Land Rover Freelander is now better value

This is the range-topping Land Rover Freelander SD4 Metropolis that now leads a revised line-up of TD4 and SD4 engines in SE or SE Tech trim.

What is it?

Land Rover has streamlined its Freelander SUV range for 2014. All the trim levels now have more equipment as standard, you can no longer get front-wheel drive, and there’s almost £4000 off the range-topping version. Land Rover is replacing the Freelander with the all-new Discovery Sport next year, so these are the run-out models for the existing car.

How good are its rivals?

If you need a small SUV for a fair amount of off-road work, then the Freelander is as good as it gets. Its list price means it sits between the Mazda CX-5 and the pricier BMW X3, but both of these rivals are better to drive, more practical and more refined.

What engines can I choose from?

You can pick from a 148bhp TD4 diesel or the 187bhp SD4. The SD4 comes only with a six-speed automatic gearbox, while the TD4 gets a six-speed manual. Both engines get four-wheel drive as standard.

How much equipment does it come with?

There are now three trims to choose from: SE, SE Tech and fully-loaded Metropolis. SE and SE Tech replace GS and XS respectively, while Metropolis replaces HSE Lux.

Entry-level SE includes heated leather seats, climate control, rear parking sensors, Bluetooth, colour-coded bumpers and mirror caps, a heated windscreen and 18-inch alloy wheels.

Stepping up to SE Tech adds a 380-watt sound system, touch-screen sat-nav, automatic headlights and wipers, plus 19-inch wheels. Range-topping Metropolis adds plusher leather, electrically-adjustable seats, 825-watt audio, a panoramic sunroof, xenon headlights, a reversing camera and diamond-turned alloys.

How much will it cost?

Prices start at £27,765 for the new TD4 SE. That represents a £320 increase over the TD4 GS model, but it comes with extra equipment worth £1270, so is actually much better value.

SE Tech models come with £1075-worth of added kit, but cost £440 less than the outgoing XS-spec cars.

The SD4 Metropolis costs £35,995, which is a £3915 saving over the SD4 HSE Lux car it replaces.

Can I get a discount?

Yes. We’ve already found savings of around £3000 across the new model range at Drivethedeal.com. We’ll look out for offers from other brokers over the next few weeks.