There is no better description to the Range Rover than the king of the land. As an animal it’s bolder than the tiger; the Indian snare will not deter it. As a fish it’s mightier than the shark; the harpoon will not penetrate its steel. What more do you need?
Comfort
Even at the extremes of ruggedness the Range Rover is still as sure-footed as a can be, you will have to step out to feel the roughness of the terrain. This car cares for each passenger indiscriminately and with rear air conditioning, residual heat circulation, steering wheel mounted AC controls, express open/close sunroof and trip computer you will be so much taken that you will wish the journey was twice as long, and your passengers will be worse – they will all be asleep.
Handling
No SUV could possibly combine the dynamic cruise control and Terrain response better than this baby. This system allows the driver to customize power train, suspension and electric stability to best handle five predetermined off- road conditions. The best part is that albeit huge in size this true definition of engineering responds like a baby.
Performance
Supercharged models use a Jaguar sourced 510 horsepower V8, while the LR4, Range Rover and Range Rover Sport use a non – supercharged version of the same. The Range Rover Sport delivers a 375 lb-ft @ 3500 rpm of torque and 375 horsepower @ 6500 rpm. The earlier version of 4.6 HSE delivers 225 horsepower @ 4750 rpm, the Evoque outputs 240 horsepower @ 5500 rpm while the full sized supercharged delivers an astounding 375 lb-ft @3500 rpm of torque and a pavement shredding 555 horsepower @ 6000 rpm. Their top speeds are: 4.6 HSE: 124 mph, Range Rover Sport: 140 mph as well as the supercharged version and Range Rover Evoque slightly lower at 135mph.
Mechanics
Ordinary is boring, and Range Rover knows better. Instead of the conventional body-on-frame architecture it employs a unibody construction and a fully independent suspension instead of solid axles. Interesting, huh?
Interior
A masterpiece of art, the interior is simply superb. The old school upright sitting position, blocky dash and large steering wheel together with the contemporary supple leather seats, walnut inlays, voice activation navigation system with on – and off – road mapping gives the best of both times. Other features include illuminated entry, memory seat, overhead console, steering wheel memory, telescopic steering wheel, voice recorder, trip computer and everything to make you sit there longer. The boot space is quite averaged by the high floor, but you could deliver a couple of washing machines if you wanted.
Running costs
You certainly don’t need Richard Branson to tell you flying first class is more costly than other classes, do you? Beside the exorbitant purchase price, the fuel consumption is no trickle. The Range rover does 12 mpg in the city and 18 mpg on the highway. Spare parts don’t come cheap, insurance is very high and the 35 percent company tax is enough to fade your smile.
Conclusion
Decades after its original introduction with Land Rover being the second oldest 4X4 in the world, this off – road marvel is still in a league of its own. It is well know that it takes great courage to kill a lion and an infallible strategy to defeat an army, but it takes a Land Rover Range Rover to beat the world.