Forthcoming Land Rover Freelander 3 caught winter testing wearing Evoque bodywork disguise
These are the latest images of the forthcoming Land Rover Freelander 3, which has been spotted cold weather testing wearing Evoque bodywork.
The longer wheelbase and increased ride height reveal this as an early engineering prototype, probably being used to test new suspension components and suspension geometry.
The Freelander is currently the Land Rover marque's best-selling model. It was launched in its current form in 2006 and given a mild makeover for 2013. The third-gen model is expected to go on sale in early 2015. It promises to be a significant step forward from the current Freelander, offering greater wading depth, better interior packaging and improved boot space.
The new Freelander is based on the same LR-MS platform as the Evoque. It was developed from the Ford EUCD platform that underpins the current Freelander, although Land Rover says 90 per cent of the parts are new.
The Freelander 3’s wheelbase is expected to be more than 150mm longer than the Evoque’s and it's also expected to open the way for a seven-seat version. It will be fitted with JLR’s all-new, super-frugal ‘Hotfire’ four-cylinder engines, which will be built at a new plant near Wolverhampton.
The new Freelander is expected to be made from a mixture of materials, with nearly all of the platform and upper body made from high-strength steel. The roof and bonnet will be aluminium and the front wings and tailgate are likely to be made from composites.
The entry-level, front-wheel-drive Freelander 3 is expected to have a CO2 rating as low as 119g/km.