When it comes to big luxury SUVs, they don’t come any bigger or more luxurious than the Range Rover. Many have tried, but none have beaten the British brand for either sheer luxury or prodigious off-road ability, let alone both in one package. We head over to Rotorua to check out the latest incarnation of a legend.
What is it?
Well, THE car that proved that the words “Luxury” and “Offroader” could actually be uttered in the same sentence without laughter for a start. And that is probably enough really, because those two words describe the Rangie perfectly. Well, them and the word “big” obviously…
While it may be a case of pointing out the obvious, it is pretty much “luxury” that is the Range Rover’s main adjective these days. But that most certainly hasn’t meant that Land Rover has let the off road side of things slip. Oh no, if anything, the new Range Rover is even more incredibly capable off the sealed stuff…
The new Range Rover is bigger all round than the last model, yet is a staggering 420kg lighter (depending on what model you purchase, sir), clocking in at between 2,160kg and 2,360kg.
Two models are available at launch; the $210,000 SDV8 Vogue with a new twin-turbo 4.4-litre diesel V8 and the range topping $255,000 Supercharged Vogue SE which packs the carried over 5.0-litre supercharged petrol V8 that also does impressive service in Jaguars. The $195,000 TDV6 HSE will not be available until June, thanks to high international demand.
The SDV8 pumps out 250kW of power and a colossal 700Nm of torque, while the supercharged petrol jobbie ups the power to 375kW, while offering an almost-as-colossal 675Nm of the twisty stuff. When it arrives, the TDV6 will dish up a V8-like 190kW/600Nm.
The list of standard specification is, quite frankly, staggering and attempting to write it all down here would be both fruitless and exhausting. Instead, to see the specs and equally lengthy options list, do the clicky thing here: SPEC SHEET Range Rover 2013
What’s it like?
Incredibly impressive. And big. Let’s not forget big…
Not that you really notice the size on the road though. While the Range Rover is undoubtedly large, it has a nimble nature that is simply at odds with reason, logic and, apparently, the laws of physics.
The massively powerful engines help here, with both V8s propelling the Range Rover with an effortless arrogance and remarkably refined silence. The ride is soft and cosseting – and the wonderful traditional characteristic of the car sinking back on its rear haunches and point the nose towards the sky under heavy acceleration is still very much present – but it is also in possession off surprisingly sharp turn-in and incredibly well-controlled (and minimal) body roll.
The impressive air suspension and active anti-roll bars undoubtedly help here, and the Range Rover behaves almost exactly like a two-tonne-plus luxury SUV shouldn’t. Okay, a BMW X5 or Porsche Cayenne are still sharper tools, but it is a close thing, and neither offer anywhere near the ride quality of the Rangie.
Nor the off-road ability, for that matter. Here the Range Rover is still simply startling thanks largely to the new Terrain Response 2 system. While still maintaining separate settings for loose surfaces (grass/gravel/snow), mud, sand and rock crawl, the new system adds and “automatic” setting that simply renders all of the individual settings rather pointless.
Let’s just say this; pop it in low range, leave Terrain Response in auto and you are pretty much set to go anywhere the Range Rover will fit. Simple as that.
What’s good about it?
It looks like a Range Rover should, rides like a Range Rover should and goes anywhere like a Range Rover should. It also happens to handle far better than a Range Rover should, which is nice.
The V8 engines are incredibly strong and relatively frugal for the performance on offer, while the list of standard equipment on both (but particularly the Supercharged Vogue) is staggering.
What’s not so good?
The interior door handle is located in an unintuitive and awkward place. A small thing, I know, but it really is irritating…
The bling factor is quite uncomfortably high, especially around the front and with the supercharged cars garish LED DRLs, which are just overly ornate and, well, awful…
And the single biggest downside to the Range Rover? The fact that only a tiny fraction of the people that will buy then will ever take them far enough off the road to use the incredible off-road ability it possesses…
First impressions?
As expected – and as it has been for some time now – the new Range Rover is a deeply impressive, superbly presented luxury car that gets even better off the road.
Its build quality is particularly impressive and the attention to detail present inside it is astounding. Performance is eye-widening and ride and handling both far exceed expectations.
Everything about the Range Rover screams “QUALITY!”, but then it also screams “LOOK AT ME; I AM RICHER THAN YOU!” which is slightly off-putting, unless you like that kind of thing.
Massive, blingy and deeply impressive, the new Range Rover is a delight on the open roads and even better off them. How it will fare in an urban environment remains to be seen, but it is looking good. Very good indeed…
Specifications
Models/prices
TDV6 HSE – $195,000
SDV8 Vogue – $210,000
Supercharged Vogue SE – $255,000
Powertrain
3.0-litre V6 diesel producing 190kW/600Nm, or 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 diesel producing 250kW/700Nm, or 5.0-litre supercharged V8 petrol producing 375kW/625Nm; eight-speed automatic transmission; all-wheel drive
Fuel consumption: 7.5L/100km (TDV6), 8.7L/100km (SDV8), 13.8L/100km (Supercharged V8)
CO2 emissions: 196g/km (TDV6), 229g/km (SDV8), 299g/km (Supercharged V8)
Safety
ANCAP/EuroNCAP rating: not tested yet
Air bags: 6
Stability control: yes
Lap/diagonal belts: 5
