We drive the new Range Rover: is it really one of the best luxury SUVs?

When we got to know the new generation of the Range Rover in depth, we already anticipated that for finish quality, applied technology or representational capacity, we could be looking at one of the best luxury SUVs in the world. Now we have had the chance to take the controls, and we can confirm that the impressions it left us during the first static encounter are amplified when it comes to setting off at the controls of the flagship of Land Rover.

By the way, we soon hope to also drive the recently presented Range Rover Sport version, which personally appeals to me much more than the Range Rover… unless your preferred place on board is going to be the rear seats.

The first thing I would point out about the new Range Rover is its aesthetic evolution. It seems as if the designers have freed themselves from the straitjacket of having to stay faithful to the roots of a car that can be considered a myth, after 50 years since the first generation appeared. Modern luxury, they call it. And while it is true that the new Range Rover is still identified as what it is, a true Range Rover, the truth is that compared with the fourth generation, launched in 2013 and later updated in 2017, this new model presents lines that convey far more elegance and sophistication. Furthermore, although you wouldn’t say so when they are placed side by side, the drag coefficient has improved enormously, from 0.34 to 0.30. Solutions such as the door handles, which hide themselves to sit flush with the bodywork – a solution already used on the Range Rover Velar – contribute to this.

It retains, however, features such as a short front overhang, a windscreen with a shallow rake, the shell-shaped bonnet, the split tailgate, or the floating roof sensation achieved by eliminating the trim on the rear pillar and the B-pillars finished in black. But it looks much more aerodynamic and lower, although the roofline is only 10 mm lower than the previous model. The integrated vertical rear lights, which barely reveal their appearance until they are switched on, or the wheels of up to 23 inches, for the first time on this model, give it a majestic look. Although to my taste, they have been too conservative with the front end at Land Rover, which reminds me a lot of the previous model.

There are two body versions, the SWB with a short wheelbase and 5.05 metres in length, and the LWB variant at 5.25 metres, with an extended wheelbase – from 3 to 3.2 metres – in which the extra centimetres go exclusively to rear passenger legroom. For this long-wheelbase version, although not in combination with all engines, a seven-seat configuration can be chosen for the first time on the Range Rover.

The new Range Rover inside: luxury, space and comfort

Since we are talking about the interior and the rear seats, let’s stay here before setting off. Because you will hardly find on the market today an SUV in which the third row of seats is really usable by two adults. As you probably know, the norm in these seats is that, due to lack of space, or because the bench sits very close to the floor and makes the position uncomfortable, they end up being reserved for children.

But in the Range Rover space is one of its strong points. And if two adults can travel in the two seats of the third row – by the way, an option that costs around 4,000 euros – what can we say about the attention that second-row passengers receive, even in the short-wheelbase version. It is true that in this case one could miss a little more space to place the feet under the front seats; but only when you use the “relax” mode, tilting the backrest to adopt a posture similar to that of business-class seats on an aeroplane.

With the Executive seats option, the rear centre seat is replaced by a huge motorised retractable console, which adds a third touchscreen to those that can be fitted behind the front headrests. From here you can control not only the console itself, which extends or retracts to offer an additional area for drinks, for example, but also the adjustments of the seats themselves, among which there are no shortage of massage and heating functions; or the privacy blinds on the doors and the standard panoramic roof, among many other possibilities.

And all of this, in a very welcoming atmosphere, with exquisitely textured materials, superb finish quality and a choice of tones and trim that conveys luxury, but also modernity and warmth. To achieve this, Land Rover has used special fabrics for the first time, such as upholstery made from polyurethane or floor mats made from recycled materials, as well as boasting of sustainability, which is so fashionable. Either way, the result has nothing to envy – in some cases even the opposite – to the luxury, comfort and attention to detail you can experience in any other luxury SUV you might think of, and even in traditional prestige saloons such as the Mercedes S-Class, the Audi A8 or the new BMW 7 Series.

Before moving on to the space reserved for the driver and front passenger, it is worth mentioning that the boot capacity is 575 litres, regardless of the body length. A very large and usable space for luggage, accessed through the traditional split tailgate with the upper part hinging upwards, both with powered assistance. Attention to detail is noticeable here too, with very high-quality trim. For the lower part of the tailgate you can opt for an option that allows it to be used as an external seat when the car is stationary, while the upper part can include speakers and light points.

But if you are one of those who thinks of the new Range Rover as something to drive rather than to be driven in, you will not be disappointed either. Now we will talk about the sensations transmitted by the engines and how the chassis behaves, which also play a large part in making travelling at the wheel of the Range Rover a true experience. Before that, I would like to point out how easy it is to get used to a vehicle packed with all kinds of features with hardly any need for an adaptation or learning period.

One of the keys is the infotainment system, called Pivi Pro, based on a curved central touchscreen of 13.1 inches with excellent resolution and very intuitive operation. Besides the now indispensable integration with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay (both wireless), you can take advantage of the many possibilities offered by the Amazon Alexa assistant, which comes as standard equipment. Below this screen are the physical controls for the air conditioning if you do not want to use Alexa, the screen or voice control. And on the centre console is the “joystick” gear selector and another rotary control (which can be pressed to sit flush with the console when not in use), which you will probably use fairly often: the driving mode selector.

Behind the steering wheel is a screen for the digital instrumentation that is even larger than the multimedia system’s, at 13.7 inches, configurable in three zones from the steering wheel, and which also offers very high-quality graphics and very smooth operation.

Engines of the new Range Rover: petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid

Until the arrival, within a year, of the 100% electric version, of which for the moment we only know that it will exist and that it will not arrive before 2024, Land Rover offers five mechanical options for the new Range Rover in Spain, all with automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive. The range includes a six-cylinder inline turbodiesel available in 300 hp and 350 hp versions, in both cases with mild-hybrid system and ECO label. You can also choose between two plug-in hybrids with 440 and 510 hp, also with ECO label. And from March 2023 the P530 will join the range, with the powerful yet refined petrol V8 with supercharging (now with twin turbo, instead of a turbo and a compressor) and 530 hp, which has no hybridisation of any kind.

Without having been able to drive them yet, the plug-in hybrid versions seem especially interesting to me. Firstly because of their price-to-performance ratio. But also for an unusual electric range of around 110 km, thanks to the 38.2 kWh battery, which accepts DC charging of up to 50 kW. In addition, the battery is placed in the floor (the new platform, called MLA-Flex, is prepared for the electric version), so it affects neither interior space nor the boot. And all this without forgetting the refinement brought by the combustion engine, which is now a 6-cylinder instead of a 4-cylinder.

On this first dynamic test I have been able to try the most powerful of the diesels, and the P530 with the V8 engine. In both cases I was surprised by the refinement they achieve on the move. Proportionally I would say the diesel does so even more, perhaps because with a V8 you already know what to expect. But the truth is that the six-cylinder turbodiesel does not feel out of place at all, whether moving the 2.5 tonnes the lighter Range Rover weighs, or in its smoothness of operation.

Its performance may be overshadowed by the magnificent performance of the P530, especially if you get out of the diesel and into the Range Rover with the V8 engine; although you will hardly find situations in which you need more acceleration or recovery capacity than the turbodiesel engine can offer. That said, the sensations behind the wheel of the V8 are those of driving a true missile, capable of catapulting the Range Rover to 100 km/h from a standstill in just 4.6 seconds… or of cruising calmly enjoying a power reserve and a silence only disturbed by some aerodynamic noise from the area of the very large mirrors, placed in an unusually rearward position.

As a fact that is probably not very relevant for those who decide on a car of this type, but which is there, and which mainly affects range, the difference in average consumption, considering a route and driving style very similar, was notable: around 12 litres for the D350, and between 6 and 8 l/100 km more for the V8, depending on how intensely you want to hear the very well-damped roar of the V8.

On the road with the Range Rover: quality at the wheel

During the nearly 150 km I was able to cover with the new Range Rover, half with the turbodiesel version and half with the V8, the vast majority was on mountain roads with many bends, although there was some motorway too. And the truth is that the car feels big, but never sluggish or heavy. At least when equipped with the highly recommended options of four-wheel steering and the active anti-roll bar system. Although it can also be rated as good, comfort when travelling at a relaxed pace on the motorway did not surprise me as much as the cornering behaviour, because I expected a softer suspension with greater absorption capacity when you choose “comfort” mode. Undoubtedly, a price to pay for showing off the imposing 23-inch wheels, with tyres that look like true rollers.

What I have not been able to test is how the new Range Rover performs in 4×4 driving, although its off-road qualities are to be presumed… unless you try to get into trouble with a car equipped with these wheels and low-profile asphalt tyres. In those conditions, not even the magnificent Terrain Response 2 system can work miracles. But with the right tyres, I am sure this Range Rover can keep advancing without difficulty through places where its owners will rarely dare to venture.

Full-time four-wheel drive, with a central differential coupled to a multi-plate clutch, a self-locking rear differential and a reduction gear, ensures that the car can keep moving simply by selecting the right programme. And there is one for every situation: grass, gravel, snow, mud, sand, wading… as well as the usual comfort, sport and eco modes for driving on asphalt. The wading depth of 900 mm, or the ground clearance that the air suspension allows, with two off-road modes that raise the body, are also points in its favour. However, and although it may seem a paradox, I fear that, unlike previous generations, those who opt for the new Range Rover will not do so precisely for superior 4×4 qualities compared with other luxury SUVs, even though it has them.

Prices and equipment of the new Range Rover 2022

The Range Rover range starts at 140,950 euros, the price to pay for the entry version, the P440 plug-in hybrid with SE trim level. Its price is almost 8,000 euros more affordable than the D300 turbodiesel, benefiting from exemption from registration tax. There are four trim levels, called SE, HSE, Autobiography and SV, as well as First Edition versions, which will only be sold during the first year. The price of the most expensive Range Rover, the P530 V8 with long body and SV trim, almost doubles that of the entry version, reaching 263,510 euros.

Range Rover SWB 5 seats

• P440 PHEV: 140,950 euros
• D300 MHEV: 149,000 euros
• D350 MHEV: 166,450 euros
• P510 PHEV: 157,900 euros
• P530 V8: 177,500 euros

Range Rover LWB 5/7 seats

• P440 PHEV: 153,350 euros
• D350 MHEV: 170,650/173,850 euros
• P530 V8: 181,700/185,050 euros

The equipment is very complete from the SE versions onwards, although the jump in price between the different trim levels is very large (around 8,000 euros from SE to HSE, and almost 13,000 euros from HSE to Autobiography), with the SV being the most luxurious variants, signed by the brand’s Special Vehicle Operations division. In addition to their identifying badge, these versions feature exclusive upholstery, colours and decorative elements, using materials such as ceramic. To give you an idea, the price difference between a D350 Range Rover in HSE trim (the second level) and an SV exceeds 70,000 euros.

Among the multitude of equipment items and personalisation options offered by the Land Rover catalogue are the aforementioned Executive seats, the screens for the rear seats (up to 13.1 inches), a Meridian audio system with 35 speakers and 1600 W of power, a sophisticated interior air purification system, ambient lighting and cameras, or remote parking with external control from a smartphone, not to mention the overwhelming range of fabrics and decorative materials for the interior, body colours or wheels.

New Range Rover – Image gallery

Technical specifications of this car

Off-RoadLand Rover Range Rover25 versions · from 149,250 €