Big and bold new Range Rover arrives in SA

The new Range Rover is big, bold and not so much brash as distinctly infused with a sophisticated elegance, helped in no small way by the subtle styling lines that visually persuade the senses not to see it as ponderous.

With pricing starting at R2.9m, the new line-up kicks off with a choice of 19 possible options with a full electric model due to join the class later in the year.

Power train options include six- and eight-cylinder engines, including a new Extended Range Electric Hybrid, while body options include the standard short wheelbase, long wheelbase and seat options of four, five or seven.

The specification grades are HSE, Autobiography and SV with a Sunset Gold Satin First Edition as a special option for the initial year of production. I had the opportunity to drive both the petrol and diesel derivatives of the Autobiography at the launch.

Not too shabby

The D350 Autobiography Long Wheelbase is priced at R3.4m and the P530 at R3.6m, so both are bristling with tech-spec and luxury features, but so much of what goes into Range Rover is under the skin and often never noticed by an owner.

One such item is the fact the wheel wells have inbuilt microphones that pick up road and tyre noise and, via the computer systems, have these analysed and countered by “white noise” speakers built into the headrests to keep the interior free of irritating noise.

Another is the flush-fitting door handles that pop out when the vehicle is unlocked and the sidestep that slides out from under the vehicle when the door is opened. All four passenger doors are power assisted — controlled via the Pivi Pro screen — and hazard detection means the doors can automatically pause until the sweep of the door is cleared.

Albeit in different tones, both the V8 petrol and 3.0l straight-six diesel still generate enough of a throaty roar to satisfy the more enthusiastic owner or one with even a smidgen of petrolhead inclinations.

The petrol engine is new and the 4.4l V8 mill has two parallel twin-scroll turbos — one for each bank — to generate 390kW and 750Nm of torque, propelling it from rest to 100 km/h in about 4.6 seconds (with Dynamic Launch engaged).

Not too shabby for a vehicle weighing 3.5 tons.

The diesel variant produces 257kW and 700Nm of torque and powers the Range Rover from 0-100 km/h in 6.1 seconds.

The vehicles are five metres long and two metres wide, so to assist with low speed turning and parking operations, there is assistance via rear-wheel steering offering up to seven degrees of turn — this happening quietly and seamlessly in the background and noticeable only when it does need a multi-shuffle operation to the vehicle turned about or backed into a shopping-centre parking slot.

All the power trains on the new Range Rover are driven through an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox and twin-speed transmission, which provide a set of low-range ratios essential for towing or off-road driving.

Initially introduced way back when it was not politically incorrect to refer to it as a “gentleman’s estate car”, the off-road capability of the Range Rover has always been comparable to that of its Land Rover cousins, even if it is a talent rarely put to full use.

This is no different now and the actual ability of the vehicle in the dirt far exceeds the likelihood of any owner putting it to the test.

Working in harmony

Both models I drove were fitted with the SV Signature Suite option, where the seats feature 24-way adjustment with massage functionality — and a great one it is, too.

Staying with the kind of tech included in the package, it now has Cabin Air Purification Pro2 for allergen reduction and pathogen removal, to help significantly reduce odours and viruses, while CO2 Management and PM2.5 Cabin Air Filtration enhance air quality.

Fully understanding all of that is well above my pay grade, but following someone quite closely on a very dusty road during the launch drive meant absolutely zero intrusion of secondary dust even after the recirculate was returned to fresh air.

And talking of dirt roads (or even rippled tarmac surfaces), the Electronic Air Suspension has been improved using a dynamic response technology that uses eHorizon Navigation data to read the road ahead and prime the suspension to provide suitable responses. The intelligent technology also works in conjunction with the Adaptive Cruise Control with Steering Assist to smooth out body movements resulting from sudden changes in speed.

Land Rover’s latest tech (EVA 2.0) Software-Over-The-Air (SOTA) updates for more than 70 electronic modules and the 13.1-inch curved touchscreen allows control of all the major vehicle functions

This works in harmony with a 13.7-inch Interactive Driver Display and customers can choose from a variety of configurations, including a conventional analogue layout, using the steering-wheel controls.

The drive on both the petrol and diesel was, as expected, sublime with the caveat that, despite the size and mass, well over legal limits comes up all too quickly and is hardly noticeable as it happens.

All Land Rover vehicles come with standard Five-year/100 000 km Land Rover Care Warranty and Maintenance Plans.

Pricing:

Range Rover

D350 HSE Standard Wheelbase — R2, 962,332

P530 HSE Standard Wheelbase — R3,144,324

D350 Autobiography Standard Wheelbase — R3,424,332

P530 Autobiography Standard Wheelbase — R3,606,324

P510e Autobiography Standard Wheelbase — R3,633,000

D350 First Edition Standard Wheelbase — R3,552,332

P530 First Edition Standard Wheelbase — R3,715,324

P510e First Edition Standard Wheelbase — R3,689,000

D350 Autobiography Long Wheelbase — R3,509,332

P530 Autobiography Long Wheelbase — R3,691,324

D350 First Edition Long Wheelbase — R3,636,332

P530 First Edition Long Wheelbase — R3,800,324

D350 Autobiography Long Wheelbase 7-seats — R3,540,332

P530 Autobiography Long Wheelbase 7-seats — R3,722,324

D350 SV Standard Wheelbase — R3,988,332

P530 SV Standard Wheelbase — R4,065,324

P510e SV Standard Wheelbase — R4,081,000

D350 SV Long Wheelbase — R4,422,332

P530 SV Long Wheelbase — R4,500,324