Land Rover Range Rover Review

Arguably the definitive luxury SUV. Frequently imitated, but rarely bettered or even equalled, the Range Rover has been around since 1970. Over fifty years now, and it’s still only in its fourth generation. Admittedly the fact the first-gen (later known as the ‘Classic’) lasted for more than two decades skews that figure a bit.

The current car was launched in 2012 and is due for replacement at the end of 2021. It debuted a new aluminium monocoque that cost the company a rumoured billion quid to develop. So even though it’s bigger than the car it replaced, it’s substantially lighter – which means faster, more efficient and tangibly better to drive. And with the 2018 facelift came even more efficiency, thanks to the introduction of the P400e plug-in hybrid, which pairs a 296bhp, four-cylinder petrol engine with a 114bhp electric motor for 64g/km of CO2, a claimed 101mpg and 31 miles of all-electric range.

Electric RANGE ROVER?Not fully, but the P400e replaces the SDV6 Hybrid (a conventional, non-plug-in hybrid with the 3.0-litre V6 diesel and a small electric motor) in the line-up, but V6s and V8s in petrol and diesel (with up to 557bhp for the flagship, 5.0-litre supercharged V8 petrol) remain available. All are linked to an eight-speed automatic gearbox and all-wheel drive with the deeply clever ‘Terrain Response’ technology that gives the Rangie its peerless off-road ability.

Driving Experience

A Range Rover is more dignified and so even though the driving experience isn’t as crisp as rivals, it’s still a very pleasant way of watching the world go by. The best way to describe it is that it has a good gait. It takes big strides, churning through distances easily and calmly. The ride is exemplary, as is refinement – you hear some engine rumble, but it’s distant and somehow reassuring. More than that it’s not a car that tries to over-reach itself or pretend it’s anything other than a luxury SUV. It doesn’t make any pretence at sportiness so hasn’t been compromised and instead performs with aplomb.

Diesel may have gone out of fashion, but it still makes great sense here. The petrols are thirsty (yes, even the P400e once it runs out of e-range after 15 miles or so), but on a lengthy trip the diesels will easily knock along at well over 30mpg and not need refuelling for over 500 miles. City dweller? The P400e will partially assuage your guilt. 

Space for Everyone

Yes, but there’s no seven seat option. Off you trot to a Disco 5 or Defender if that’s your plan. The boot is huge (and rare these days in having a split tailgate), and for five people it’s a wonderful way of getting about, with tall windows and a wonderful cabin ambience. There is a long wheelbase version, but that’s a luxury option, aimed at delivering masses of rear legroom.

Overall

The Range Rover remains a wonderfully appealing thing. You’d be forgiven for thinking it would be a little long-in-the-tooth these days, but there’s such charm about it, such calmness and refinement that there’s still nothing quite like it. It’s often said that no-one dares go directly for the Porsche 911's jugular, because they know they can’t beat it. In some ways it’s the same with the Range Rover – no-one has dared to exactly copy the formula. It’s an old school performer these days, but because it focuses so clearly on what an SUV should be good at, rather than the faux-sportiness of many rivals, it comes across as genuine and warm-hearted as well as thunderously capable.