Just like Land Rover’s automotive engineers, our spies are also hopping from one country to another to picture them testing the brand’s future models. Their latest shoot brought them to Sweden where the British firm was trying out a camouflaged prototype of the SUV that will replace the Freelander or LR2 in North America within the next year.
The reason we described the car as a “baby” Discovery in our title is due to rumors that Land Rover is reshuffling its monikers, aiming to incorporate the Freelander replacement under an extended family of Discovery-branded models.
While it may carry the Discovery nameplate in one form or the other, the next Freelander will look at another model in the range for its underpinnings, the Range Rover Evoque’s LR-MS steel platform, extended to increase space for both passengers and their luggage.
It goes without saying that Land Rover will make changes to the suspension, chassis and related electrical components to improve the car’s off-road credentials over the Evoque.
As with the current model, the range will include more frugal 2WD versions in addition to the more capable, but also thirstier, AWD models, while power will come from four-cylinder turbocharged diesel and gasoline units, paired to either manual gearboxes or a nine-speed automatic.
Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoopS
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