Geneva Preview: carbon neutral Land Rover's new diesel engines

the new Freelander 2 TD4 diesel automatic. click photo to enter gallery

Land Rover is bringing lots of torque-producing diesel engines to the show in Geneva that starts this week. Among the highlighted vehicles are the new Freelander 2 TD4 diesel automatic and the 2007 Defender that now comes with a new 2.4-litre common rail diesel engine. These diesels are, like all Land Rovers, carbon offset by Climate Care (the plan estimates 15,000 miles of driving a year and runs for three years).

The £22,305 Freelander 2 TD4 diesel automatic will be available next month in the UK. It has the same six-speed automatic transmission as the 3.2-litre i6 petrol Freelander 2, but the TD4 is powered by the all-new 160 PS 2.2-litre four-cylinder engine. Combined average fuel consumption is 33.2 mpg.

Land Rover is also phasing out naturally-aspirated petrol models starting from the 2008 model year. Over 90 percent of Land Rover UK's sales this year will be diesels. One such choice is the updated 2007 Defender, with the new 2.4-litre common rail diesel engine as well as numerous cosmetic and interior changes.

These changes are detailed on the press release, and I think you know where to find that (after the jump). Click on the photo gallery entry points (the pictures in this post) to see high-res images of the Freelander and the Defender.

Related:

• Land Rover's CO2 offset program gets independent oversight group
• Land Rover sheds pounds, improves MPG

[Source: Land Rover]
LAND ROVER SHOWCASES LATEST MODEL LINE-UP AT THE 2007 GENEVA MOTOR SHOW

• Freelander 2 TD4 diesel automatic makes Geneva debut
• New Freelander 2 personalisation programme introduced
• Improved cabins in Discovery 3 and Range Rover Sport for 2008 model year
• Due to the continued success and demand for our new TDV8 and TDV6 diesel engines, the sale of naturally-aspirated petrol models will cease from 2008 model year
• The 2007 Defender – with new 2.4-litre common rail diesel engine

Gaydon, Warwickshire, 2 March 2007 – Following on from the most important period of product launch for Land Rover and another record sales year, Land Rover will show its all-new product line-up at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show.

Making its debut at the show is the Freelander 2 TD4 diesel automatic. Using the same six-speed automatic transmission as the 3.2-litre i6 petrol Freelander 2, the TD4 is powered by the all-new 160 PS 2.2-litre four-cylinder engine.

It has a combined average fuel consumption of 33.2 mpg and as with all Land Rovers, the carbon dioxide generated by Land Rover's manufacturing activities and UK customers' vehicle use for the first 45,000 miles has been balanced through an industry leading offset programme run by Climate Care.

The automatic transmission features Land Rover's CommandShift for manual sequential gearchanging and a sports mode for more spirited driving.

The Freelander 2 TD4 automatic goes on sale in the UK in April 2007, starting from £22,305 on the road.

"Since sales of the diesel manual and i6 petrol model began in December 2006, demand for the Freelander 2 has been really encouraging," commented John Edwards, Land Rover UK managing director. "And it is already a multi-award winner, picking up the BBC Top Gear SUV of the Year and What Car? Best Compact 4x4 awards. A tremendous achievement."

For the personal touch, Land Rover has also introduced an accessories programme for the Freelander 2.

"Land Rover has a long tradition of allowing customers to order vehicles to suit their needs but this new programme allows the greatest degree of personalisation ever offered to Freelander customers," Edwards added.

The list of options includes: 19-inch sports wheels, a sports styling pack, Audio Connectivity Module (ACM) for iPod/MP3 connectivity, Rear Seat Entertainment (rear screens and DVD player), body colour mirror caps and sill strips, all shown at Geneva.

For 2008 model year, the Range Rover Sport – Land Rover's best selling vehicle worldwide in 2006 – offers new refinements and subtle cabin enhancements. A new Ebony colour centre stack is standard, an improved Brunel metallic finish replaces the Rhodium finish and dark stained Zebrano is available as a new wood finish. A new tan premium leather upholstery colour is now available, with improved carpet mats and a stainless steel tread strip.

8-way electric passenger seats and electric lumbar support adjustments for driver's seats will be introduced on all top end SE and HSE spec vehicles and satellite navigation will become standard on all SE models.

The Discovery 3, winner of 95 international awards, is also upgraded for the 2008 model year.

For the first time, straight grain satin walnut or piano black wood finishes are available as standard on all HSE models, as are premium ruched leather seats, driver seat cushion pockets, eight-way passenger seat adjustment and powered lumbar support adjustment for the driver. Further upgrades across the model range include a more premium Ebony centre stack and centre floor console, 'noble' plating finish to facia air vents and other controls and silver plated finish to the speaker bezels.

Due to the overwhelming demand for Land Rover's efficient Discovery 3 TDV6, and the 32 per cent more economical Range Rover and Range Rover Sport TDV8 models, the sale of naturally-aspirated petrol models will cease from 2008 model year. This means that Land Rover's UK diesel sales look set to exceed 90 per cent of our total this year.

Last but by no means least, the significantly enhanced 2007 Defender completes the line-up on the Land Rover stand featuring a new 2.4-litre common rail diesel engine, six-speed gearbox with wide ratio spread, a fully integrated facia, new seating configuration and high output heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system.