DESPITE the Land Rover name having been synonymous for the thick end of half a century with the world of the farming community it is only in fairly recent times that a fashionable and modern leisure 4x4 joined the big boys in the on and off-road ranks.

It was in the early days of 1998 that the industry became excited at the arrival of the shiny and new Land Rover Freelander which the Midlands car maker introduced.

It came with some quite refined road manners, decent off road ability, plenty of interior space and a good choice of body styles.

Today, the Freelander 2 HSE continues to attract a loyal audience with its head turning silhouette made up of neat lines and that always recognisably Land Rover ruggedness.

This brilliant all rounder has had quite a number of recent adjustments to its make up including further improved head and tail lights plus a new bumper and grille while some new colour schemes are also available.

Inside, the cabin is comfortably laid out with dials, switches and buttons all having been thoughtfully positioned for easy use.

Visibility is good while rear parking sensors are on hand to assist drivers trying to park up.

A large split sunroof beams plenty of light into the cabin while stowage is good, too, with a generously sized luggage bay which extends further via split folding rear seats.

On the the road all Freelanders use a 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine, but buyers can choose between outputs of 148bhp and 188bhp.

Both engines delivered some pretty strong low end pull but the six-speed automatic gearbox, which is standard on the 188bhp model driven here, proved more than agreeable if a little lacking in the economics stakes.

Should your lifestyle lie more in top or bottom field than on the Tarmac, the combination of 4x4 and Land Rover's terrain response system, which lets you optimise the car's set up for different surface conditions via a simple rotary knob, proved highly effective.

Although expensive, the Freelander is first class at ironing out the bumps, behaving more like a luxury saloon, particularly when cruising the motorways and with the automatic gearbox proving responsive and smooth, road holding over the long haul was decidedly pleasant.

There are plenty of safety features on board and, should you find yourself in any way "out of your depth," it may be worth remembering that the Freelander's obstacle clearance is more than eight inches and it can tackle water up to 20 inches deep.