IT was tagged the "Baby Land Rover" when the  Freelander first appeared, but brawny, boisterous youth might have been more appropriate.

Since then, the Freelander has grown up a lot and undergone periodic tweakings - visual, mechanical and technological - but it has retained its considerable strength and 4x4 class leadership.

The Freelander 2, in its eighth year, has improved on those off-road capabilities but more importantly now it is presented with a much classier image.

Land Rover has gone all out to apply the premium polish to take on top-class German rivals such as the BMW X3 and the Audi Q3 and Q5 and the result is impressive.

It proves, like its larger 4x4 siblings, that you can mix brawn with beauty - or at least brawn, style and even luxury. The move up the premium ladder hits you the instance you enter the cabin. Together with a freshen-up on the outside to include new head and rear lights and LED running lights, it has extra street cred.

Even the entry level S two-wheel drive version, minus the extensive equipment lavished on the top four-wheel drive 2.2 diesel HSE Lux model here, looks decently kitted out and manages to convey a more upmarket feel.

Beautifully presented the 2.2-litre 187bhp car I tried looked very handsome - but with a hefty price almost tipping forty grand. That's a lot of cash for a mid-range Landie jostling with lots of other quality SUVs.

It might be eight years old, but the Freelander 2 continues to enjoy success, boosted by its latest makeover and though it may not be the quickest against the clock , it performs strongly on as well as off-road.

The 2.2 turbodiesel unit here manages a 0-60mph in a commendable 8.7 seconds, though, admittedly it looks less impressive against some of the BMW and Audi equivalents that manage the sprint in 6 to 7 seconds.

Its off-road gymnastics have been proved time and again, one assault course after another, and still continues to be class leader in cross-country capability.

Despite its 4x4 dynamics, the ride, for a posh but tough SUV, is very good. The suspension is excellent and even on those enormous 19-inch wheels travel was comfortable. Sharing the same platform as the Evoque, the Freelander 2 feels well balanced and there's minimal roll taken through bends.

Steering is well-weighted and there's decent feedback to (in this top-trim model) the heated steering wheel rim, while change through the six-speed automatic gearbox was impressively smooth and swift.

Fuel consumption averaged 33.5mpg - decent enough, but some way off the official combined figure quoted at 40.5mpg.