Hello all,

I am the proud new owner of my very first Freelander, a 13MY GS which I picked up a couple of weeks ago

I'm loving the car to drive, but unfortunately am finding the seat lumbar support really lacking compared to my previous car which I had for 5 years. Had the choice of a 61 HSE or 62 GS for my budget, and decided on the face lifted GS as it has everything I need (or so I thought!).

Now I know it was a bit daft of me but I didn't check if the lumbar support was definitely adjustable when I went for a test drive. I had carefully checked the price list/specs available to download on the LR UK website, which states for GS and XS seats:

Grained leather seats six-way/four-way drivers; height, recline and lumbar

So I assumed from this that the drivers seat had lumbar adjustment. Why have leather, heated seats that aren't fully adjustable for comfort?!

The seats are ok for short 15-20 min journeys, but any longer than that and my back feels like I am sitting in a Spanish torture chair. I have tried a lumbar cushion but that doesn't seem to help much at all.

The only options I can come up with are:

Try to persuade the dealer to do a fair exchange for an older HSE (I am assuming though that the approved used exchange policy only covers 'faults' with the car)
Change the seats for electric ones (not even sure if this can be done)
Grit my teeth and bear it until I can afford to change to MY13 HSE!

Anyone else who has a 13MY GS - does your car have adjustable lumbar support, and if not do you think the LR specs are totally misleading?

I would really appreciate it if some of you lovely, knowledgeable people would be able to offer suggestions and advice on my situation. Many thanks in advance. Oh and please be gentle cos I'm a girl!

My MY13 GS with leather does not have lumbar support. I had a microdiscetomy (google it) while back and find the seats supportive. Try a small hand towel rolled up maybe..... * GONE. GS TD4 Manual MY2013. Orkney Grey with privacy, cold and clearview packs, armrests (a must!) and a spoiler.
* 2011 4.4 TDV8 Full Fat. Amazing piece of kit.
* GONE.2012 RR Sport HSE SDV6 Orkney Grey. Rocket ship. 33mpg.
* Range Rover Classic '93 200Tdi Factory fit
* 1949 80" in family since 1975

I would see if you can have a prolonged test drive in the HSE before doing anything, that you can see if the HSE lumber support meets your needs Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

I have a 12MY XS with the same electric seats. It came off the assembly line at the same time that the first 13MY were being built.

Looking at my handbook on page 11 it either has an electric lumber support or a manual lumbar support. I have an electric switch but nothing seems to happen. I think mine has a fault but as I’m happy with the seat position I was going to leave it until the first service or first major fault (I have had many Land Rovers and its just a matter of time before something goes wrong )

Looking at the 13MY manual on page 12 it’s the same picture either manual or electric. Is it possible that we all have the same batch of seats and the lumbar supports don’t work? Do you have a switch?

Click image to enlarge

I have a 13MY XS with electric seats which I had as an extra. There is a lumbar switch on the side of the seat which does adjust the lumbar support in the seat but it does not make a lot of difference when I have tried it. These are the same seats as in the HSE so I would assume the minimal adjustment it offers would be the same.

Not sure you can change from manual to electric seats but no doubt someone on here will have done it! Disco 4 HSE SDV6 Orkney Grey
Gone FL2 MY13 XS TD4 Manual Orkney Grey

Thanks for your responses guys.

DrRpb - I googled it - ouch! You are right, I don't think they are too bad for support overall, I think the problem for me is that I was used to sports seats and had the lumbar adjustment turned up fully all the time, which meant the back of the seat was very solid. With these I can feel my lower back sinking into the seat slightly.

Maybe I need to take the seat covering off and pop a plank of wood in

npinks - excellent point, I would need to spend a lot longer in an HSE then I did in this one to see if it was really going to make any difference.

gstd4-e - the standard seats in my GS are just manually adjustable for height and recline (as are the ones in the 13 MY XS) so I assumed there would be a knob on the side of the seat to adjust the lumbar. But no switches and no knobs here I'm afraid! If you have the 12MY XS, are your seats the alcantara/leather ones? If so I thought they had the manual lumbar adjustment so that is confusing! Either way, all the electric seats should have some form of lumbar adjustment.

Wilco44 - that is interesting. So it is possible that none of the Freelander seats would be that comfortable for me.

What does everyone think of Recaros in a Freelander?

There are lumbar supports that fit onto the seats about £5,i have one on computer cchair it does the job,you can also use it in the car,it maybe a cheap solution for you.

Lots of different ones here,

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&key...ykbeii75_e

My 12MY XS has the ebony leather upgrade. I’ve played around with the switch when stuck in traffic today. I thought it was a simple on/off set up. To fully adjust the lumbar I have to press the switch for several minutes to get the full support. It sounds like it’s a compressor inflating an air bag. So it does work and when you get out the car and look its like a pregnant bulge!

Here are the price list and options for a 12MY and 13MY. Note the word adjustment is missing, but I doubt I would have spotted that if it was an important feature because like the seat adjustment I would have expected it to be there if it states lumbar.

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

SYFL2 wrote:

Lots of different ones here,

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&key...ykbeii75_e

Having tried Gstd4-e method of pressing the switch down for longer this does indeed inflate the lumbar support as he says so thanks for that tip. You may be ok then with these seats after all if you decide to change cars. When I ordered the electric seats as an upgrade the cost was £815 but I guess it would cost more to have them fitted now. Disco 4 HSE SDV6 Orkney Grey
Gone FL2 MY13 XS TD4 Manual Orkney Grey

Lumbar supports should be adjusted to the point you just feel it not maxed out....

T Terran



'The' Car For The Modern Day UK Roads ( ie all the pot holes )

'A Freelander that leaks oil is just marking its territory' - Wise words

Now a member of the FL2 'Silly Bill' Club