New Range Rover review, test drive

Under the hood, beneath an unimpressive plastic cover, sits a 4.4-litre common-rail diesel making a healthy 334bhp and 71.3kgm of torque. There’s a faint V8 ‘woofle’ if you stretch the engine, but most of the time, it just glides. Gear changes via the eight-speed auto are impressively unobtrusive and you can operate it manually through the shift paddles for extra zing or engine braking.

Performance, when you want it, is strong, though you would never guess it from the confines of the cabin. Its unflustered gathering of speed is entirely proper and fitting with the nature of the Range Rover. 0-100kph comes up in 8.2sec and the Range Rover will run all the way to a claimed 215kph top-speed. 

Then there’s the way the Range Rover rides. The huge columns of air that serve as struts simply gobble up everything that comes under the massive 20-inch wheels and transfers little of that to the cabin. If we were to nit-pick, it would be with the tiny bit of lumpiness over small, high-frequency unevenness and a wee bit of body movement, but that’s it. Otherwise, it feels entirely stable and completely planted in a straight line.

Approach a corner with enthusiasm and you’ll find it rolls a bit, and isn’t as comfortable being pushed hard like a Porsche Cayenne or a BMW X5. This despite active anti-roll bars and an all-aluminium chassis that make it a whopping 250kg lighter than the earlier Range Rover. 

Still, this is not much of an issue and it’s also safe to assume that a lot of owners will be chauffeur-driven. The Autobiography comes with what Range Rover calls Executive-class seating. It consists of two individual seats that are very spacious, very comfortable and give you a great view out. There are individual screens for the rear passengers controlled by a rather funky-looking touch-screen remote and even a small refrigerator!

Owners will also appreciate the sheer presence this Range Rover has. Our test car, with its silver contrast roof looked particularly nice and there are enough visual clues to differentiate this one from the old one. Simply look for the Evoque-like headlamps, the new tail-lamps and the huge faux gills along the front doors that serve to minimise the visual bulk of the car.

Off-road, this Range Rover has an impressive CV. Permanent four-wheel drive, low range, an optional active rear-locking differential, hill descent control and Land Rover’s Terrain Response 2 (it adjusts throttle maps, differential settings, ABS and traction control settings for different terrain), and a tremendous 900mm wading depth.  Also, unlike most of its rivals, this new Range Rover comes with a full-size spare wheel.

So, in short, this new Range Rover is everything a Range Rover is, only better. This car, in diesel Autobiography spec costs Rs 1.79 crore (ex-showroom, Delhi). For that price you’ll get a car that’s up there with a Rolls Royce on luxury with the go-anywhere capability of a mountain goat. Sounds like the perfect car for India doesn’t it? If you’ve got that kind of money lying around, you may find it worth the price.

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