LAND Rover's new Freelander - the small off-roader - is due to go on sale early next year. Priced between £15,000 and £20,000, the Freelander will compete with such vehicles as the Toyota Rav 4. Petrol and diesel models sell in three and five-door versions.

This is the first Land Rover to be launched since BMW bought Rover. Analysts said BMW's main reason for buying Rover was Land Rover - and its reputation in the off-road market.

Questions were raised over reliability and build quality of the Discovery and Range Rover, after poor performances in the JD Power customer satisfaction survey. BMW has promised to eradicate problems.