The Freelander is a small off-roader that was designed almost a decade ago. The cabin became structurally unstable during the frontal impact, the driver’s door buckling and the screen pillar moving back significantly. Forces fed through to the driver’s chest were relatively high and there were problems, too, for his legs. The side impact also left the driver risking chest injuries – a side airbag might have been helpful. The child restraints protected well in the side impact but did not safeguard heads in the frontal crash. Protection for pedestrians was average for this type of vehicle.
Front impact
The restraints and airbags protected the front occupants’ heads and necks but they experienced high chest loadings. The driver’s door was kinked along its inner beam and could not take further loading and the footwell behind the driver’s seat buckled. The front occupants risked injury from striking hard points behind the fascia. The centre rear belt was three-point, which protects much better than a lap-only belt. But there was a worry that it could be used with the seat back only partly latched.
Side impact
The Freelander provided only reasonable protection for such a high vehicle, its driver risking chest injuries from contact with the central pillar trim, door trim, and side wing of the seat.
Child occupant
The older child’s restraint was forward facing, the younger’s was rear-facing. In the frontal impact, neither head was fully protected. The younger child also sustained a slightly high neck load. Land Rover said that the restraint used was suitable for an 18-month-old but it was was too small for an average child of that age. Even so, the restraints protected both children in the side impact. Labels on the 3-year-old’s restraint could lead to a parent installing it incorrectly. The Freelander had no labels to warn against placing a rear-facing restraint opposite an airbag.
Pedestrian
The bonnet leading edge and bumper were particularly unforgiving, although the bonnet provided some protection.