Our spy shots article gives a brief run down of the Range Rover's history. It is fair to say the new Range Rover not only manages to keep pace with it's predecessors image and sheer presence but exceeds them.
The design is a thing of beauty. The silhouette and structure is classic Range Rover but it's in the detail where the 2013 model deviates from it's ancestry. The shark fins on the front doors, the grille, the headlights, the integration of the front bumper into the body are all new yet are all in keeping with what a Range Rover should look like.
Range Rover owners are many and varied. From sheiks to school-run mums through to farmers and businessmen Land Rover had to design a car that suited everybody.
The rear is classic Range Rover albeit with new lights.
The new Range Rover is 420kg lighter than the previous model which should bring it back down nearer the 2 tonne weight of the P38. This is due to a revolutionary lightweight all-aluminium monocoque structure which is 39% lighter than the steel bodied L322.
Land Rover claim the handling and agility have been improved via all new aluminium front and rear chassis architecture and a redesigned air suspension system.
John Edwards, Land Rover Global Brand Director, said: “The new Range Rover preserves the essential, unique character of the vehicle – that special blend of luxury, performance and unmatched all-terrain capability. However, its clean sheet design and revolutionary lightweight construction have enabled us to transform the experience for luxury vehicle customers, with a step change in comfort, refinement and handling.”
Amongst the industry-leading innovations is a ground-breaking next-generation version of Land Rover’s Terrain Response® system, which analyses the current driving conditions and automatically selects the most suitable vehicle settings for the terrain.
To ensure exceptional durability and reliability, the new model has been subjected to Land Rover’s punishing on and off-road test and development regime, with a fleet of development vehicles covering millions of miles over 18 months of arduous tests in more than 20 countries with extremes of climate and road surfaces. But we already knew this having seen the spy shots from all over the world!
The power plants on offer will be a V8 petrol and TDV6 and TDV8 diesel engines which Land Rover promise will achieve lower mpg and CO2 emissions over the outgoing L322.
The new Range Rover will be available to order from September 2012 with first deliveries scheduled for early 2013.
It will be first seen in the metal at the Paris Motor Show in September. Further details, technical specifications and prices will be available soon.
The current Range Rover has been hailed as a great car albeit a little on the heavy and thirsty side. We've a feeling the new model will be even better. Land Rover have been building luxury off roaders since before most other car companies even thought of them. They have had to innovate and invest to stay ahead of the competition. They hope the all new Range Rover will keep them in the forefront of the SUV market. We'll let you know if they have achieved that when we drive one.
