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2008 Land Rover LR2: Romancing the Stone and Sand
Point A: Dogsmerfield, United Kingdom
Point B: Essaouira, Morocco
A woman on a plane with half empty suitcases can only mean one thing — trouble. It’s called shopping with intent. But that’s exactly how I rolled on the private charter from Dogsmerfield to the African continent. My first visit to the Motherland meant that I wanted to take back as much of it as possible. What better place to learn about this planet than the place where it all started? I had done my homework – I knew about the rugs and the local artistry authentic to this Northwestern land, a crossroads of African, Arabic, and colonial French and Portuguese cultures. Or at least I thought I did, until I stepped off the plane and was caught up in the intoxication of African beauty. The landscape resonated with mystical energy, and the horizon of bushes, blood red rock formations, and a sky so blue I couldn’t imagine a cloud. As I absorbed every ounce of the culture infused by the Arabic language, the purpose of my mission flowed with the ethereal nature of the experience.
 Ladies’ Choice journeyed to Essaouira, Morocco to catch one of the first rides in Land Rover’s retouched compact SUV entry that used to be called Freelander, which faded out of production in 2005. Like Nas, Land Rover is back with a restored vengeance, restoring its claim to SUV domination in a sweeter package.
What makes LR2 a leap in the right direction is in its DNA. Up close and personal, LR2 says, baby, I’m a Land Rover, in a more manageable package. LR2 looks nice on the auto show stand, with its distinctive styling, a mish mash of LR3 and Range Rover Sport cues. LR2 looks even better on the street, with its beefy grille approaching from behind. LR2 looks its best glinting against the backdrop of the African coast against the ocean waves with a lady in control behind the wheel.
 Riding the rugged landscape was no problem for my crew and I in the comfort of the improved interior. The standard aux hookup for the MP3 players meant that we could choose our iPod play list as we passed goats climbing trees, and commuters on donkeys. The wide angle view from the dashboard and slightly raised backseats created the illusion that we were sitting on top of the world, and with Africa under our wheels that might have been the case. The double-panel sunroof added to the spacious cabin sensation.
Yet, while other compact SUVs sacrifice the driving experience to keep costs down, the LR2 engine was responsive due to the punch of the 3.2-liter, inline six emitting a respectable 230 horsepower. LR2 is still a luxury product, with BMW X3 and Acura RDX as its main competitors, but LR2 has a feistiness in its trail readiness that creates a sensation of added sturdiness. Toggling the terrain response switches added a sexy spin to off roading as we drifted through sand dunes on the beach. For a sticker price in the mid 30s, LR2 the ultimate SUV compromise, sensible, practical, but still chic.
 Exhilarated by the jaunt along the African coast, I returned to my charming quarters at Hotel L’Heure Bleu in the walled city of Essaouira, where I followed through on my ulterior mission - the allure of the Moroccan Souks, where fineries are sold.
All too soon, I left the fleet of LR2s and Africa behind, bearing trinkets galore — rugs, scarves, necklaces, leather shoes and belts with inlaid turquoise. My shopping was done once I passed customs. When I opened my suitcase to review LR2 press kits and to touch lush silk scarves, a bit of sand flew into the air, and my fingers tingled, as it hit me, I indeed took a piece of Africa home with me.
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