Land Rover has launched a major new derivative of the award-winning permanent four-wheel drive Freelander. Unveiled at the Fleet Motor Show at the NEC, Birmingham, the Freelander Commercial is based on the three-door Hardback model and costs from just £17,300 on the road. Deliveries to customers begin in September.

Targeted at major fleets, small businesses and people who need to transport equipment to remote off-road areas, customers will include utility, plant hire, security and construction companies. Outstanding residual values, low servicing costs and the ability to reclaim VAT for registered users result in low cost of ownership.

Land Rover will be approaching emergency services such as police, fire and mountain rescue and also anticipates sales to customers looking for a distinctive, comfortable and secure vehicle to carry expensive and bulky items such as sports equipment. The Freelander Commercial also provides a stylish alternative to medium sized estate cars and vans.

Freelander Commercial is produced by Land Rover’s Special Vehicles division at Solihull. Features include new interior trim panels incorporating lashing points, a three-quarters mesh bulkhead and heavy duty floor covering.

The loadspace area has a capacity of 1400 litres (50 cubic feet) and the vehicle has a payload of 580 kg. Being based on the standard production model, the full range of Freelander options and accessories is available.

Freelander Commercial can be specified with either the 1.8 litre 120 Ps petrol or 2.0 litre 97 Ps diesel engine. Standard features include permanent four wheel drive, driver’s airbag, alarm system with immobiliser, height adjustable steering column, electric front windows and radio cassette unit with detachable keypad. Four channel ABS with Electronic Traction Control and Hill Descent Control is available as an option.

Options specific to the Commercial include a roof rack, checker plate floor, shelving and racking systems and stowage for ladders and pipes.

The appearance of Freelander Commercial can be enhanced with a colour-keyed hard top section to match the vehicle bodywork, while various roof mounted beacons and light bars can be fitted to meet specific requirements.