ONCE upon a time if a car salesman tried to persuade you of the merits of ‘stop-start’ technology you might justifiably imagine it was a Derek Trotter style ruse to sell you a dud – the stop-start business suggesting the car might spend more time at a standstill than on the move.

But the capacity to switch a car’s engine off automatically when it is at a standstill is starting to seem less and less like the latest gizmo and more and more a must-have as manufacturers look at ways of making cars that are more environmentally friendly.

It’s saying something when even a legendary sportscar maker like Porsche have stop-start technology on their new Panamera model.

When Land Rover unveiled their intentions to utilise it, one might have imagined it was an attempt to counter its image as a maker of gas-guzzling monstrosities.

But the Solihull firm’s decision to go down this route is just one of a number of environmentally-friendly initiatives being employed and is a much born out of the necessity to produce more fuel efficient vehicles as a desire to boost its image.

In fact the way stop-start systems are being adopted by all and sundry suggests it is soon going to be one of those must-haves – rather like ABS brakes.

Once you get over the slightly unsettling experience of your engine cutting out while you’re waiting at a set of traffic lights you’ll see the benefits too.

There’s no doubting it is unsettling, perhaps due to the fact that it’s eerily similar to the business of stalling, which has to be one of the motorist’s worst nightmares.

When that engine cuts out you do feel somewhat stranded.

You need to understand the stop-start system is there for your benefit and feel secure in the knowledge the engine will spring back to life it really does start to seem like common sense.

And if the worst comes to the worst then you can even override it, even if that does kind of defeat the object.

It’s interesting that Land Rover have tried the technology out on what is currently their smallest model, though it’s probably a case of testing the waters more than anything else.

It means it’s the greenest Land Rover yet, managing fuel economy of more than 40mpg for the first time.

It should be pointed out this is achieved through a range of technologies, the stop-start system combining with regenerative braking and specially revised components to enhance economy and reduce emissions.

Land Rover are using the standard 2.2-litre diesel Freelander engine but this lean green model sees fuel economy improved by almost 5mpg and CO2 emissions down by 15g/km.

The original Freelander was billed as the ‘baby Land Rover’. Its proportions have increased in the second generation version, making it more of a little brother and it’s certainly more grown-up in pretty much every respect.

As well as being more family-friendly with its increased cabin space and load-lugging capacity, it is far more of a premium vehicle than its predecessor.

Exceptionally well put together and finished and with the sort of switchgear and instrumentation to rival the best, it’s difficult to fault.

Best of all is its feel on the road. It is stable and assured on tarmac while still having the capacity to get down and dirty in the mud – just like any true Land Rover.

FAST FACTS

Land Rover Freelander 2 TD4-e

Price: £21,875

Mechanical: 158bhp, 2,179cc 4cyl diesel engine driving four wheels via 6-speed manual gearbox

Max speed: 112mph

0-62mph: 11.7 seconds

Combined mpg: 42.2

Insurance group: 13

CO2 emissions: 179g/km

BiK rating: 29%

Warranty: 3yrs/ unlimited mileage

This article was take from: icLiverpool

Dubai: British firm Kahn Design has unveiled two new kits for the 2010 Range Rover Sport, called the RS300 Cosworth and the RS600 Supercharged. The 300 hp diesel RS300 has a Cosworth-tuned TDI engine, and 22-inch wheels, new front mesh grille, custom body kit, custom leather interior, carbon fibre engine cover, numbered conversion plaque and Cosworth exterior branding. The supercharged 600 hp RS600 has a Kahn-tuned 5.0-litre V8, 22-inch wheels, wide-arch body kit, mesh front grille, boot and roof spoiler, quad exhaust system and a custom leather interior. The kits are available from Kahn Design.

Russia: The 2010 Model Year Range Rover has been awarded ‘Best Full-Size Off-Road Vehicle’ at the Car of the Year awards in Moscow, Russia. The annual Car of the Year awards celebrate Russia’s top vehicles, voted for by more than 1.5 million Russian car owners. Cars recognized to be the best in their category are nominated as national favorites. Aleksey Shilykovsky, Land Rover Sales and Marketing Director for Russia said of the award, ‘We are thrilled that the Range Rover has been nominated Russia’s best full-size off-road vehicle. It confirms its peerless position in an ever-competitive market.’

South Africa: A man was arrested after he and an accomplice allegedly hijacked a car in Randburg on Wednesday, Johannesburg police said. Inspector Kym Cloete said the men hijacked a Discovery 4 Land Rover from the Land Rover premises on the corner of Main and Halifax streets, ‘They tried to force the driver onto the passenger seat, but he was able to escape. The suspects then took off in the hijacked vehicle, and the driver ran into the company building to alert the employees,’ he said. Land Rover employees then pursued the vehicle, and were able to get the attention of a security vehicle. The security vehicle tried to bring the hijacked vehicle to a stop at the corners of William Nicol and Peter Place, Bryanston where a shoot-out ensued between the security and the suspects. The men left the vehicle and ran in different directions but the Land Rover employees and a member of the public were able to catch the one suspect who will appear in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court soon. The second man is still at large but the car was recovered and no one was injured in the shoot-out.

Philippines: Team Land Rover Philippines, boasting a tandem considered as the country’s best off-road drivers, finished eighth finish in the 2009 Rainforest Challenge in Johor Baru, Malaysia, recently. Veteran driver Larry Mendiola and co-driver Sergio Jamilla III, using a Land Rover Defender fitted with a V8 Range Rover engine, gamely battled the elements in the 10-day challenge in Johor Baru’s rainforest and ended as one of just three non-Malaysian teams in the top 10 of the prestigious event The team finished first runner-up in the ‘above 3000cc’ category and also grabbed the special award as the ‘Most Upcoming Team’ in the event that attracted 38 teams from 19 countries. The duo stressed their vehicle proved its worth in extreme conditions, adding the vehicles of other some teams broke down after the difficult and highly technical course that included the prologue into the rainforest.

USA: A noted Land Rover strength is its off-road ability, but a serious weakness is its reliability, according to two leading research organizations, Consumer Reports and J.D.Power & Associates. Jake Fisher, a senior engineer with the Consumer Reports Auto Test Division, says Land Rover’s performance can be summed up in one word; ‘unreliable.’ In its last annual auto issue, dated April 2009, Consumer Reports ranked Land Rover last in reliability among 34 auto brands. J.D.Power’s dependability surveys routinely place Land Rover either at or near the bottom as well. ‘They have traditionally trailed the industry by a significant margin,’ said David Sargent, Vice President for automotive research. Stuart Schorr, Land Rover’s Vice President for communications, said many complaints involved minor issues like brake dust on wheels or the lack of a power liftgate. He said, however, that Land Rover ‘recognizes in the past, quality was not something we excelled in.’ He said the automaker was working hard to improve the quality of its vehicles, which are all assembled in Britain.
Mr. Sargent said Land Rover had a ‘fairly dramatic uptick’ in J.D.Power’s 2009 Vehicle Dependability Study, which covers three-year-old vehicles. The trend has been improving; in the 2006 study there 438 reported problems per 100 vehicles; by 2009, there were 238. Despite this gain, some feel that the company remains uncompetitive. The industry average in 2009 was 170; Lexus led Land Rover’s rivals with 126. Land Rover did better on Strategic Vision’s Total Quality Index, which ranks how people felt about their 2008-09 vehicles overall where the focus was not just on problems or dislikes. The Range Rover ranked first in the luxury SUV segment. Another piece of good news is that a 2009 J. D. Power survey, which looks at customer satisfaction with dealerships, ranked Land Rover seventh best in the industry, behind Lexus and Acura but ahead of luxury brands including Audi, Infiniti, Mercedes and Porsche. Another Power study, which looks at ‘how gratifying a new vehicle is to own and drive, ranked Land Rover ninth, well above the industry average.

Lebanon: ‘Lebanon is a trendsetter,’ said Abdo Sweidan, the chief executive of Lebanon’s most successful car dealer Rasamny Younis Motor, ‘Cars that do well here go on to do well in the rest of the Middle East. Our disadvantage is the size of our market.’ Local dealers are upbeat that the bullish economy will see more sales, especially in the business-to-business segment that accounts for 35 per cent of the market. All this should be good news for the sector but there is still concern over the fact that importers pay prohibitive duty and 10% VAT. Imposing both strangles consumption, they argue. Drop one and the state would see revenue levels remain constant as a result of the increased sales.

China: Land Rover boosted its China sales to over 5000 vehicles for the first quarter of 2010, and set a new record in one quarter with an increase of 200%, nearly half of last year’s total sales. Land Rover’s March sales grew by 168% year on year; the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and the fourth-generation Discovery all broke the single-month sales records, with growth ranging from 100% to 400% from a year earlier. What’s worth mentioning is that the sales of the 2010 Range Rover Sport increased by 400% in a single quarter year on year, becoming another major force of Land Rover’s high-end models. The Chinese market, which is Land Rover’s third largest market in the world, has outpaced other competitors with significant market increase, showing its amazing potential in the auto market. ‘We will continue to dedicate ourselves with great confidence to the development of China’s auto market,’ said Scott Dicken, general manager of Land Rover China.

This article was taken from: lro.com

The mere mention of the name Land Rover conjures images of a utilitarian, boxy, moss-green off-road vehicle slowly passing kangaroos as they stalk their prey on the mosquito-riddled frozen wetlands of the Kalahari Desert. And if you’re paying attention, you’ll have already made a beeline for your computer to correct us. Relax! We know that scenario is ridiculous – the Defender, the model we were envisioning, hasn’t been sold in the States since Britney Spears was a virgin. Silly us.

But seriously, the truth is that, although the Land Rover brand is synonymous with rugged off-roaders, the only Land Rovers we can buy in America are luxury models. The Rolls-Royce-for-the-brush idea wasn’t a carefully planned recipe dreamed up by a marketing team. Instead, it was the brainchild of a couple of forward-thinking engineers in the 1960s who thought that Land Rovers could be more comfortable on-road. The Range Rover was born, complete with form-follows-function styling that was mostly done by the engineers themselves. Over the years, the Range Rover became more and more luxurious – and, to our eyes, even better-looking. But it never lost its off-road ability or its appeal.

The Land Rover lineup as a whole, however, has not been easy for the uninitiated to follow. The top-of-the-line Range Rover has been a constant, but the rest of the models seem to cycle through names faster than Florida storms in hurricane season. As Land Rover has transitioned through multiple owners in recent years – Rover, BMW, Ford, and now Tata – some of these vehicles have had engines from different makers. (And even the Rover V-8 was Buick-based.) Here are the models that Land Rover currently sells in the United States.

The optional supercharged V-8 in the face-lifted 2010 Range Rover Sport packs the same 510 hp and 461 lb-ft of torque as the track-star Jaguar XFR, yet it has all the presence of a mime. Aurally, that is. Ask for full thrust, and it executes a stunning show of power. With a Roots-type supercharger, direct injection, and variable intake- and exhaust-valve timing, the new 5.0-liter engine creates seamless, unending acceleration. However, the thrill of going fast in a straight line is novel only for so long.

We click the Terrain Response dial one notch counterclockwise to select dynamic mode – optimizing the engine, transmission, suspension, and traction behavior – before trying a quick turn. But the Rover’s stability, composure, and eagerness to move fast in a bend are hardly exciting. Rather, the handling falls short of the expectations set by fantastic steer-ing, an impressive transmission, and go-fast power. BMW’s X6 xDrive 50i – the vehicle that tainted all drivers’ standards for SUVs – is two inches wider, five inches shorter in height, 270 pounds lighter, and immeasurably more agile than the supercharged Range Rover Sport.

But don’t expect any apologies from Land Rover. At its core, the Sport is still an off-roader. Body-on-frame construction, a transfer case, and an optional $500 locking rear differential are more entitled to be here than the twenty-inch tires designed for pavement-bound SUVs. The four-corner air suspension is capable of increasing ground clearance more than two inches, to 8.9 inches. Half of the six Terrain Response system settings are specifically for off-road conditions.

The Sport’s cabin is just about as posh as off-roading gets (aside from stepping up to the larger Range Rover, sans Sport). Two flanks of pristine, matte-finished walnut hugged the center console of our test vehicle, and a $1000 package added leather to the upper dash, door panels, and armrests. The stitching and perforations on the seats make for wonderful art, but the driver’s chair stops sliding back a bit too soon for your six-foot, three-inch scribe. Slide into the rear, and it’s easy to see why the front seats stop where they do. The narrow rear-door opening hints at tight headroom and even tighter legroom within.

The rear hatch is heavy to open and stiff to close. At $82,345, we expected the Sport to be equipped with a power liftgate, but Land Rover doesn’t offer one. There’s also no provision for cooled seats, but a refrigerator in the center console is standard on supercharged models and good for keeping four cans chilled. The optional five-camera, $800 surround-view system is useful for parking, although image quality is below par, and the physical controls for the infotainment display can be fussy, particularly when scanning through radio stations.

In a market that increasingly follows the BMW and Porsche examples of how to build an $80,000 SUV, Land Rover doesn’t have a lot of competition in its niche of a niche. Still, that doesn’t mean that the automaker doesn’t have to meet all the expectations those vehicles have instilled. The updated Range Rover Sport is an admirable evolution of performance and prestige, but it falls short on technology and packaging.

This article was taken from: automobilemag.com

The Land Rover mascot vehicle project has been named Ice Warrior. Congratulations to competition winner Dave from Portsmouth and runner-up Steve from Plymouth – your vouchers are on their way.

Thank you to everyone who took part in the competition, you can check the project page for updates or visit our Facebook Page where everything will be kept up to date.

The new 2010 Land Rover Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) comes as another beautiful collection from Jaguar Land Rover (JLR). The car showcases extreme class and style, while the engine is packed with lots of upgrades. The SUV has been christened the LR4, a successor name to the earlier model, the LR3.

“The outgoing LR3 has well over 100 international awards to its name. But for the new LR4 we’ve found ways to improve virtually every aspect of the vehicle’s design and engineering – some subtle, some major. New design signals comprehensive engineering change under the skin,” says Phil Popham, Land Rover Managing Director.

Design

The LR4 iconic exterior has been upgraded with a more contemporary and sportier outlook. The vehicle has a new front end design with improved headlamps and fascia. The sportier new lights include a High Beam Assist, which automatically switches on and off for both the front and the rear.

The car also has some aerodynamic changes like revised front lower chin spoiler, with a more aerodynamic bumper.

The SUV steps on new twin seven spoke 19-inch wheels and tires, which replace existing seven-spoke 19-inch wheel. Also for the first time, it features a 10-spoke 20 inch wheels which come optional.

The new Land Rover come in various colours such as Nara Bronze, Bali Blue and Ipanema Sand.

Engine Performance

The 2010 Land Rover is powered by a direct engine 5.0 litre V8 engine putting up a 375 horsepower and 375 Ib-ft of torque. The SUV is mated with a revised and super smooth ZF HP28 6-speed automatic transmission, built to provide optimised class-leading response, with rapid and refined shifts.

The engine has been tested to cover a distance of 0-60mph in 7.5 seconds (0-100km/h in 7.6 seconds.). The SUV also comes with improved changes like new suspensions and components, revised steering, larger brakes, improved traction control, and enhanced terrain response TM system, which helps to optimise the vehicle for virtually all on-road or off-road driving situations.

The LR4′s new 5.0-liter LR-V8 is generally optimised for a balanced combination of performance and efficiency.

Interior

The 2010 Land Rover provides softer and more premium interior ambience. It provides sufficient accommodation for five to seven passengers, depending on the model. The interior is spacious enough to contain heavy loads. There are two new interior colours which are a mid-tone Nutmeg and a darker Arabica, balancing its present Almond light interior colour.

The seats are dressed with premium leather, and extended front seat cushion that improves seating comfort. The front seats feature height-adjustable head restraints.

The interior has been re-designed completely with newly designed dashboard and centre console, which comprises of an array of personal audio storage devices, USB sticks and MP3 players. While other new features present in the LR4 include a portable audio interface, HD Radio and new five-camera surround system for easier parking.

The Land Rover SUV features a new steering wheel with buttons with access to driver information, remote audio controls, cruise control and heated steering wheel. It also offers a new key system, which offers keyless entry and push button start.

Safety

The SUV has been built with high regard to safety. It has new front headlights which incorporate high beam assist technology that automatically switches on the high beam headlights.

The car also detects approaching traffic and is built with no less than five digital cameras for its surround camera system.

This article was taken from: 234.next.com