A new 2.4-litre common rail diesel engine and a new six-speed gearbox featuring a wide ratio spread for better off-road and cruising abilities, a new facia, heating/ventilation and more comfortable seating with a full-size forward-facing third-row seat option are among improvements to the long-lived Land Rover Defender utility for 2007. The much newer Range Rover Sport gets a new, fourth engine option, a V8 diesel offering 40% more torque and BHP than the TDV6 but still achieving 25.5 mpg on the combined fuel cycle.

(this bulletin was taken from autoindustry.co.uk)

For the second year running as title sponsor, Land Rover is heading to The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, from 7 to 10 September 2006 in Stamford, Lincolnshire.

Guts, control, power and responsiveness are what riders require of their horses and are the core values built into every Land Rover. It is therefore no surprise that Land Rover enjoys such a natural association with Burghley.

On the world stage, The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials is second to none. With the added excitement of the Rolex Grand Slam, this year’s event is set to be a thrilling climax to the eventing calendar.

“The company has been a sponsor of Burghley for many years as ‘the official vehicle supplier’, supporting veterinary teams and officials with a fleet of Land Rovers. Extending this relationship to ‘title sponsor’ in 2005 has been a great honour and we look forward to building on last year’s success,” says John Edwards, Land Rover UK managing director.

The recent introductions of the Discovery 3 and the Range Rover Sport to the Land Rover product range have resulted in sales continuing to grow the world-over, with sales in 2005 being the best in the company’s history. This year will see further additions to the Land Rover stable, with the introduction of the all-new Freelander 2, which will make a debut appearance at The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials this year, together with the Range Rover for 2007.

A spirit of adventure is fundamental to Land Rover’s character and the great outdoors has always been Land Rover territory. If you are in the mood, Land Rover has got plenty of adventures for you to undertake at Burghley too. Whatever your off-road driving experience, try a passenger ride in one of the latest vehicles on the ‘Terrapod’ – a simulated off-road course that includes a 15 foot descent from an articulated truck!

The company will also be staging a trailer-reversing competition all week. Visitors will have the chance to hone their reversing techniques and show-off their skills, with the chance to win a weekend off-roading at one of the nine Land Rover Experience Centres around the UK.

Land Rover is also looking forward to welcoming visitors back to The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials next year – 30 August to 2 September 2007 (prov.).

(this article was taken from easier.com)

Land Rover’s all-new LR2 recently made its world debut at the British International Motor Show at ExCeL in London’s Docklands. The vehicle was displayed on the Land Rover show stand alongside an updated, 2007 model year Range Rover TDV8, a Range Rover Sport TDV6 and a LR3 TDV6.

The LR2 is new from the ground up, with outstanding on-road performance as well as the class-leading off-road ability expected of a true Land Rover. A dynamic design, purposeful stance, smart and spacious interior and an abundance of advanced technologies complete the package.

Technical highlights of the LR2 include:

- A new engine:
- 3.2-litre i6 petrol (233 PS / 171 kW) – 30 per cent more powerful than the outgoing V6 with 10 per cent improvement in fuel economy
- Full-time intelligent 4×4 that helps optimise traction and fuel economy
- Land Rover’ s unique Terrain Response – for easier off-road driving – heads a long list of advanced technologies, many new to the class For the 2007 model year, the Range Rover’s technologies include Land Rover’s acclaimed Terrain Response, electronic park brake and electronic rear ‘e’ differential. The improved cabin also gains extra stowage, enhanced finishes and more effective air-conditioning – plus the option of cooled front seats.

Land Rover’s managing director, Phil Popham, said: “We were delighted to support the British International Motor Show in London with two product debuts. The first of these products, an updated Range Rover, will be offering a balance of performance, refinement and economy that is unmatched, which we are confident will make this vehicle even more desirable.”

He continued: “The LR2 sets new standards in the sector, combining the advantages of a premium car with the attributes of a robust 4×4. We believe that no other compact 4×4 gets closer to blending these best-of-both-worlds abilities.”

The LR2 will be arriving in the Middle East in the first half of 2007. Land Rover dealers are getting geared to receive this exciting new product which will attract a whole new generation of consumers to the Land Rover brand.

(this article was taken from strategiy.com)

While the Range Rover Sport competes in the same marketplace as the Porsche Cayenne, Cadillac SRX and BMW X5, there really is no competition off road.

On road the Sport has decent manners and a slightly hard ride. Off road the Sport tracks like a mountain goat over any obstacle in its path and does it with a level of luxury you can’t find in similarly adept off-road vehicles.

This is a true sport ute with a split personality.

You can bash around mountain trails with abandon during the day, wash it and yourself off after you’re done, and head out to a fine dinner and a show later. No one will be the wiser.

The Sport has multiple off-road adjustments for maximum performance.

Our tester had four-wheel electronic air suspension with CommandShift. It had permanent four-wheel driver, four wheel electronic traction control an a two-speed electronic transfer box with an electronic center differential.

What the jargon means is that it’s vary capable off-road no matter what the circumstances.

We’ve had opportunities to drive the Sport on- and off-road, with the 4.4-literV8 and the 4.2-liter supercharged V8.

Both engines are Jaguar-derived, with the supercharged version offering 390 horses versus 300 for the normally aspirated version.

In my mind, the extra power isn’t necessary. While the Sport’ s milieu is off-road, when it’s on the highway it doesn’t need the extra power.

Three hundred horses and 315 lbs-ft of torque are enough to keep it in fast company. Accelerating into traffic on entry ramps or from stop lights is no problem either.

Our tester had the 6-speed automatic transmission with a manual adapter. We used the manual often off-road, but didn’t need it on-road. Shifts were smooth and when we needed power we stepped on the loud pedal and the power was there.

Seating was hard. The seats were leather-covered and didn’t offer a lot of side support.

Off road I would have preferred some more side support to hold me in the seat better. The front seats had center arm rests that were adjustable for maximum comfort.

Rear seats offered good leg and knee room, so any adult riding back there would do so in comfort. Since the Sport rides high, there’s also decent leg and knee room for the rear center passenger. Like the front seats, the rear seats are heated for maxim cold-weather comfort. The headrests on the rear seats are low-profile so they don’t inhibit rearward vision.

The Range Rover Sport rides high, so entry can be difficult for senior citizens. Thankfully, there were assist handles at the doors and the driver can always grab the steering wheel to assist in entry. But, riding high gives it excellent road clearance. The vehicle also has excellent entry and exit angles of departure that will permit it to attack fairly steep hills from a flat entry.

The rear seats fold flat to increase cargo capacity to the Sport’s maximum of 71.0 cubic feet. Before folding the rear seat back, you have to lift and stow the bottom cushion in the rear foot well, which requires the front seat back to be forward of maximum rearward adjustment. However, we discovered that driving this way was not a problem.

Our tester had a multifunction steering wheel with good clear cruise control switches. There was also an excellent horn button (once you find it) and good audio controls.

The instrument panel was clear and easy to rear. The audio system offered good tone. It was somewhat difficult to figure out at first, but once you get up the learning curve it’s okay.

While the Range rover Sport probably won’t win any beauty contests, the newer versions are far more attractive than the predecessors.

But you don’t get a Range Rover for beauty; you get it because you want it to go off into the country sometimes and because you want comfort and luxury on the highway.

As I have said with other vehicles, you can’t see the outside from the inside and you can’t enjoy the performance of a more beautiful car that can just sit there.

© 2006 The Auto Page Syndicate

(this article was taken from theautochannel.com)