In 2014, Business Insider spent some time with the Range Rover's little brother — the Range Rover Sport V8 Supercharged and simply loved the SUV's combination of on-road performance and off-road ruggedness. That 510-horsepower V8 is a work of art!
Thus, the Range Rover carries with it the weight of great expectations. It's also Jaguar Land Rover's flagship and arguably its most significant product offering. In other words, JLR has to get it right.
The current fourth generation model is a direct descendant of the original Range Rover that sold from 1970 to 1996.
That was followed by the second-generation version that sold from 1994 to 2001.
The third generation model sold from 2002 to 2012.
As part of the road trip, were able to experience the Range in suburbia ...
... in urban traffic and ...
Unfortunately, we didn't get the chance to take the Range Rover off road. In case you were wondering, it can wade through about 3 feet of water.
The trip down to Virginia covered more than 530 miles round trip and took roughly 5 hours each way.
On the outside, the Range Rover strikes an imposing figure. Land Rover's signature rectangular front grille is displayed prominently. The wraparound headlights are a modern touch.
The overall length of the Range Rover has grown steadily over the years. The current fourth generation version is the longest in the history of the model — and it shows.
The rear end of the big off-roader is highlighted by the LED accents and most importantly ...
.... a power tail gate. For most Range Rover purists, the tailgate is a must have. Where else are you going to sit when you take to wild country for adventures and stop for breaks?
Open the doors and neat touches abound, such as this little Range Rover decal.
Step inside the Range Rover's interior and you'll find world class luxury bathed — in this case — in purple mood lighting.
The rugged exterior hides the SUV's soft-touch interior.
Drivers are treated to an elegant leather-and-wood-wrapped steering wheel.
In front of the driver is a full digital display.
The Range Rover gets the latest version of Jaguar Land Rover's InControl infotainment system. The touchscreen system now features tablet-style swipe-through menus.
We found the new InControl system to be solid and a marked improvement over the previous iteration. However, it still lags behind industry leaders such as Audi, GM and BMW. The system was quick to react and offers both 2D and 3D navigation views. However, the presentation of the audio submenus are a holdover from the previous system. Although functional, the audio submenus are cluttered and somewhat difficult to use.
However, the Meridian sound system was nothing short of amazing. The top range is crisp, and low-end base is rich and resonant.
The driving dynamics of the Range Rover are controlled via the center console. The numerous drive modes include options for snow, sand, and hill-descent control.
Gear shifts are handled with a rising rotary knob. The setup is fine, but I liked the Range Rover Sport's pistol-grip shifter much better. Also, note the colorful mood lighting.
And yet more mood lighting! This is a trend in luxury vehicles.
Rear visibility is terrific and the moonroof overhead is vast.
Rear-seat passengers are as coddled as those in the front.
There's a rear-seat entertainment system.
Custom wireless headphones.
And plenty of legroom — and mood lighting!
Over all, Land Rover design director Gerry McGovern has done a stellar job in tweaking the traditional Range Rover shape to create a modern SUV with hints of the past that can also appeal to a broad array of buyers.
Our first stop on the road trip — McDonald's for breakfast. To live with, the Range Rover is incredibly user friendly.
It will go anywhere and do just about anything you ask of it. In fact, there are very few places where the Range Rover won't fit in, with the exception of very small garages.
The 3.0-liter, turbocharged V6 diesel under the hood proved to be a gem. With 254 horsepower and a massive 440 lbs. ft. of torque, the TD6 is capable of a manufacturer-claimed 0-60 time of 7.4 seconds and a top speed of 130 mph. It can also tow up to 7,700 lbs.
As we headed south towards our destination, we decided to take a break in Delaware for some coffee. Thus far, the humans in the car had required two pit stops. The Range Rover needed none.
According to Land Rover, the TD6 and its 23.5-gallon tank is capable of doing more than 650 miles of highway driving on a single tank of diesel. Due to our mixed driving conditions — we weren't 100% on the highway — we didn't quite get to that figure.
According to Land Rover, the TD6 is capable of achieving 22 mpg of fuel economy in city driving and 28 mpg on the highway. On our road trip, the Range managed to get 26 mpg combined. That's truly impressive for such a large SUV.
On the road, the TD6 engine concealed it's "diesel-ness" pretty well. The Range Rover's sound deadening washed out any vestiges of the the unpleasant clattering one would expect from the a diesel. In fact, apart from a few cold starts in enclosed parking decks, we struggled to detect a diesel powerplant under the hood.
The TD6 offered the great low-end grunt that's expected of a diesel. And thanks to the turbocharger, very good high-end horsepower, as well.
As we arrived in Washington, DC, so did afternoon traffic. The Range Rover poodled along without complaint.
After an overnight stint in the nation's capital, we continued our trip into Virginia.
Although, the Range Rover's on-road behavior was competent, it was far from athletic. The Range Rover doesn't hide its weight nearly as well as its Range Rover Sport little brother. In sudden lateral maneuvers, you can feel the roll on the soft, comfort oriented suspension. However, at no time did I ever feel the Range was hard to handle.
Finally, we reached the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar Hazy Center near Dulles Airport in Chantilly, Virginia.
The museum is home to a vast collection of historically important aircraft, such as the Enola Gay, the Space Shuttle Discovery, an SR-71 Blackbird, an Air France Concorde, and the Boeing Dash 80 prototype that would become the 707 airliner.
As I drove back towards New Jersey, I found myself immensely impressed with the Range Rover HSE TD6. Over the course of over 500 miles, I came to understand what America has been missing out on when it comes to serious diesels — in a luxurious package!
Is the Range Rover TD6 more than just a way for Land Rover to meet fuel economy regulations? Absolutely. With everyday performance as capable as any Range Rover we've have had on sale in the US, the TD6 lives up to the elevated standards of the brand.
This oil burner is an off-roading masterpiece that's no slouch on a long haul over perfectly normal roads. It's a worthy companion for its supercharged V6 and V8 gasoline stablemates. The base Range Rover starts at $84,950 while the standard TD6 can be had for $86,450. Our mid-grade TD6 HSE variant test car tipped the scales at over $100,000.
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