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."
