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Evoque's Older Brother Gets Some Love
Brands like
Jeep,
Land Rover and General Motors' now-defunct
Hummer all come from rich military backgrounds, with their forebearers having proven their ability to tackle just about any terrain, from desert to jungle. Each has faced the difficult challenge of evolving from battle-tested off-road vehicles to civilian-ready status symbols. For Land Rover, which is arguably to New York City and Miami what the
Toyota Prius is to Los Angeles, this is especially true. Yet even so, the British automaker still relies on rugged capability to sell products ranging from Range Rovers with six-figure price tags right on down to the
LR2 shown here.
Positioned in a class full of vehicles with nicknames like "cute ute" and "soft roader," the 2013 LR2 - known as
Freelander 2 in other markets - stands out even more for its respectable off-road abilities in spite of its car-based underpinnings, so Land Rover has focused its attention on refining its entry-level product as a midcycle refresh for 2013. The 2013 Land Rover LR2 still rides on the proven
Ford/
Volvo EUCD chassis also shared with the
Range Rover Evoque, and rather than killing off the existing model when its sleeker, more street-minded relative arrived, Land Rover has done just the opposite, incorporating most of the technology developed for the Evoque into the 2013 LR2.
So how successful has Land Rover been at improving the finer aspects of its gateway model without messing up the off-road ruggedness that defines its brand as a whole? We spent a cold, snowy day near Montreal testing the limits of this baby Land Rover to find out.
Continue reading 2013 Land Rover LR2
2013 Land Rover LR2 originally appeared on
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First Drive: 2013 Land Rover LR2
