2008 Land Rover LR2

Baby Land Rover

Land Rover thinks big in a small package.

On the Moroccan coast, cultures converge in rocky inclines and dusty crossroads of Arabic and African society, distinctly imprinted by European colonialism. A caravan of orange, silver and black Land Rover LR2s draw curious glances from locals; the sleek and modern vehicles stand out on lonely highways traveled by the occasional pedestrian, donkey or jam-packed electric blue Mercedes-Benz beater en route to the next village.

Land Rover chose Morocco as the location for the launch of its latest and smallest SUV, on sale this spring. Part of the test trek took the group of gathered journalists through a region that tourists are only now discovering — 18 miles from the walled city of Essaouira, where surfers flock and an annual music festival attracts bohemian jazz and world music fans.

It’s the kind of place that attracts travelers Land Rover considers to be ideal customers. While in reality most owners won’t test their LR2’s limits in a place like Morocco, Land Rover’s image, even after more than a half-century, still hinges on the cachet of rustic off-roading adventures in far-flung places.

The Land Rover LR2 is the long-awaited replacement for the Freelander, which went out of production in the U.S. in 2005 after a tepid four-year run. The new model will still be called the Freelander in Europe and other markets, but in the U.S. it gets folded into Land Rover’s new naming convention that started with the larger LR3 (formerly called the Discovery).

The LR2 is Land Rover’s least-expensive model designed to compete with some tough new rivals, such as the Acura RDX and Lincoln MKX, both of which lack the LR2’s serious off-road capabilities.

Exterior

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Land Rover lineage is evident in the LR2’s front- and back-end styling. The more elfish LR2 maintains a commanding presence, due to the prominent contours of its roofline and Range Rover-like wraparound glass and headlamps. It’s not as squared off as the LR3 and not as restrained as the posh Range Rover, but it incorporates forms from both larger SUVs.

In photos the LR2’s general shape blends in with its compact SUV peers and therefore may be easily overlooked. But up close, it bears enough resemblance to the LR3 and Range Rover — the tectonic-plate-like surfacing, for instance — to look distinctive.

That the new LR2 looks like a Land Rover is important to customers. And like its stablemates, the LR2 is angular without being boxy; it’s solid and stalwart as opposed to slinky, like the Acura RDX.

Interior

Inside, the LR2 is cozy. The sloping dashboard, ample use of glass in the rear and large two-part sunroof create a sense of well-lit spaciousness. The front seats are comfortable and supportive and remain so even on long trips. There’s room for five, and the raised rear bench seat allows excellent outward visibility through many rear windows, which helps occupants feel less claustrophobic. The cargo hold is respectable in size, with ample space for several suitcases.

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The cluttered layout and design of the dashboard is at odds with the sophistication Land Rover needs to convey in order to set it apart as a premium compact SUV. However, the gauges are legible and the center console includes the familiar, high-tech controls for the Land Rover Terrain Response System found on the company’s larger models.

The touch-screen navigation system is, for the most part, straightforward. But like most complex technology, certain functions can be a challenge to operate, like turning down the volume of the turn-by-turn route navigation announcements.

The 14-speaker Dolby Pro Logic sound system is robust and the backseat seems to be where the sound is most powerful. What sounds clear in the front part of the cabin may be deafening in the rear. Perhaps this is deliberate, because rear occupants on our test trip noticed more road noise than front occupants did.

The audio system’s standard MP3 playback function and iPod integration are simple to use.