Before you buy a Land Rover Freelander in Uganda

by edwin

The Land Rover Freelander is a compact sport utility vehicle (SUV) which was produced by the British manufacturer Land Rover, in both two-wheel and four-wheel drive versions, from 1997 to 2014.

The second generation, launched in 2007, was sold as the LR2 in North America and as the Freelander 2 in Europe.

It uses a monocoque (unibody) structure, in common with almost all other crossovers in its class, but unlike traditional SUVs built with body-on-frame designs. The Freelander was replaced by the Discovery Sport in 2015.

Before you buy a Land Rover Freelander in Uganda

The Land Rover Freelander is the premium compact 4X4. 2.5-Liter all aluminum V6 DOHC (double overhead cam) engine (GH-LN25) outputs 177ps・22.5kgm with 5-speed AT transmission with manual-like shifting function as "Command Shift".

Full-time 4WD combined with all independent suspension. High-tensioned monocoque frame with 5-door body style only. There are two grades available; SE and HSE. The latter has more comfortable equipment such as fog lamp, alloy wheels, heated front screen, leather seats, front seat heater, cruise control and leather steering wheel.

Electronic traction control (ETC) for 4 wheels respectively, ABS with EBD (4 channel Electronic Brake Distribution) and immobilizer.

Click here to buy a Land Rover Freelander and car spare parts in Uganda

Buying a Land Rover Freelander from a Ugandan car bond

Buying a Land Rover Freelander from the a car bond in and around Kampala makes things bit more simpler for you because you will not have to face all the lengthy processes and journeys to the port to own the car. Here most of the work has already been done for you.

Most taxes have been cleared. All you have to do is simply pay for the car from the car bond and drive home.

However, you can also find that some cars have only cleared the CIF fees only. So it would mean that if you want a Land Rover Freelander then you will have to clear the rest of the taxes.

You can find the Cost, Insurance and Freight of a premium Land Rover Freelander (that is from Japan to Kampala) to be around US$ 4,541 or even above as stated by the car bond dealers.

However, the total sum of the CIF can change due to year of manufacture, condition of the car, mileage and the dealer you choose to buy the car from.

Click here to buy a Land Rover Freelander and car spare parts in Uganda

Importing a foreign used Land Rover Freelander from Japan

Importing a foreign used Land Rover Freelander from Japan is different from buying from car from the car bond here in Kampala. Some people prefer to import their own cars directly from Japan.

This means all the costs are going to be met by you the owner of the car right from say Japan to Mombasa up to Uganda.

Here one needs to determine the cost of the car while still in Japan from which the Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF) are calculated. For example a Land Rover Freelander model 2004 costing $2,103 will make a total CIF of US$ 4,541 to be brought up Kampala, Uganda.

After arriving in Kampala, then the required taxes have to be cleared. The taxes charged by the Uganda Revenue Authority include Import Duty, Value added (VAT), Withholding Tax, Environmental Levy, Infrastructure Levy, and Registration Fees basing on the CIF of the car from Japan.

Click here to buy a Land Rover Freelander and car spare parts in Uganda

Availability of Land Rover Freelander spare parts in Uganda

Spare parts are available for the older models and a bit scarce for the newer pr latest models.

Just like its brother the discovery, its maintenance costs are high. Some people actually switch engines with that of the rav4 after failing to maintain the original engine of the freelander.

Other than that it’s a good compact SUV to have.

Click here to buy a Land Rover Freelander and car spare parts in Uganda

General Land Rover Freelander reviews

The Freelander has a clean, simple-looking interior, although the sat-nav display does look old when compared to offerings from more recent rivals.

Off-road, the Freelander beats more on-road focused rivals like the Audi Q5 and BMW X3 hands down thanks to its excellent Terrain Response system, which features a number of modes to tackle different surfaces and limited grip levels. Although be aware that entry-level versions and the eD4 do miss out on this impressive electronic system.

The Freelander has a five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating, although it earned this back in 2007 before tougher testing conditions were brought in. hence you can rest assured that its reliable and safe to take ride in.

Click here to buy a Land Rover Freelander and car spare parts in Uganda

Other alternatives available in Uganda similar to the Land Rover Freelander

We have a the Toyota RAV4, Volvo XC60, Toyota Harrier, Toyota Kluger

Common Complaints Owners of Land Rover Freelander raise while in Uganda

Some models built between June 1997 and June 1998 had problems with their rear suspension.

There was an issue with the welding process, meaning the rear hub assembly could fracture.

This would cause the car to deviate from a straight line on the road.

On some Freelanders built between August 2000 and February 2001, there was an issue with the front seats.

They sometimes didn't latch properly after using the tip lever, meaning the backrest could attempt to fold forward if the vehicle was brought to a sudden stop.

On some petrol Freelanders built between July 2000 and March 2002, there was an issue with the diagnostic connector. The connector didn't meet the required safety levels, and had to be changed.

Spare parts issue. Spares are expensive and hard to come by in the auto market here in Uganda.

Click here to buy a Land Rover Freelander and car spare parts in Uganda

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