio systems.

At the other end of the market, the Range Rover Sport's new diesel engine is a 3.6-litre V8 that produces a massive 200kW of power and 640Nm of torque -- more than 40 per cent up on the previous Range Rover’s turbo diesel V6.

The V8 diesel joins the other V8 and V8 supercharged petrol engines in the Range Rover Sport lineup that are all mated to a six-speed automatic transmission . To cope with the huge outputs of the engine, the diesel uses the same brake and suspension package as the supercharged V8 version.

Like all Range Rovers, the Sport is eminently capable both on and off road but the Ford-owned UK brand may not have the top spot in the serious off road luxury stakes to itself for long with Mercedes having launched its new GL-Class at the Sydney show.

Available in two models from launch, the seven seater dual range luxury SUV is offered with either a 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel or 5.4-litre V8 with both driving through a seven speed automatic transmission. Prices for the diesel GL 320 CDI start from $107,000 with the GL 500 priced from $144,000.