The Range Rover has always represented the epitome of experiencing go-anywhere off-road ability, being enjoyed in absolute luxury. The latest Range Rover flagship is sporting a far more curvy design whilst not straying too far from the iconic shape of its predecessors, but what is it like to drive, is it still at the top of the food chain when it comes to luxury and technology? Lets find out.

Starting back at the exterior design of the Range Rover, the overall look of the new model has not changed. Granted it is bigger, much bigger, than its predecessor (the L322) and far more curvy and attractive, but essentially it is the same overall design.

It is also available as a Long Wheel Base model now to give rear passengers even more leg room for being wafted around in luxury. You do now get more by way of personalisation from Range Rover giving you various wheel, side grille, accent, roof colour options and even a Black Pack for an even more assertive look. If you thought there was a lot of options on the outside, wait until you take a look at the interior options list.

Specification wise, the Range Rover comes in three main trim levels, Vogue, Vogue SE, and Autobiography.

The poverty spec Vogue, to be honest puts most other cars top trim levels to shame with a huge spec which includes 20³ Alloy Wheels, Gesture Tailgate, Xenon Headlights, Perforated Leather Seats and Leather Upholstery just about everywhere, 380w Meridian Sound System, Fixed Panoramic Roof, Sat Nav with 10³ Screen to control that and the LandRover InControl system, Rear View Camera, Keyless Entry & Go, Heated Windscreen, Heated Front & Rear Seats, Heated Steering Wheel, Bluetooth Hands Free, DAB Radio, Virtual Cockpit, 3 Zone Climate Control, Cruise Control and even Mood Lighting, not to mention the off-road technology.

If this is however insufficientto your needs the Vogue SE gives you larger 21³ Alloy Wheels, Auto Lights with High Beam Assist, 825w Meridian Sound System, 360 degree Park Distance Control, Soft Close Doors, Lane Departure Warning, Traffic Sign Recognition with Intelligent Speed Limiter, Blind Spot & Reverse Traffic Detection, Climate Front Seats, and a Dual View Touchscreen in the Centre. Having Driven the Vogue SE as a 4.4SDV8 this is a very competent specification giving you pretty much everything you could possibly need. But if this still isnt enough then the Autobiography has even more for you including 21³ Alloy Wheels, Sliding Panoramic Roof, 4 Zone Climate Control, Adaptive Cruise Control with Queue Assist & Intelligent Braking, Lane Keep Assist, Remote Park Heat with Timed Climate Control, Climate & Massage Front Seats with Climate Rear Seats, Front & Rear Winged Headrests, and Surround Camera System. Comfort wise, yes the Autobiography is a lovely place to be and having driven this with the 3.0 TDV6 engine it is still impressive. In truth, the optimum choice is the 4.4SDV8 as a Vogue SE unless of course money is no object.

Choosing the trim level is however where your journey begins when it comes to the Range Rover. The level of personalisation is huge with the option of a contrasting colour roof, the aforementioned Black Pack, different trims and headlining, as well as different seat options which include a luxury 4 Seat layout to really spoil your rear passengers. There is a wide range of interior colour schemes to suit your taste and then numerous option upgrades including rear entertainment, head up display, an impressive 1700w Meridian Sound system which sounds amazing and amusingly even an extra large washer fluid bottle. It would be oh-to-easy to add what most people spend on a family car, by way of options.

From a comfort perspective, driving a Range Rover has always been like driving an armchair. Supremely comfortable and relaxing and stepping out after a long journey does not bring on the customary stretch and sigh, rather more of a readiness to get on with whatever you are doing.

Whilst it is easy to be  distracted by the plethora of interior personalisation, one of the key things about the new Range Rover are its engines. Starting off with a healthily powerful and comparatively frugal 3.0l TDV6  power plant producing a respectable 258hp, getting you to 60mph in 7.4s,  whilst returning a staggering 40mpg combined this is certainly going to be a popular choice.  The drive in it is smooth and refined  and feels more than capable at all speeds, only making its presence heard under hard acceleration. Range Rover also offer a Hybrid V6 Diesel power plant, as of Quarter 2 2017, increasing the power to 354hp, carving nearly 1 second off the 0-60mph time and boosting fuel economy (but not by that much). Having driven a number of non-performance Petrol Hybrids, a concern is that it runs out of steam pretty quickly.

However, perhaps this will be mitigated by the torque of the diesel, time will tell. The jewel in the crown though, is their 4.4 SDV8. It is as quick as the aforementioned Hybrid Diesel to 60, and in fact produces a little less power at 349hp, and also suffers heavily on fuel economy only managing 33mpg combined. But, it is silky smooth and has a massive amount of torque (740nM) giving you huge amounts of power and impressive acceleration at any speed. The power delivery is effortless and you feel urged along with little effort in comparison to the TDV6. The sacrifice in fuel economy is certainly worth the increased performance against the TDV6 (and to be fair we eagerly await the Hybrid Diesel to see if this brings the best of both worlds).

There are also 3 petrol variants of the Range Rover available. The 3l V6 Supercharged petrol seems somewhat pointless producing the same power as the SDV8, but with notably less torque and a 0-60 time only marginally quicker than the TDV6. Even worse is the fuel economy at 26mpg combined, which means that it is doubtful Range Rover will sell any of these. The 5l Supercharged produces an impressive 510hp (with a model Specific SVA producing 550hp) and will propel you from 0-60 in a rather rapid 5.1s on a wave of glorious rasping sound. This is not for the faint of heart, and controlling such a big vehicle with this level of performance does require a little talent. Fuel economy, well when you buy one of these you dont think about that but, for those interested, its a mere 22mpg.

On the road, despite its size, the Range Rover handles incredibly well. This is in the main due to the fact it is considerably lighter than its predecessor. Like its sister, the Range Rover Sport (reviewed  here), it too has been on a major diet. Its all aluminium body and lightweight suspension mean that it weighs between 2.2 and 2.5 tonnes depending on the engine, notably down from the 2.7 tonnes of its predecessor. This huge weight saving, up to 1/2 tonne is in part what has enabled this road-going supertanker to produce such impressive performance and economy figures whilst delivering better less supertanker like handling. The smooth 8-Speed gearbox is well married to both the TDV6 and SDV8 keeping you in the right gear to optimise performance and economy too.

Whilst we were not able to test the Range Rover off-road, there are reports abound indicating it is still the most capable new 4×4 on the road today, capable of handling whatever you throw at it, whilst keeping you in absolute comfort and luxury.

So¦ It’s conclusive, the new Range Rover is more luxurious, bigger, more expensive, more customisable, more economical, more powerful, just as capable, if not more so, and far better looking than its predecessor.

There are a handful of luxury 4×4’s in the market nowadays, the most notable interloper being the Bentley Bentayga, which we reviewed  here, and the Porsche Cayenne which we reviewed  here, and whilst Bentley has thrown the kitchen sink at their luxury barge in terms of luxury and performance, nothing can quite touch the kudos of the Range Rover and it would certainly be our pick of the bunch, and with the top of the range 5l Supercharged AutobiographySV with as much spec as you can throw at it coming in cheaper than an entry level Bentayga it is certainly makes sense.

Facts & Figures (Range Rover 4.4SDV8 our favourite engine):

Engine: 4.4l 8 Cylinder Super-Diesel
Transmission: 8 Speed Automatic
Power: 339hp
0-60mph: 6.5s
Top Speed: 135mph
Fuel Economy (Combined): 33mpg
CO2 Emissions: 219g/km

If you would like to find out more about the Range Rover, please contact us on 01223 911 761 or via the contact form below.