The Range Rover is a luxury car. More than that, it is a luxury brand. No longer can this vehicle be classified as an all-wheel-drive, all-terrain vehicle SUV that transports its occupants in a modicum of comfort. This latest Range Rover is a luxury car that has four wheel drive and will cosset its passengers in supreme opulence while ferrying them across deserts, through jungles and over ice-floes – should they wish to do so!
This latest car demonstrates just how far ‘the brand’ has come in 40 years. Back in 1971, the tall, spindly wheeled Range Rover provided unrivalled space inside its cabin with the go-anywhere, rugged capability of the legendary Defender. It wasn’t long before the Land Rover chiefs realised they were on to a winner as folk queued up to buy a device that would do the job of a Land Rover but with the comfort of an executive saloon.
The more they loaded up the cars with extras, the more the public lapped it up and bought them. Along with that came an increase in price, to the extent that Land Rover needed something to fill the growing gap between their original utility vehicle and new top range model, hence the arrival of the Land Rover Discovery.
Far from plugging a gap, the success of the Discovery has grown to such an extent that a top range Disco is now more expensive than an entry level Ranger, so Land Rover pushed the boat out and made the RR even more luxurious.
And that has culminated in this latest incarnation. Along with that appeal and sales success, the car has become an icon for success and achievement. It’s a badge of office beloved by politicians and pop stars, and, it goes with the territory these days, gangsters. This is the Breitling of the car world, the Gucci of the handbag set and the Moet & Chandon of the bankers bonus brigade.
Not that Range Rover themselves will say that, but when they list the cars and manufacturers who they compare themselves against, it’s obvious that the Range Rover is no longer simply an SUV. This is a car to rival top marques like Bentley, Jaguar, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Maserati.
And yet it’s hard to conceive when sitting inside such an expensive, spacious, luxurious car that it can conquer mountains, wade through salmon rivers and tackle high kerbs in Edinburgh. Why bother with skis when you can just drive down the piste in comfort?
And so it was, I found myself sitting there at the wheel of 77 grandsworth of limousine while descending a snow covered slope that was fit only for bob sleigh olympians and death-wish snowboarders, and that was followed by driving down forestry tracks more suited to tracked excavators and Bigfoot hunters.
This was part of the British launch of the new Range Rover which was earlier unveiled to the international press in Morocco. So instead of the sand dunes of the Moroccan desert, the Brits had the snow covered slopes of the Perthshire mountains.
Winter had arrived in Scotland and the 255 bhp, V6 twin turbo diesel, Range Rover I was driving was sitting on 21 inch rims with Goodyear F1 Eagle tyres. They looked about as grippy as tacketty boots on a ‘Strictly Come’ dance floor. And then the off-road instructor said: “Drive over this cliff.”
Well, maybe it wasn’t actually a cliff, but at the top of the frozen, snow compacted slope it looked stupidly steep. There was a barbed wire fence at the foot of the slope too – I wouldn’t have tried it on a kid’s sledge never mind 2.1 tonnes of assorted metals and glass sitting on ballet shoes.
Anyway, having selected Hill Descent Control in the Terrain Response System, pushed the lever into Drive and taken both feet off both pedals, over I went. At first things were well under control, then the back end started to slide, upset by some previous wheeltracks in the rippled ice. And once on the move no amount of counter steering was going to bring it back.
Now, the natural reaction to such an incident would be to – PANIC, DON’T PANIC!!! And I didn’t, I simply pressed the throttle which had the effect of spinning the wheels. This extra acceleration then triggered the wheel sensors and brought the anti-skid mode into play, and simply pulled the big Rover back into line and down the hill stopping well before the fence. That was a mighty impressive display of electronic and mechanical control.
In other words, the off-road guys knew perfectly well that in ‘trickle’ mode, the descent speed was too slow to trigger the traction control systems, and against all natural instincts, drivers had to resist the temptation to go for the brake, and go for the throttle instead.
I have a simple theory at such events. I do as I am told on the basis that the instructors are not going to risk 77 grandsworth of vehicle (and also life and limb) conducting manoeuvres that the vehicle can’t manage. This belief has served me well over the years regardless of where and what I have been driving, whether it was a Jeep crossing the Rockies or a Volkswagen Crafter van over a Spanish mountain.
With confidence restored, the rest of the icy course was tackled with cocky assurance although the woodland section was very tight, tricky and treacherously slippy between the trees, but no body panels were harmed in this exercise.
If that was impressive, then so too was the road run. The interior is luxurious, the seating sublime, the suspension pampering and the power seductive.
I also drove the 5 litre Supercharged V8 petrol powered Ranger with 503 bhp (not off road!) which merely confirmed this vehicle’s new aspirations, and at just over £98,000 seems quite a bargain when pitched against some other so-called ‘supercars’.
Even so, the ‘base’ model Range Rover starts from a more modest £72,000, but I would still venture to suggest, this is not a car for throwing trolley jacks and toolboxes into the back. Yet it will tow 3.5 tonnes.
And that was just the launch, I should get the opportunity for a full Road Test in the New Year. In the meantime, keep doing the Lottery!