“This is unmistakably a Range Rover, but the all-new Range Rover,” Land Rover design chief Gerry McGovern tells Top Gear. “It’s a bold evolution.”
Yes, it’s here: only the fourth all-new Range Rover in 42 years. And, for the first time in that 42-year history, the oft-quoted dictum of form following function has been sidelined for a philosophy that extends the car’s aesthetic appeal.
Your gaze will immediately be directed towards the new face, itself a continuation of the increasingly blinged-up front of the most recent third-gen RRs, together with new side gills on the doors, a black roof paint option and – generally – a more rounded, aerodynamic appearance.
See more pics of the new Range Rover
This fourth generation of Land Rover’s luxury off-road stalwart uses an all-aluminium body that’s 420kg lighter than its predecessor (and in fact, the Range Rover Evoque’s), sitting on a wheelbase that’s been stretched by 40mm. It’s also a touch lower and wider in the body than its predecessor.
The new V6 diesel can boast the same performance as the outgoing V8 diesel, because of course, the car – along with that new engine – is lighter. There’s also a supercharged petrol V8 on offer too.
The outgoing Range Rover’s interior design has been largely kept intact, except the new one gets a neater finish with more control handed over to a large central touchscreen. And, naturally, you’ll be able to customise the trim to your heart’s content. You can opt for a four-seat layout if you so wish, and the extra length over its predecessor means better legroom too.
Which all handily focuses on the RR’s core competency: luxury off-roading. Don’t forget, when the Range Rover was first being mooted way back in ’66 (as a concept dubbed ‘100-inch Station Wagon’), LR engineers went to the States to see how the luxury 4×4 market was growing. The Range Rover was Britain’s response, and the fourth generation looks set to continue the Brit icon’s dominance. Millionaires of the world, prepare to want one…
