Bigger, more powerful and brute, but yet lighter than its predecessors – this is what sets New Range Rover apart from its earlier avatars as well as its competitors.
The all new JLR Range Rover is the fourth generation of the legendry off roader. Although look wise the off-roader still looks the same, but company claims of putting tons of changes under the hood.
The new Range Rover is made of aluminum, which allowed it to shed about 420 kgs of the curb weight compared to its V8 diesel model. For the first time, the Range Rover is also available with an option of 3.0 litre V6 diesel engine equipped with start-stop technology. The Range Rover is also equipped with the terrain Response 2 system – a dial that allows you to select the proper setting for the off-road mode. Now it also features an auto mode where the car decides the condition that suits it best. This ensures that the vehicle prove itself a luxury vehicle on road as well as a capable off-roader.
Performance
The reduction in the weight is highly noticeable. The vehicle feels lighter and the new V6’s performance feels at par with the old V8’s. The steering has also become lighter and is more responsive. The wider track and the tires have also helped to improve the poise.
Inspite of being bigger, the car still manages to accelerate from 0-60 mph in just 7.4 seconds. Well, that is quite good for a car of this size. The weight loss has also incorporated some quickness in the V8 diesel version also. The V8 with the 5.0 litre supercharged diesel engine manages to reach 60 mph in just 5.1 seconds.
Economy
The V6 version promises to deliver a fuel economy of about 37.7 mpg helped by the start/stop technology, which seems quite good considering the size of the car.
Ride quality
As far as the ride quality of the new Range Rover is concerned, it has always been known for a good ride quality but you might notice a slight wobbliness. But overall ride quality is better than the previous vehicles. The other major improvement is in the refinement. The engine is quite silent and there is little wind noise. According to Land Rover, the car is quieter than a Bentley and can make an Audi A8 sound loud at the 100 mph. The long wheelbase means that there is more room in the rear now.
Interior
Land Rover has also worked on the interior and its quality has been uplifted to another level. The interior buttons have also been reduced by 50 percent, while the cabin has been embroidered with stylish leathers.
Although the physical buttons on the dashboard has been reduced, more have been transferred to the touchscreen panel, but still it cannot be compared with BMW’s iDrive which is a trendsetter.
The full color TFT display gives the complete navigation picture. However, a digital readout could have been handier than the speedometer or revolution counter.
Lot of new technology has been introduced in the car, whether it is the cooled and heated seats that can also massage you or the new 29 speaker 1,700 watt Meridian sound system. The new full length glass roof reminds us of the Evoque. It also comes with the self-closing doors and powered still tailgate.
Exterior
Exterior has also received some refinements. The new Range Rover still holds the Range Rover theme with floating roof, clamshell bonnet and the cab-rearward profile. The new silver grille and the LED light are some real eye candy. The gills on the side of the car and wraparound lights are also something new.
Technical specifications
Available with the 3.0 litre V6 engine, it churns out a maximum of about 255 bhp. The engine is coupled with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The four-wheel drive can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 7.4 second and can move up to a top speed of about 130 mph, which is quite interesting when we consider the size of the car.
Price
The base price of the new Range Rover has been set at Rs.1.72 crore. The autobiography trim with V8 diesel comes at Rs.1.79 crore., whereas the supercharged petrol has been priced at Rs.1.84 crore.
