Living with a Range Rover
Review by Jacob Lerklint
The Range Rover started out as a fairly functional, rugged vehicle, but it's now the very epitome of a full-fat luxury SUV. While the original was designed so you could hose the mud out of its interior, recent iterations of the Range Rover have been more likely to steal sales from luxury limos than farm vehicles. There was no need to rip up the rulebook for this new sixth-generation car, then: Land Rover simply set out to build an SUV that does what the previous version did – only better. Of course, it’s bigger and more expensive too. But, then, all the best luxury SUVs are big and expensive. With a starting price hovering around six figures, the Range Rover can count anything from top-end versions of the Audi Q7 and BMW X7 right through to the Bentley Bentayga and Porsche Cayenne as rivals. You can buy the model in two different lengths. The standard wheelbase SWB car is just over five metres long (a touch shorter than the standard-wheelbase Bentayga). The long wheelbase LWB version has an extra 200mm between the front and rear axles to increase the amount of room inside. In fact, the Range Rover LWB is available with an extra row of seats, meaning you can ferry around up to seven people. Or, if you prefer, you can have it in 'super-luxe' four-seat form, with just two separate reclining armchairs in the rear. There’s also a vast range of engines, as you might expect from a car that’s going to be sold in more than 170 countries, each of which has different attitudes towards – and taxes on – the various fuel types. There are petrols and diesels, both with mild-hybrid technology, and even plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) with impressive official electric-only ranges of up to 70 miles. (An electric Range Rover will be launched in 2024.) So, with all that choice, which version should you go for? And how does this luxury SUV stack up against its illustrious rivals?
No version of the Range Rover feels sluggish. Our preferred 296bhp D300 diesel is actually the slowest accelerating, but still covers 0-62mph in a brisk 6.9sec. The smooth and punchy D350 diesel brings the 0-62mph sprint down to 6.1sec. For the quickest performance, you’ll need the 523bhp V8 in the P530 petrol, which will rocket this 2500kg SUV from 0-60mph in an astonishingly quick 4.6sec. Below that, there’s the 396bhp P400 petrol. It’s the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) options that really make the Range Rover stand out from rivals, though. The P440e and P510e offer the longest official electric-only ranges available on a luxury SUV – from 68-70 miles. Of course, you won't get that many electric miles in real-world driving, it will be more like 50 miles, which is still a vast improvement on the figures for the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S E Hybrid (19 miles) and Bentley Bentayga (25 miles). And the plug-in hybrids aren’t just good on paper. We’ve currently only driven the P510e, but it has the same set-up as the P440e just with more power. It’s smooth and silent in pure electric mode and transitions seamlessly to petrol power when needed with plenty of pace on offer – it’s an incredibly impressive plug-in hybrid option. The diesels can tow up to 3500kg and PHEVs can manage up to 2500kg. The ride is appropriately cosseting and luxurious. Adaptive air suspension comes as standard and it is incredibly well planted, controlled and smooth, especially on a motorway. The only problem is that Land Rover fits enormous alloy wheels, ranging from 20in to 23in, which affect the quality of the ride. At low speeds on rough roads, you feel and hear the occasional thump, and it sometimes sends a slight shimmy through the chassis. The ride is still outstanding overall though, and it's worth noting that all the rivals suffer from the same issue with big alloys, including the generally smooth and comfortable BMW X7. The Range Rover is huge but it’s surprisingly easy to drive around tight, twisty, urban roads. A huge part of that is down to the standard rear-wheel steering, which enables the rear wheels to turn up to seven degrees. At high speeds, they move in the same direction as the fronts to improve stability, but at low speeds they move the opposite way, reducing the turning circle to less than 11m (the same as a VW Golf and more than a metre less than it would be without the feature). It makes this big car much more nimble than you might expect. It's happy to hustle along faster country roads too. An active anti-roll bar system helps to limit body roll so you can carry some pace through a corner without feeling the car wildly lurching on to its outer wheels. The steering manages to be effortlessly light and smooth around town, but still accurate and precise at faster speeds. A BMW X7 is similarly good to drive, but the Range Rover has all rivals beaten when it comes to venturing off the beaten track. All versions are all-wheel drive with a low-ratio gearbox, making it an incredibly capable off-roader. The body stands a lofty 295mm off the ground but can be raised an extra 145mm in the highest of the suspension’s four settings. It also has high approach and departure angles so it doesn't get grounded on steep terrain, and can wade through water that's up to 900mm deep. This is a very calming car to drive, with an impressively quiet interior. Road roar and engine noise are barely noticeable, while a little wind noise at motorway speeds is the only thing that gently disturbs the peace. There’s also an active noise cancelling feature that can be added as part of an upgraded sound system. It includes microphones in the wheels which monitor exterior noise, allowing the headrest-mounted speakers to transmit a frequency that cancels it out. The standard eight-speed automatic gearbox is smooth-shifting on the move, but can be a little hesitant to engage if you need a quick burst of pace at low speeds. Stopping the car smoothly is effortless thanks to the consistently weighted brake pedal, even on the plug-in hybrid models – someone wearing clown shoes could drive it like a chauffeur.
The Range Rover is a massive SUV that sits high off the ground, but thanks to its Access mode that quickly puts the car in its lowest suspension setting when you open the door, you don’t need a stepladder to climb inside. Once there, you’ll find masses of space up front. If you venture off road and want to hoist your seat up to a higher vantage point, there'll be plenty of space to spare above your head, even if you're tall. In terms of storage, the door bins are a little thin but otherwise there’s plenty of room for your odds and ends around the interior. There are three hidden compartments on the centre console for wireless phone-charging, cup holders and a very deep cubby under the central arm rest (which can be turned into a fridge with a tick on the options list). There are also two big gloveboxes. Rear space Whether you go for a standard or long-wheelbase model, space in the middle row is very generous. It has a wide, tall and spacious interior with plenty of room for adults to stretch out in and get comfortable, even with a sunroof fitted. You can adjust the angle of the backrest electrically as standard, and you can also add rear window blinds as an option. The rear bench has seating for three, but as an optional extra on the long-wheelbase model, you can swap it for a more luxurious two-seat rear set-up. You can even have a Champagne fridge instead of a middle seat, and you can add a three-pin socket in the back too. For the first time, the model is available with a third row of seats, to give you a total of seven. The middle row moves forwards electrically (in around eight seconds) to create a decent opening to access the back, and the rear-most seats are mounted 41mm higher than the driver’s seat to allow for a better view (and less claustrophobia). Tall adults might find their heads pressed up against the roof if they sit up straight, but they'll have enough legroom if the middle row is moved forwards slightly. The BMW X7 offers even more third-seat space, though. You have an impressive choice of four-seat, five-seat or seven-seat versions. If you go for the five or seven-seat models, the middle row splits and folds 40/20/40, while the rearmost seats in the seven-seat versions fold completely flat into the boot floor. Like the driver, the front passenger is treated to 20-way electric seat adjustment, including height and lumbar controls. Some versions even have the option to ‘fold’ this front seat away using the chauffeur setting in the infotainment’s seat adjustment screen, offering the passenger behind it limo-like leg room. Whether you go for a standard or long wheelbase version, the boot is the same size – and it's absolutely vast. Even a seven-seat version with all the seats in place has enough room for a few soft bags. In five-seat mode, it's gargantuan. There’s also no reduction in boot capacity if you go for a plug-in hybrid. An electrically operated split tailgate is standard, and that allows a top chunk of the tailgate to lift up while the lower chunk folds out flat. That bottom section also doubles up as a place to sit when you’re parked up. You can add some cupholders or optional fold-out seats there, and you can also add a section of boot floor that pops up to act as a backrest, or as a helpful divider to stop your luggage rolling around. The downside of the split tailgate is that, when the bottom section is folded down, it can be quite a stretch to reach anything at the very back of the boot.
The Range Rover has a road presence few cars can equal, along with an upmarket interior and a largely comfortable ride. The plug-in hybrid versions make great sense for company car drivers, while the entry-level D300 is the best bet if you're buying privately. Still, whichever version you go for, the Range Rover is hugely expensive and Land Rover's reliability record is a big concern.
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