Land Rover Freelander 2 Metropolis SD4 first drive review

Plushest-ever Freelander is an easy-going drive, but a now dated and pricey package overall

The Metropolis is the flagship of a reduced range of run-out Freelanders

What is it?

Last orders for the Land Rover Freelander. A replacement is on the way later this year complete with new Discovery Sport badge as the first member of an expanded Discovery family, meaning the end for the 17-year, two-generation-old Freelander badge.

If you thought that this would mean a bargain, everything-must-go sale was now on for the Freelander, think again. Instead the eye-catcher in a slimmed-down run-out range is the plushest, most premium and most expensive model to ever wear a Freelander badge, the Metropolis.

The Metropolis gets the Freelander’s most potent 187bhp 2.2-litre SD4 turbodiesel engine hooked up to a six-speed auto’ driving all four wheels – a drivetrain we’re very familiar with – but it’s the dressing of the car of most note here.

The spec of the Metropolis builds on that of the previous HSE Lux flagship and includes Windsor leather seats, a panoramic roof, 19-inch alloy wheels, a Meridian sound system, touchscreen sat-nav, luxury carpets, a reversing camera, metallic paint and gloss black interior trim. It’s as plush as a Freelander has ever been, in other words.

What is it like?

Feeling its age a bit now, is the Freelander. Although generally comfortable, it feels a bit soft and wallowy in its body control, and a touch vague in the way it steers. The low-speed ride is not great either on more broken surfaces, but it does deal with rutted roads well at higher speeds.

Of course, the Freelander is not intending to rival a Renaultsport Méganein its poise, but the likes of the Nissan Qashqai have shown how it is now possible to offer a sharper, Golf-like drive without sacrificing comfort in a compact SUV. We’d expect Land Rover to have already taken note when conceiving the Discovery Sport.

The powertrain, although brisk and smooth enough, isn’t always the most responsive; there’s often a second or two pause when you need some instant torque while the auto’ gearbox gets its act together. Economy in the mid-to-high-30s is possible on a fast motorway cruise.

Outside, it’s aged quite gracefully; it looks suitably expensive without resorting to any chintzy detailing. Inside, there’s a pleasing robustness to the controls, even if they are now a bit plasticky, and the quality and comfort of the seats in particular give it a mini Range Rover feel in places. The commanding driving position is excellent. 

Should I buy one?

The Freelander has matured into a classy offering and is one of the few cars in the firm’s current line-up to retain a real old school Land Rover-feel with modern touches.

But it’s too hard to recommend this Metropolis version, particularly with more modern rivals offering better drives at lower prices. Those premium touches are not enough to disguise its mechanical shortcomings as it reaches the end of its life. 

The Metropolis, though, has a more significant role to play: getting Land Rover buyers used to the idea of a plusher, pricier Freelander-sized model ahead of the surely plusher and pricier-still Discovery Sport’s arrival next year.

Land Rover Freelander 2 Metropolis SD4 first drive review

Price: £35,995; 0-60mph: 8.7sec; Top speed: 118mph; Economy:40.4mpg; CO2: 185g/km; Kerb weight: 1805kg; Engine type, cc: 4 cyls in line, 2179cc, turbodiesel; Power: 187bhp at 3500rpm; Torque: 310lb ft at 1750rpm; Gearbox: 6spd automatic