[Chris b]

Hello all
I am looking really carefully at DS to replace my second Freelander 2 XS (08 and 13MY). Having been in the Freel2 forum for many years, looking to pick up all sorts of useful questions and answers from this group too.

 

[KaikouraDiscoSport]

Welcome!

 

[Tollerted]

Welcome. Hope you find it just as useful.

 

[Chris b]

Thanks for the quick welcomes.
My first question is about active driveline, which is not covered well in the e-brochure and I want to be armed with all my facts before test drive next Saturday.
Is it standard?
Cost option?
Varies by model?

 

[Lofi]

Do not think current UK spec models have it. We have permanent 4 wheel drive varied by an electronic centre diff. Not sure how much front to rear split it is capable of or the normal split for road driving.

 

[KaikouraDiscoSport]

Asked a lot of questions on this topic when I met LR Experience team:

- all permanent 4WD cars (standard) are normally 70% front drive / 30% rear split yet can do up to 50% drive to the back. Apparently 70/30% is more fuel efficient (so 70% drive normally to front wheels directly next to engine)

- tried Active Drive on RR Evoque which included an extra diff between the rear wheels. During tough LR Experience, 4WD DS could get stuck at rear if 1 rear wheel was up in the air and no front traction. What would happen is that all drive could go to wheel in the air. Active Drive on Evoque meant that rear wheels could get 100% of drive individually

- Bit I am not clear on... Active Drive on DS is described as option that decouples rear wheels above 20mph to save fuel yet brings them back in play within a few milliseconds if needed. Cool but it does not seem to add the additional diff BETWEEN the rear wheels for additional traction in rough terrain/snow

Does anyone from the factory know more?

 

[ozsport]

Asked a lot of questions on this topic when I met LR Experience team:

- all permanent 4WD cars (standard) are normally 70% front drive / 30% rear split yet can do up to 50% drive to the back. Apparently 70/30% is more fuel efficient (so 70% drive normally to front wheels directly next to engine)

- tried Active Drive on RR Evoque which included an extra diff between the rear wheels. During tough LR Experience, 4WD DS could get stuck at rear if 1 rear wheel was up in the air and no front traction. What would happen is that all drive could go to wheel in the air. Active Drive on Evoque meant that rear wheels could get 100% of drive individually

- Bit I am not clear on... Active Drive on DS is described as option that decouples rear wheels above 20mph to save fuel yet brings them back in play within a few milliseconds if needed. Cool but it does not seem to add the additional diff BETWEEN the rear wheels for additional traction in rough terrain/snow

Does anyone from the factory know more?

I have read that there are no axle diff locks, only a centre diff lock - but happy to be corrected.

 

[Natwest]

Glad to someone else has made the leap from Freel2.com. I cannot answer your active driveline question though

 

[Chippy]

My understanding is that the whole of the rear drive train including the whole of the drive shaft is disconnected. I was informed that it's a Haldex system.

 

[KaikouraDiscoSport]

I think you are right Chippy. Bit odd that the RR Evoque has the clever system (optional) which can send all drive to one of the rear wheels by means of a rear diff in addition to the central diff

 

[J77]

UK spec cars only come with efficient driveline at the moment, which is a fancy name for the system that is currently used in the Fl2, only the DS uses the latest haldex which is 4KG lighter than the Fl2 unit.

The car at standstill, the centre coupling is locked then opens as it pulls away. All the off road trickery is controlled via the electronic centre coupling, if one wheel is spinning the traction control system applys the brakes to that wheel and directs drive to the wheel with grip, in order for it to work though you need to give the car some revs and allow the wheel to spin to tell the car what it needs to do. With efficient driveline there is always a percentage of drive to the rear.

Active driveline purely adapts between 2WD and 4WD, again it's 4WD from a standstill but speeds over 22MPH a clutch disconnects all the 4WD hardware and the car drives as a 2WD with 4WD engaging when required within 350 milliseconds. There are two clutches, one either side of the rear differential which can direct torque to the wheel with the most grip, also the rear axle can be locked for maximum traction.

It's not the most advanced explanation and I'm no expert but it's the basics.

 

[KaikouraDiscoSport]

Great reading J77; well explained

 

[Moose]

It a better explanation than I could give.

 

[MikeR]

I too went from Freelander XS to DS. The DS is much more refined drive, I keep finding i'm 10mph faster than I thought. It also feels more car like and the auto box enables what is supposed to be the same engine seem more powerful. There are dozens to toys to play with on high spec versions. I've found the combination of keyless + power boot very handy when carrying stuff (I got a LR belt keyring in the post a week into the car) and the key is just always on my belt so I can just get in anytime without fishing for key. The high spec power seats lower when you stop which means I can reach the ground as I step out without squashing the edge of the seat, which after 6 years on the XS was starting to fail.
I cannot see the point of the ambient mood lighting.