While clearly still a Range Rover, the company has taken a more minimalist approach to the design, with Jaguar Land Rover’s design boss, Gerry McGovern, saying: “It is possible to respect your DNA and still project forwards – and that is what we have done.”
In more than 50 years there have only been four generations of Range Rover, so this all-new, fifth-generation car for 2022 is a significant step for Land Rover. Not least because the British brand’s iconic luxury SUV will be available as a plug-in hybrid and with seven seats for the first time.
According to the brand, New Range Rover will be filled with modernity, peerless refinement and unmatched Land Rover capability.
The looks are certainly modern, with the outline being a jumble of smooth curves and lines.
The usual standard and long-wheelbase designs are available with what the manufacturer is calling “serenity” and “intrepid” design themes, which would seem to cover both extremes of what you might want to use the car for.
Engine-wise, the new Range Rover comes with a suite of mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains, with a pure electric version set to join the fleet in 2024. One of the versions available, a petrol twin-turbo V8, will get the car from a standing start to 100 kilometres per hour in 4.6 seconds.
As before, the car will be available in SE, HSE and Autobiography models, but the new sunset gold First Edition version will be on offer for a limited time.
Alongside fully electric EV mode, there’s a choice of Hybrid mode – the default setting, which combines both power sources and uses predictive energy optimisation tech, as well as geofencing to ensure electric propulsion is available in low emissions zones, for example – and Save mode. This latter setting retains a programmable state of charge for deployment later in the driver’s journey.
Mild-hybrid tech also features in the engine line-up, with a 394bhp 3.0-litre petrol (0-62mph in 5.8 seconds, 29.7mpg combined and 215g/km of CO2), as well as two diesel options. The 3.0-litre straight-six-engined D300 and D350 model offer 296bhp and 345bhp respectively, with up to 37.2mpg possible and CO2 emissions from 198g/km.
At the top of the engine range sits a new 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol unit, offering 523bhp and 750Nm of torque. Thanks to a Dynamic Launch system the 0-62mph sprint is dispatched in 4.6 seconds, while top speed is limited to 155mph.
All powertrains are mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox with low-range capability and Land Rover’s four-wheel drive system with Terrain Response 2 tech that tailors the drivetrain to different surfaces, while the new Intelligent All-Wheel Drive system can decouple the front axle on-road between 21mph and 100mph to improve efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions by up to 4g/km.
The boat tail rear is the biggest design departure for the new Range Rover and is a bold, almost retro design cue on what is otherwise a very modern minimalist design. It will no doubt be a love-it-or-hate-it change.
Of course, the interior is next-level luxury, with multiple large screens and high-quality materials throughout, that sees the Range Rover push even deeper into luxury car territory.
The new Rangie is also packed with other tech, including four-wheel steering, advanced air filtration, pre-emptive suspension that uses navigation data to read the road ahead, over-the-air software updates for more than 70 electronic modules, embedded Amazon Alexa voice assistant, and power-assisted doors with integrated hazard detection and anti-pinch safety features.
Being a Range Rover, it also has to be ridiculously capable off-road as well, even though the vast majority of its buyers will never get to experience its capabilities there.
True to its roots, and ready for the future, Range Rover is available with plug-in hybrid* and mild hybrid options.
A fully electric Range Rover will join the family in 2024.
The reductive nature of the design is free from superfluous detail, resulting in a form which has breathtaking modernity. This is the most desirable Range Rover ever created.
“The New Range Rover is a brilliant manifestation of our vision to create the world’s most desirable luxury vehicles. It is a compelling demonstration of the pioneering innovation that has been a Range Rover hallmark for more than 50 years.”
Thierry Bolloré
Chief Executive Officer, Jaguar Land Rover
