AFTER receiving some mixed reviews, Land Rover has put its thinking cap on with the Freelander and produced another winner with its latest incarnation, as discovered.

I just don’t get the so-called 'green’ motoring taxes. I mean who really drives around the M25 just for the hell of it?

Most drivers simply have to make the dreaded journey because it cannot be substituted by public transport – usually because it is too costly and time-consuming.

The whole idea of loading taxes on the motoring public to get them to change their behaviour is flawed. The fact is that people have to make journeys by road which might include work, trips to the out of town superstores – you know, the ones Government planners have encouraged – or, heaven forbid, simply taking the mother-in-law out for the day.

Yes, the roads are becoming too clogged but the answer has always been to offer cheap, reliable safe public transport as a viable alternative – a challenge that had eluded successive Governments.

You could also ban Nova boy from driving until he is 18, thereby saving some valuable road space and increasing his life expectancy.

The problem is that the running of trains and buses has been handed over to private companies whose main ambition is to make as much money as possible, hence some of the swingeing recent hikes in train fares.

Of course, the Government could literally tax us off the road, leaving only footballers and politicians, with their generous pay and gilt-edged pensions, able to afford to drive anywhere.

No wonder they are so keen. Ministers like the ludicrous 'two Jags' John Prescott will be able to cruise about in chauffeur-driven limos without being held up by hard-pressed Mondeo man trying to scratch a living.

Mark my words, green motoring taxes like road charging and fuel levies are just a con to squeeze more money out of us and nothing to do with protecting the environment.

Which brings me to the rather handsome and superb new Land Rover Freelander 2. Yes, one of those evil 4x4s which have become the whipping boy of the green lobby.

Yes, driving one of these, or its bigger brothers, around the suburbs is rather wasting its all-terrain abilities. But just because it can be navigated up mountains and across rivers doesn’t mean you have to.

Anyway, the fact is the Freelander 2, 2.2 TDi diesel nearly matches the Mini Cooper S and beats many family saloons on both on carbon emissions and fuel efficiency.

It might not be as quick, but the torquey, smooth motor is certainly lively, offering the mid-range grunt that makes for effortless progress. It’s slick, short-shifting six speed gearbox wouldn’t be out of place in a sports car either.

The Freelander 2 also boasts Land Rover’s unique terrain response traction system which allows the driver to switch between four settings, depending on the road or off-road surface conditions.

Most drivers can expect to get around 30mpg in town and nearly 40mpg in combined driving conditions, which is pretty good.

The Freelander 2 is an all-new car and, as you might expect, miles ahead of its long-in-the-tooth predecessor in every department.

It’s bigger, so, crucially there’s more headroom and rear legroom, far better built and offers real driving enjoyment and comfort. Given its proportions, the handling’s a revelation too, being taut and tidy through the bends while riding the bumps with aplomb.

It’s a car that quickly shrinks around you to disguise it size simply by being so nimble and easy to drive.

The leather-clad cabin of the top-of-the-range HSE is a very pleasant place to be and, once experienced, the lofty armchair driving position is a revelation. It has all the gadgets you could want, including sat nav, and consequently comes with a price tag of nearly £31,000, although the range starts at a more affordable £21,000.

I loved this car for its good-looks, all-round ability and comfort. The cry to ban 4x4s like the Freelander 2 or punish owners with extra taxes is a red herring. Rather we should rejoice that Land Rover has created such a superb car.

FACTFILE

LAND ROVER FREELANDER 2 TDi GSE

PRICE: £30,936 otr

PERFORMANCE: Top speed 112mph, 0-60 mph in 10.9 seconds.

ECONOMY: Urban 30.6 mpg, Combined 37.8 mpg.

FOR: Style, comfort, performance, handling - a Mr do-it-all.

AGAINST: You’ll be branded (wrongly) an environmental terrorist.

CAR SUPPLIED BY: Barretts Land Rover of Canterbury, 01227 475475, go to www.barretts.canterbury.landrover.co.uk

www.barretts.canterbury.landrover.co.uk