Land Rover Range Rover review

The new Range Rover takes aim at the latest Mercedes S-Class and the Rolls-Royce Cullinan as a curator of the ultimate luxury automotive experience. It’s underpinned by an all-new chassis, a mostly aluminium configuration dubbed MLA-Flex that works in conjunction with Land Rover’s Integrated Chassis Control which the company reckons moves the car from ‘a mechanical world to a mechatronic ecosystem’. Answers on a postcard, please. High tensile steel in critical areas of the body delivers a structure that’s up to 50 per cent stiffer than the old one.

The Range Rover rides on fully independent air suspension that incorporates a new five-axle set-up at the rear and twin-valve dampers, while a new 48-volt electronic roll control system checks excess body movements. That system costs £2,900 to add. It’s well worth having. It also uses eHorizon tech in the GPS to scan the road ahead for imperfections in order to prime the suspension. Not sure that works. Sudden impacts through the huge, heavy 22-inch wheels cause a slight shudder through the chassis.

How's the diesel? 

It feels a little odd to slide behind the wheel of the D350. A diesel just doesn’t feel terribly advanced, although people are apparently still buying them. Land Rover’s Ingenium twin turbo 3.0-litre features 48-volt mild hybrid tech and a starter generator for improved efficiency; it averages a claimed 37.2mpg and its CO2 emissions dip below 200g/km.

It’s brisk enough and though not the last word in refinement or response, it’s never sounded better – read quieter – than it does here. On part-throttle you’d barely know it was there. We’ve reliably got an indicated 37mpg from this diesel on long trips – although bear in mind the JLR trip computer continues to exaggerate the actual figures by 10 per cent.

And the petrols? 

The P400 and in particular the P530 are obviously more fun to punt along. The bigger BMW unit has a new air intake (for wading), a redesigned sump (for 45 degrees of articulation during off-roading), and it’s been beefed up to survive Land Rover’s durability tests (they slam their cars into concrete kerbs at 25mph). It’s also rapid – 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds – but the novelty wears off just as quickly. Not even the sportiest Range Rover feels like it’s cut out for the job.

The Range Rover’s electric power steering is linear but over-light, the ZF automatic as silky as ever. Provided you work within its low limits, there’s poise and body movements are well contained, but this isn’t a car that really wants to be cornered on its (substantial) door-handles. Better to back off and enjoy the ride, which is largely sublime (bar the sudden impacts) even on 23in wheels. We had a quick play in Dynamic mode, but quickly returned to the Comfort chassis setting.

So the aim is comfort? 

Really, the focus is on overall refinement. The Rangie repels the privations of the real world more effectively than anything this side of a Rolls-Royce Ghost. Advanced speaker tech builds on the inherent integrity of the chassis; a revised active noise cancellation system monitors wheel vibrations, plus mechanical and tyre noise and uses the 1,600W Meridian audio system to send out a noise-cancelling signal. Go for the flagship audio system and there are 35 speakers to play with, including four hidden within the head-rests.

Other highlights include all-wheel steering, which allows the rear axle to pivot at up to seven degrees. It sharpens high speed stability but more importantly improves the Range Rover’s low-speed manoeuvrability. In fact, it now has the best turning circle of any Land Rover. Urban dwellers will be thrilled to hear that. If their journey to the underground parking facility involves muddy inclines, something’s gone badly wrong.

Nonetheless, we can reveal that the new Range Rover remains unsurpassable off-road. Terrain Response 2 automatically taps into the various chassis systems, or you can set things up manually.

Fill me in on the hybrids. 

Glad you asked about those, as they are the models to have. The only difference between the P460e and P550e is the power of the petrol engine, so we would suggest saving yourself the extra outlay, and going for the lower-powered version. Either way, it’s a good hybrid system, with imperceptible changes between the power sources, enough electric range to make a genuine difference and will even take in charge fast enough to make public charging feasible. If you must. Home charging makes much more sense financially.

However it’s only barely fast enough in EV mode – it’s all too easy to overdo the throttle and have the engine cut in. Small price to pay for not only the extra environmental peace of mind and potential lower running costs, but the fact that electric suits the Range Rover so well.