For 2013, the Range Rover Sport continues as the definitive Sports SUV with new colors and a greater choice of interior trim and alloy wheel designs.

To complement the exterior design changes refreshed for the 2012 model year – in 2013 a striking new five-spoke cast alloy wheel design in Sparkle Silver becomes standard on the Range Rover Sport Supercharged. Customers opting for the Supercharged model will discover stunning red Brembo ™ brake calipers fitted as standard with the option of reverting back to black high performance brakes at no additional cost.

The interior specifications offer two new interior trim combinations allowing customers to choose a dark upper cabin environment with lighter colored seats or the opposite way round. A towing package has also been introduced as an option across all models and consists of a tow hitch receiver, trailer towing electrics and variable rear differential lock.

The Range Rover Sport comes equipped with a high level of audio equipment, as introduced at 2012 model year. The Harmon Kardon ™ system delivers 380W of sound from a total of 11 speakers while the premium Harmon Kardon LOGIC7 system produces an astonishing 825W from no less than 17 speakers. Advanced features include a hard disc drive music server and Land Rover’s “Say What You See” voice recognition system with screen prompts.

An outstanding Range Rover Sport engine line-up remains unchanged for 2013. The naturally aspirated 5.0-liter produces 375HP with 375lb-ft torque and the flagship 5.0-liter Supercharged, a stunning 510HP with 461lb-ft torque. All engines drive through ZF automatic gearboxes.

2013 Range Rover Sport Supercharged Limited Edition The 2013 Range Rover Sport Supercharged Limited Edition provides drivers with a combination of luxurious interior appointments and sporting exterior design changes. With 510 horsepower at the ready, the Supercharged Range Rover Sport has extraordinary performance capabilities.

In addition to the standard supercharged features, many enhancements are finished in red including a “Sport” badge on the rear tailgate, front and rear brake calipers, as well as an embroidered red sport logo appears on the feature finger and the carpet mats. Customers can also opt for a new carbon veneer pack, adding a sharp, contemporary look to the interior.

For the U.S. market there are only 300 units being produced in Santorini Black, and only 200 units in Fuji White.

2013 Range Rover Sport GT Limited Edition The 2013 Range Rover Sport GT Limited Edition offers luxury interior and distinctive exterior design details, together with other popular equipment that provides a more differentiated expression of the HSE specification vehicle.

Among other features, the GT Limited Edition includes an extended rear roof spoiler, unique rear chrome exhaust treatments, 20″ black five spoke alloy wheels, steering wheel mounted shift paddles, and the premium LOGIC7 audio system with SAT and HD radio.

A limited number of 450 will be built in Santorini Black, with an additional 300 units being produced in Fuji White.

This article was taken from: elitetraveller.com

The Range Rover Evoque certainly stands out from the compact 4×4 crowd – but is it a crowd pleaser?

Against a backdrop of spiralling fuel costs and a vociferous anti-4×4 lobby, Land Rover had to come up with a new, more compact interpretation of the iconic Range Rover – one that would silence the critics and win more customers to the brand. Enter the Evoque.

And it does make quite an entrance. Whether you like it or not (and I most definitely do), you can’t argue that its appearance is anything short of striking.

The Land Rover LRX Concept, which previewed the compact Range Rover, drew gasps when it was unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show in 2008 and the design team has been wise to change as little as possible in translating it for production.

The car was hyped beyond belief in the run-up to its launch and despite saddling it with a silly name and consulting Victoria Beckham on colour and trim, interest in the Evoque has continued to be massive, with demand comfortably outstripping supply.

The Evoque really looks like nothing else on the road. It’s rugged and chunky, but with refined, delicate detailing. One particular example that caught my eye was the bold Range Rover graphic projected alongside the front doors (like the Bat signal) by the ‘puddle lights’ located in the door mirrors.

Combine these elements with the purposeful wheel-at-each corner stance, the rising shoulder line and sinister, snarling front end and the overall effect is quite spectacular.

Our test car’s silver paint finish gave it a menacing RoboCop look. If it loomed up in your rear view mirror – you’d probably want to get out of the way!

The Tale Of The Tape On Tarmac Tells Only Half Of The Evoque’s Performance Story

The interior also closely follows the LRX concept, capturing the slope of the centre console and the clean, elegant lines of the instrument panel – and there’s a neat Jaguar touch in the automatic models when you start the engine and, as if by magic, the gear selector rises up ready for action.

The trim and materials are well up to Range Rover standards, ie: excellent.

On the practical front there’s plenty of head and legroom in the front and the rear and access is fine although the long doors of our 3-door coupe test car are very heavy. The shallow rear windows could make the rear a gloomy place, but the optional panoramic glass roof ensures natural light aplenty.

The Evoque is very relaxing in full auto mode if you’re just pootling around town – but if you’re looking for some action, you just push the Sport button to enter the ‘red light district’. The change of illumination signals the sharpening of the Evoque’s responses, making it a lot more fun to drive.

The new 240PS, 2.0-litre Si4 petrol engine combines direct fuel injection, turbocharging and twin variable valve timing for an exceptionally smooth power delivery. The 0-60 sprint is despatched in just 7 seconds and the flat out maximum is 135 mph.

But the tale of the tape on tarmac tells only half of the Evoque’s performance story. Few customers will do any serious off-roading with this car, but it’s good to know that, being a Range Rover, it can cope with all kinds of terrain – including snow.

Our test car’s permanent four-wheel-drive system delivers the all-weather traction you’d expect, but uniquely, the Evoque is also the first ever Range Rover available with a front-wheel-drive only option.

Rivals From Bmw And Audi Simply Appear Bland By Comparison

Given the petrol model’s performance levels, the Combined economy of 32.5mpg and CO2 emissions of 199g/km should be seen as good, rather than exceptional. But when you consider how they stack up for Range Rover customers who are downsizing – suddenly the stats are outstanding.

But if being green is your main motivator, then you’d be best served by the 2 wheel drive turbodiesel variants, which dip below 130g/km of CO2 emissions.

The Evoque doesn’t come cheap but it is luxuriously equipped. Our test car added an optional Lux Pack which included a Powered tailgate, the aforementioned panoramic glass roof with power blinds, a Meridian surround sound audio system and an 8-inch high-res dual-view touch-screen display. All of this pushed the total on the road price up to £44,320.

Range Rover has really set the cat among the pigeons with the Evoque. Rivals from BMW and Audi simply appear bland by comparison and healthy order books suggest customers agree.

It’s far from flawless – the doors are heavy and need a really good slam and the rear window is like a letterbox so the reversing camera is an absolute must – but any niggles are far outweighed by the many qualities of the Range Rover Evoque. Luxury SUVs will never be the same again.

This article was taken from: newcarnet.co.uk

Land Rover and Victoria Beckham have unveiled a new bespoke luxurious hand finished Range Rover Evoque Special Edition

Land Rover and Victoria Beckham have unveiled a new bespoke luxurious hand finished Range Rover Evoque Special Edition. The Special Edition is collaboration between Land Rover Design, led by Gerry McGovern and Victoria Beckham, winner of the coveted Designer Brand of the Year award at the 2011 British Fashion Awards.

Gerry McGovern, Director of Design, Land Rover said “the design of Evoque has truly captured the hearts of customers worldwide. Working with Victoria the intention was not to change the fundamental architecture and award winning design of the Range Rover Evoque. We wanted to create a Special Edition that extends its character in a new direction through understated, restrained colour and detail changes.

Both Land Rover and Victoria Beckham are British luxury brands with credibility and global appeal, this dual ‘Britishness’ makes the collaboration even more exciting especially when considering the huge audience for bespoke products around the world, particularly in China, Russia and Brazil where Land Rover is growing”.
The exterior boast a high quality hand-finished matt grey paint, unique 20″ gloss black forged alloy wheels and luxurious rose-gold details, limited solely to this Special Edition. The interior is elegant and luxurious the sport design seats are finished in semi-aniline Vintage Tan Leather with a bold ‘baseball’ stitch detail chosen by Victoria as a tongue-in-cheek reference to her sporting husband David. The same leather is also used to cover the door inserts, arm-rests and central storage box lid.

The Range Rover Evoque Special Edition with Victoria Beckham goes on sale first in China with deliveries due from October 2012 priced from approximately £79,995.

This article was taken from: motoring.co.uk

Engine: 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel, turbocharged
Transmission: six-speed manual, front-wheel drive, stop-start
Power: 150 PS at 4,000 rpm
Torque: 380 Nm at 1,750 rpm
Fuel consumption (combined cycle): 57.6 mpg
CO2 emissions: 129 g/km
Top speed: 112 mph
Acceleration (0-60 mph): 10.6 seconds

Land Rover’s baby Range Rover, the Evoque, is a big hit. Under the skin, it shares a lot with the solid and dependable Freelander but daring styling, foreshadowed by the dramatic LRX concept car, and outstandingly luxurious cabin design that wouldn’t shame a full-size Range Rover, have shifted it into a completely different price category.

A smaller Range Rover is also a more economical Range Rover but there’s something else as well. Land Rover, a world leader in off-roading has decided its smaller cars, at least, don’t need to have all-wheel drive. That means that while most Evoque variants are still 4x4s, you can also get this year’s coolest car with just front-wheel drive too.

A few years ago, it would have been very difficult to imagine Land Rover doing a car without four-wheel drive but rising fuel prices and CO2-related taxes have smashed resistance to the idea; the gains in terms of fuel consumption and emissions from going two-wheel drive are just too big to ignore. Kia’s second-generation Sorento and BMW’s X1 were among the first SUVs to turn an all-wheel drive transmission from a must-have piece of equipment to a tick-box option and even Jeep, Land Rover’s main rival in the hard-core off-road stakes, weakened – a signal that Britain’s main maker of 4x4s could probably risk it too. First up, there was a front-wheel drive version of the Freelander. The skies didn’t fall in and now there is a front-wheel drive Evoque as well. Less weight and less friction means that a two-wheel-drive three-door Evoque Coupé achieves CO2 emissions of 129g/km and fuel consumption of 57.6mpg (combined cycle) in official tests, compared with 149g/km and 49.6mpg for the most economical four-wheel drive version, which weighs about 75kg more, roughly the equivalent of carrying an additional adult passenger.

Land Rover is claiming a top speed of 112 mph and acceleration of 10.5 seconds from rest to 60 mph for the front-wheel drive Evoque, which means that its on-paper performance is nothing to get too excited about. Curiously, it’s even slightly slower than the equivalent four-wheel drive version, which has the same power output, although a little more torque. Subjectively, though, this car feels a lot quicker than the figures suggest. Diesel Freelanders and Evoques always have a lively character, thanks to their smooth and free-revving engines and sporty short-throw gear-shift, and this one is no exception – add in a high level of agility for such a tall car and the Evoque delivers a lot of driving fun.

And even a front-wheel drive Evoque will probably be handier than a normal car if you do need to negotiate the odd rough track or ford the odd river. I’ve driven a front-wheel drive Land Rover Freelander and a pre-production front-wheel drive Evoque in a variety of light off-road conditions and they will certainly get you through the occasional sticky patch, even if they don’t have the go-anywhere prowess of their all-wheel drive equivalents. That’s because Land Rovers and Range Rovers don’t owe their off-road ability just to four-wheel drive; generous ground clearance, the right tyres, modern traction control and anti-lock braking systems, and a bit of waterproofing all play their part and they’re still present on the front-wheel drive Freelander and Evoque. Put it this way, you’re much more likely to avoid taking your Evoque off road for fear of denting its pretty bodywork than because you’re afraid of getting stuck.

The pricing for the two-wheel drive Evoque is as steep as it is for the rest of the range – but it’s still likely to find plenty of takers.

This article was taken from: independent.co.uk

Victoria Beckham is making the Range Rover Evoque even a little more posh with a Special Edition.

The former Posh Spice co-designed and lends her name to the special version. She worked alongside Land Rover’s design chief, Gerry McGovern. It was shown at an event as part of the Beijing auto show.

“Both Land Rover and Victoria Beckham are British luxury brands with credibility and global appeal,” McGovern says in a statement. “This dual ‘Britishness’ makes the collaboration even more exciting especially when considering the huge audience for bespoke products around the world, particularly in China, Russia and Brazil where Land Rover is growing.”

What makes the special edition special? Start with the hand-finished matte gray paint, unique 20-inch gloss black forged alloy wheels and rose-gold details. Inside, there is tan leather, bold baseball-style stitching chosen by Beckham and matching luggage.

The special edition is powered by a 2-liter turbocharged engine producing 240 horsepower with a six-speed automatic transmission. The Range Rover Evoque Special Edition with Victoria Beckham will begin deliveries in October.

This article was taken from: freep.com

Enter a Land Rover showroom and you’ll see the Range Rover flagship shinning, with its imposing design and facelift-offered LED lights, but we have to remember that it’s architecture, the L322 has been on the market for a decade now. The carmaker is aware the off-roader needs a change and is working full-time to introduce this.

The 2013 Range Rover will ride on an all-new D4u platform , which will be shared with multiple future models as part of a cost-reducing strategy used by parent company Tata Motors. We are happy to tell you that the new Range Rover will shed about 500 kg (1,100 lbs) thanks to the fact that the architecture makes extensive use of aluminum. However, the vehicle is expected to be around 25 mm (1 inch) longer, while the Chinese market will receive an extended wheelbase version.

It seems that the exterior design of the vehicle has already been completed, while the company is still working on the interior and we’ve brought you a set of renderings coming from motorbeam.

The fourth generation of the Range Rover will keep most of the lines of its silhouette, with the only major change from this point of view being a more raked rear window, such as that used on the current Range Rover Sport, but will borrow multiple design elements from the Range Rover Evoque.

This article was taken from: autoevolution.com

What - Range Rover Evoque eD4 front-wheel drive
Where – Geneva, Switzerland
Date – March 2012
Price – From £27,955 (test model: 2.2 eD4 Prestige five-door: £35,630)
Available – Now
Key rivals – BMW X1, Audi Q3, Land Rover Freelander, Volvo XC60

Summary: The greenest Evoque is cheapest, gives the best fuel economy and drives little different to other models. What’s not to like?

We like: Excellent on-paper fuel economy, engaging handling, beautiful interior, standout looks, minimal compromise over 4×4 model
We don’t like: Ride suffers on large wheels, middling gearchange quality, sharp throttle hard to modulate during getaways

First impressions

The Range Rover Evoque eD4 is the greenest, most fuel efficient Range Rover ever – by a big margin. Its subtle ‘eD4′ bootlid badge heralds staggering fuel economy of up to 57.6mpg. Its fuel consumption is so low, this actually becomes one of the most environmentally friendly new SUVs on sale.

How has Land Rover achieved it? By trading the regular four-wheel-drive running gear of the award-winning Evoque (the MSN Cars Car of the Year 2012) for a more conventional front-wheel drive setup. It thus becomes the world’s first front-wheel drive Range Rover, and also the first manual gearbox model in over a decade.

Two big technical changes for the new green Evoque then. The question is, can it pull them off, and impress as strongly as the regular model does? That’s something to consider when driving it: badges apart, there is no difference between this Evoque and the higher-powered four-wheel-drive variants.

The eD4 is available in both body guises, with both Pure and Prestige trim lines. The top-spec Dynamic isn’t offered, because its big wheels and sporting bias aren’t compatible with the green focus. Also, to get the very best economy (plus sub-130g/km CO2 emissions), you must choose the Evoque Coupe model, rather than the five-door most are expected to buy.

Both are small compromises. The simple fact is that this is a fuel-saving Range Rover that doesn’t shout about the fact, meaning you can count the pennies and save the planet with no loss of face compared with more upmarket Evoque drivers. Can it match them on the move too, though?

Performance

The FWD Evoque uses the same 150hp 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel engine as other diesel Evoques – it’s identical to the TD4, with the only difference being in the amount of wheels it drives. A smooth engine on the move, it also pulls well from rest, but the extra punch of the 190hp SD4 is missed at speed. It doesn’t quite have traditional Range Rover performance.

The engine also vibrates a little at tickover too, sending a shimmy through the steering wheel. Good job it has stop-start then, which shuts the engine down whenever it can at rest, eradicating this grumble. The ‘engine-off’ period is broad too, boosting fuel-saving potential.

The manual gearchange itself is OK, without being brilliant. It’s rather long-winded across the gate, and has a slightly viscous feel to the shift, meaning it’s not as snappy as it could be. It’s easy to use though, and shifts swiftly enough when you’re maximising the power of the engine.

Part of the strong pull from rest is due to an oversharp accelerator pedal that, along with a slightly viscous feel to the clutch (and 280lb ft of torque from 1,750rpm), does make it easy to scrabble the front wheels during getaways. The ESC traction control soon cuts in but this effect is one obvious differentiator over more composed four-wheel-drive models.

Ride and handling

There’s little difference in how the FWD Evoque drives, compared to the superb four-wheel-drive model we know so well. It’s just as stable and composed, oozes mechanical class at all speeds – and handles with double-take crispness and enthusiasm that totally belies its SUV-style height. It remains more hot hatch than 4×4.

Our test car was fitted with super-large 19-inch alloy wheels. These look fantastic but did give a stiff edge to the ride in town. We know from experience that the optional MagneRide suspension can help mitigate this, and would advise fans of large alloys that it’s an option well worth considering.

It remains more hot hatch than 4×4

Obviously, the FWD Evoque doesn’t offer the off-road traction of four-wheel-drive models. It does, however, still have their ground clearance (12mm more than a Freelander), their long-travel suspension and the application of Land Rover’s renowned off-road expertise.

The company proved on the launch of the FWD Evoque that it can do almost everything the 4×4 variant can do, and even has surprising traction in the snow. We reckon that, with the standard fitment of traction control and stability control too, most buyers will not really notice any difference most of the time. Besides, how many will actually go off road?

Interior

The main difference over other Evoques is of course the chunky gearlever sprouting from the centre console. This falls easily to hand, as does the electronic parking brake switch: given the lack of hill-holding ‘creep’ from the gearbox, you’ll be using this more – and praising the fact it auto-releases as you engage the clutch.

A blanking plate covers the slot

As the Evoque eD4 doesn’t have the 4WD Terrain Response settings, a blanking plate covers the slot where the switches otherwise sit. With its polished finish and ‘Evoque’ branding, you don’t actually feel like you’re missing out.

Otherwise, it’s identical to the regular car. This means it’s impeccably designed, with a really upmarket and high-quality feel, expertly combining a sporty cockpit feel with the traditional Range Rover ‘command’ driving position. The centre touchscreen is easy, materials classy and it’s all beautifully lit at night.

There are surprises too: levels of space front and rear are excellent, the boot is wide and commodious (if not actually that long) and all-round visibility is impressive. The sides are clear, for easy over-shoulder glances, and even the rear window gives a better view out than you may expect. Best support it with the standard reverse parking camera of Prestige models, though…

Economy and safety

Here’s the clincher: trade four-wheel drive and economy from the 150hp 2.2-litre turbodiesel improves from 50.2mpg to 58.0mpg in Evoque Coupe guise, or 56.3mpg in the Evoque five-door tested. More than a 15% economy improvement from losing four-wheel drive: we expect many to make the trade.

There’s a neat multi-colour fuel economy tool in the dashboard too: set the cruise control and it works out how much CO2 you’re emitting at a particular speed. Choose a lower speed and the CO2 emissions fall, nudging you into the ‘green’ zone. It’s a surprisingly useful gadget that helps cut fuel consumption.

The Evoque is one of the safest compact SUVs on the market, with Euro NCAP awarding it a five-star crash test score. It of course loses the assurance of four-wheel drive but Land Rover argues electronic aids partly compensate – and it’s still been developed by the firm’s expert engineers to perform as well as it can off road.

The MSN Cars verdict

The case is simple here: trade a little all-weather traction for an all-round economy boost of nearly 8mpg, plus a drop in CO2 emissions of up to 20g/km. For many, the argument will be hard to ignore.

So few are the differences, you’ll need an expert touch to detect them. Unless you’re looking at the economic case, that is – where the saving in fuel, plus a £750 list price saving, means the FWD Evoque buyer will be quids in. Hard to argue with that, isn’t it: the brilliant Range Rover Evoque thus scores another fully deserved five-star rating.

Review: Range Rover Evoque (2011 onwards)
Buy an Evoque on Auto Trader

Need to know

Engine: 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel
Power: 150hp
Torque: 280lb ft
0-62mph: 10.6secs
Top speed: 112mph
MPG combined: 56.3
CO2, tax: 133g/km, 20%

This article was taken from: cars. uk.msn.com

Cars.com’s team of car-seat installers was foiled by the 2012 Land Rover Range Rover. Three people attempted to use the luxury SUV’s Latch anchors to install our child-safety seats, but there was no joy. In frustration, we ended up using the midsize SUV’s seat belts instead. It’s just as safe to use a seat belt to install a child-safety seat as it is using the Latch system, which is supposed to be easier to use. That’s not the case here.

For the Car Seat Check, we use a Graco SnugRide 30 rear-facing infant-safety seat, a Britax Roundabout convertible child-safety seat and Graco high-back TurboBooster seat.

The front seats are adjusted to a comfortable position for a 6-foot driver and a 5-foot-8 passenger. The three child seats are installed in the second row. The booster seat sits behind the driver’s seat, and the infant seat and convertible seats are installed behind the passenger seat. We also install the infant seat in the second row’s middle seat with the booster and convertible in the outboard seats to see if three car seats will fit. If there’s a third row, we install the booster seat and a forward-facing convertible.

Here’s how the 2012 Range Rover did in Cars.com’s Car Seat Check:

Latch system: There are two sets of lower Latch anchors in the outboard seats. The seats’ cushioning sits against the anchors, making it impossible to use them. We tested both rigid Latch connectors (on our convertible car seat) and traditional hook-like Latch connectors (on the infant-safety seat), but we couldn’t hook the connectors onto the anchors. The seatbacks don’t recline, so there was no way to open up the space between the back and bottom seat cushions.

The outboard tether anchors are midway down the seatbacks, and the middle seat’s anchor is near the seatback in the cargo floor.

Booster seat: The high-back booster seat fit well in the backseat, with the seat bolsters cradling the child seat. The seat belt buckles are recessed in the bottom seat cushions and could be difficult for kids to use independently.

Convertible seat: To fit the forward-facing convertible, we had to remove the head restraint, which was no easy task. Because we couldn’t access the Latch anchors, we used the Range Rover’s seat belt to install this car seat. It fit well in the backseat. The rear-facing convertible also fit well in the backseat — after we installed it with a seat belt.

Infant-safety seat: There was plenty of room in the backseat for the rear-facing infant-safety seat. This car seat was also installed with a seat belt.

How many car seats fit in the second row? Two

Editor’s note: For three car seats — infant-safety seat, convertible and booster seats — to fit in a car, our criterion is that a child sitting in the booster seat must be able to reach the seat belt buckle. Parents should also remember that they can use the Latch system or a seat belt to install a car seat.

This article was taken from: chicagotribune.com

If the idea of luxury in an off-road vehicle puzzles, the Land Rover LR4 will confound. Mingling mud and premium leather is core to Land Rover’s identity, and the five- or seven-seat LR4 aims to toe the line between off-road excellence and on-road luxury. It’s got the hardware for the former, but how well does it master the latter?

Though the 2012 Land Rover LR4 is a powerful, capable people-mover with a posh cabin, there are competitors that offer a more refined and comfortable on-road experience.

Buried within this fortress of posh leather and walnut wood trim is a highly capable terrain master. Chances are, though, that most LR4s are destined to spend much more time in heated garages than on trails. As there’s not a lot of mud to slog through or rock craters to crawl out of near my downtown condo, this review focuses on the LR4′s on-road abilities.

Model year 2012 marks the LR4′s third year on the market since upgrades precipitated a name change from LR3 to LR4 for 2010. For 2012, changes to the midsize SUV are minor, including upgrades to the stereo, navigation system and rear-seat entertainment system. Major competitors include the Audi Q7 and Mercedes-Benz M-Class. (See these models compared here.)

Technically, the LR4 comes in a single trim level, but two large option packages — HSE and HSE Lux — serve a similar purpose as multiple trims. My test vehicle had both packages and several stand-alone options, including goodies like a backup camera with front and rear sonar park-assist warnings, a navigation system with voice recognition, second-row climate controls, keyless access and start, power-folding mirrors, high-definition radio, power tilt/telescoping and heated steering wheel, leather upholstery, heated windshield, 17-speaker Harman/Kardon sound system, cooled box in the center console, and driver-seat memory.

On the Road

Despite its off-road pedigree, the LR4 has fairly composed road manners around town and on the highway. I noticed a little float and wander at highway speeds, though not as much as you might expect from this tall, trucklike SUV. It did, however, lose some composure over larger potholes and railroad tracks. My test vehicle rode on 19-inch aluminum alloy wheels; 20s are available. The ride was on the firm side, but never uncomfortable. The Q7 and M-Class both have a more compliant ride.

When let loose from a stop, the LR4′s 375-horsepower, direct-injection, 5.0-liter V-8 feels expectedly potent, but where it really shines is in midrange power. An alert, smooth, six-speed automatic transmission furnishes reserves of power for highway passing and merging. Actually, it feels pretty lithe for something this heavy — almost 6,000 pounds. Maximum towing capacity is 7,716 pounds.

Power comes at a price, however: The LR4 requires premium gas and is EPA rated at 12/17 mpg city/highway. During my 100-mile test of about 60 percent city driving, I averaged just 13.5 mpg.

Though I’m familiar with Land Rover’s Terrain Response off-road system, the LR4′s array of cryptically labeled buttons can puzzle the uninitiated. What do they mean? Basically, that the SUV can be tuned to go just about anywhere and through anything. The system is standard on the LR4 and uses a console switch that enables the driver to alter calibrations for things like wheelspin, suspension tuning and powertrain response to accommodate normal driving, slippery pavement, mud, sand and low-speed off-roading.

Hill descent control is also standard. It automatically modulates the brakes to guide the SUV down steep descents without the driver’s braking input. It basically requires the push of a button and a leap of faith that the car will be safely guided down the hill.

Looks Big, Drives Small

Land Rover’s lineup is really a study in opposites. I can’t help but compare the LR4 with the newest Land Rover on the block: the compact Range Rover Evoque. For every one of the Evoque’s fluid, dynamic curves, the LR4 answers back with severe straight lines and blocky right angles.
When I first saw the LR4′s hulking, looming profile in the parking garage, I figured I’d need a shoehorn to get it outside. At first glance, its imposing size and predictably tall ride height were a bit off-putting, but it drives smaller than it feels.

Though the LR4 is 190 inches long, its tight turning circle makes it feel more maneuverable than expected. At 37.6 feet, the turning diameter is smaller than most of its competitors’, including the Audi Q7 (39.4 feet) and Mercedes-Benz M-Class (38.8 feet). This helped immensely during garage and parallel-parking maneuvers. Also helpful was the good rear visibility, which gets even better when the large third-row head restraints are folded. Nice, big side mirrors aid visibility, too, as does the tall ride height and the SUV’s panoramic forward view.

Lastly, the power tilt and telescopic steering wheel, coupled with the seat’s adjustable armrests, provide a comfortable driving position and confidence when navigating small spaces.

Pretty on the Inside

The cabin is vast, and it feels as big inside as it looks outside; front-seat headroom and legroom abound. The seats are large and supportive, and a little firm. Three — yes, three — sunroofs contribute to the interior’s expansive, airy feel. The one over the front seats opens and has a sunshade; the other two are fixed but also have sunshades.

As with other SUVs this price, the interior is all about luxury. Though there’s plastic, it’s the highly padded variety. Rich wood trim warms up the otherwise austere black cabin. Bright metal trim around the gauges and vents also classes things up.

I was unimpressed with the navigation system. The small touch-screen and outdated graphics felt out of place in the otherwise opulent cabin, and there’s a delayed response when you touch the screen. It couldn’t find the two addresses I inputted, including my home address. I’m sure it exists.

Both option packages add a two-passenger third-row seat. The second-row seat’s headroom is plentiful, but legroom is tight for taller passengers, and the seats don’t slide or recline. They do fold and tumble in a 60/40 split, but getting them folded requires a bit of arm muscle and leaves the under-seat hardware exposed, partially blocking the path to the third row. That makes ingress tricky, especially if you’re carrying something.

Third-Row Woes

Things get worse in the third row. Though the space is OK for a smallish adult, it’s incredibly uncomfortable due largely to the flat, hard seats. Getting them to fold down is even harder, requiring a three-step process.

On a positive note, doing so yields a totally flat cargo floor, but it’s one of the most complicated third rows I’ve ever tested, if not the most complicated.

The surprises continue behind the third-row seat, where cargo volume is just 9.9 cubic feet — pretty sparse for such a large vehicle. Luggage space expands considerably when you fold the third row, increasing to 42.1 cubic feet. Getting luggage in can also be tricky, thanks to the LR4′s two-level hatch. The liftgate first opens upward, then a button releases the tailgate. It’s awkward to load and access packages while leaning over the tailgate. Annoyingly, a remote or power-opening option isn’t available.

Safety

The LR4 hasn’t been crash-tested. Because of the brand’s low sales volume, Land Rovers are seldom tested.
Standard safety features include frontal and side-impact airbags for the front seats, and side curtain airbags for all three rows of seats. As is required of all 2012 models, antilock brakes and an electronic stability system are standard. For a full list of safety features, check out the Standard Equipment & Specs page.

One convenient feature that’s not offered, however, is a blind spot warning system.

One bright spot is the position of the Latch anchors for child-safety seats. The metal brackets in the second row seats are visible, allowing for easy installation of my convertible child seat. The love affair ends there, however. After getting the rear-facing seat in, I realized that my front passenger’s legroom was hugely compromised. Because the second row doesn’t slide or recline, the child seat took up so much space the front seat had to be moved far forward to accommodate it. Again, not something I expected in a vehicle this large. Neither did my husband, whose knees were practically in the glove box. Click here to read our full Car Seat Check.

LR4 in the Market

The 2012 Land Rover LR4 starts at $48,900, but with major options it can easily top $60,000. However, there are a lot of strong vehicles available in this class for that kind of money, narrowing the LR4′s appeal.
That said, the LR4 is an incredibly powerful, capable off-road crawler that offers its occupants a high level of luxury amenities and road isolation. Like most niche vehicles, the LR4 will strike the right note with a specific audience: well-heeled outdoor enthusiasts — or people who want to give that impression. Off-roaders in the mood to be coddled should put the LR4 on their shopping list. Families looking for a comfortable three-row SUV should keep searching.

For similar coin, competitive vehicles from Audi and Mercedes-Benz offer a more compliant and composed ride: The Q7 starts around $46,250 and the M-Class at $48,990. The LR4′s confounding third row and abominable fuel economy make it one of the least competitive three-row SUVs available to families. If you’re drawn to the brand’s pedigree, heritage and iconic styling, take a look; just don’t expect a comfortable family cruiser.

This article was taken from: chicagotribune.com

The organisers of Europe’s biggest Land Rover and 4×4 event are bringing Land Rover back to the south west.

The Bristol and West Land Rover Show will open its gates for the first time on Saturday June 23 and Sunday June 24, at the Royal Bath and West Showground, in Shepton Mallet.

“Utilising the showground’s fantastic facilities and the Xtreme Off Road course, Land Rover and four wheeleddrive enthusiasts can come together to celebrate their favourite marque with a weekend of high octane family fun,” said a spokesman. Visitors can drive or be driven around one of the most challenging off-road courses in the UK and attempt terrain that will put each driver and their Land Rover to the test.

“Xtreme Offroad’s course has it all and is guaranteed to keep you on your toes from start to finish, which takes about 40 minutes dependent on the conditions,” said the spokesman.

This article was taken from: thisissomerset.co.uk