Land Rover Range Rover

It’s hard to believe, but we’re now on the fourth generation of the world-famous Range Rover, despite the original launching back in 1970.

The previous model along has been around for ten years, and minor improvements in that time have kept it right at the top of its class - both in the off-roading and the luxury car markets. The new car arrives with sleeker styling, more technology and better engines than ever before - and unsurprisingly it’s causing a bit of a stir.

Interior

The old Range Rover was heralded as a masterpiece of interior design at launch, and the new model builds on those strengths. The new interior is described as ‘sumptuous’, the improved sound insulation branded ‘exceptional’. That’s partly as a result of the new, sleeker body shape, which features a more steeply-raked windscreen to cut down on the old model’s wind noise.

There’s greater legroom for passengers (particularly in the rear), and seat comfort has improved on the already-luxurious previous car. Interior ambience “matches anything this side of a Rolls-Royce or Bentley” and Range Rover has improved the control layout. Combined with a commanding driving position, it’s just about perfect.

The only recurring complaint is about the touch screen, which a few reviews say doesn't have great graphics and is slow to operate.

Driving

Weight reductions up to and over 400kg lighter than the old car hugely helps the driving experience, according to most testers. It improves upon the old car’s ride quality while becoming more nimble too, and none of the engines have to work as hard either.

The Range Rover was launched in Marrakech, Morocco, where reviewers found the car equally talented off-road as it is on-road. A wealth of automatic control systems mean the Range Rover is capable in areas you may never take it - but that’s part of the appeal. Overall, the new car’s all-round ability is described as “peerless”.

Engines

The new Range Rover launches with three engines. Kicking off the range is a 3.0-litre diesel, the TDV6. Above this is the SDV8, a 4.4-litre turbocharged diesel V8, and moving further up you’ll find the 5.0-litre supercharged unit ubiquitous to Range Rovers and Jaguars.

The V6 is refined and has no trouble hauling along the new lightweight body, while returning a combined 37.7 mpg. The V8 diesel is described as “effortless”, and the 503 bhp supercharged model “thirsty, fast and excessive”, but at the same time, a “wantonly guilty” pleasure.

Value for money

Range Rover pricing starts at over £70,000, which only a lunatic would describe as cheap, and pricing rises to a Bentley-like £120,000 if you start ticking option boxes. Given the levels of luxury and generous standard equipment it’s actually competitive with rivals, many of which are regular saloon cars, and even the £98k supercharged model costs only a few grand more than a Jaguar XJ Supersport, with the same engine.

Value? For the luxury, there’s nothing else quite like it. If you’re in the market, then no other car has the same mix of talents for less money.

Worth noting

The TDV6 is the engine to go for to benefit from the best economy and lowest company car tax rates, if such things are important, though if your budget stretches to one of the V8s, you’re unlikely to be disappointed. The Supercharged petrol doesn’t really make sense in the UK, but there’s little to top the experience if you can afford the 20.5 mpg economy.

The 'Vogue' trim used to be the luxury spec, now it's the entry level trim, with the Vogue SE and Autobiography above it. The Vogue comes with plenty of kit though, including 20" wheels, powered seats, front and rear heated seats and a Meridian 380W speaker system.

Conclusion

There would have been something very wrong had the Range Rover not beaten its predecessor in every tangible way, and reviews suggest that the old car has been made well and truly obsolete. Performance ranges from effortless to stunning and few cars have such a sense of occasion behind the wheel.

The only real area in which the new model loses out - and then only to some eyes - is in the design, which cuts a softer, less regal profile on the road. At the same time, it’s still a successful update of an iconic car.