Land Rover Freelander may produce a seven-seat variant

According to the British car magazine Auto Express, Land Rover will launch a seven-seat version of the Freelander.

Sold in the U.S. under the name LR2, the Freelander has met with great success since it was launched at the 2006 British Motor Show. It quickly became a point of reference in the compact SUV segment, ahead of German competitors. However, Land Rover bosses think the current model may not be enough to resist the assault of new competitors such as the Peugeot 4007 and the Citroën C-Crosser. Citroën UK sold its entire annual quota in less than three months. Renault will join soon the fight with the upcoming Koleos. Soon, the segment will be crowded and the relatively high price of the Freelander will have less appeal to the masses. The new model may be launched within 18 months.

Developing a seven-seat Freelander would seem to be quite a challenge. The boot capacity of the current model is small, especially since the spare tyre is stored in it. One solution may be to extend its length but it would then bear too much similarity to the Discovery. At 177.1 inch long, adding 8 inches to provide enough room for the third row of seats will make it only 5 inches shorter than the Discovery. Likewise, developing this new variant will require investment. Perhaps future buyers will not be ready to accept the potential cost involved.