The new baby Land Rover is growing up in more ways than just size.
The new 2008 Land Rover LR2 has matured in terms of the style department. The design of the 2001-2004 Freelander (now called the LR2) seemed to be designed for a younger demographic than the Range Rover and even Discovery. The bumpers were a dark plastic, it had an outdoorsy bike rack on the roof for mountain biking and it didn't look that far removed from a Ford Escape.
Than in the 2004 Freelander got a design makeover. The headlights were modernized and with a black casing giving them a more sculptured, updated look. The black plastic bumper was gone and replaced with a body colored bumper with two black sections defining the grill. The hubcaps were changed to look similar to the upcoming Range Rover Sport hubcaps.
The new 2008 Land Rover LR2 is grown up but hasn't lost its sporty side. No more black plastic anywhere to be found on the body (except for the runner boards.), this gives the LR2 a clean, crisp look.
The grill has also been changed from black to silver with latticework. Possibly designed to link the LR2 to the Range Rover Sport this latticework looks a bit cheap and will pose a problem for owners who attempt to clean it.
The newest design change, which hasn’t been seen before on any Freelander, is the vent cover. It seems out of place on the 4x4 but is meant to give a visual clue to its target demographic that the LR2 can not only go off road but can also be sporty while doing it. Though, it seems better to leave the vents on sports cars.
The squared off edges of the LR2 make a visual jump from the Freelancer’s rounded smooth corners. The LR2 looks larger than it really is with its squared corners.
The interior has changed also. The steering wheel has been updated and the dashboard visor gives and aggressive look to the interior. Even though it is meant to reduce glares from the sun on the display. Though, center console is too big and the dials and controls are too low for taller drivers.
Nonetheless the LR2 is an all around well-designed car, which preserves Land Rover's design heritage.
