It’s already three years ago since we’ve tested the previous generation of the Land Rover Range Rover 5.0 V8 Supercharged. A tank on wheels which weighs 2580 kilograms. At that moment, we said that the previous generation Range Rover doesn’t look old after ten years. Well, we haven’t moved on ten years, but we haven’t changed our opinion so far. Still, it was time for a successor. A successor which had to be less heavy and with that, more economical. Land Rover laid their hands on the project and introduced this successor last August.
The aim they’ve set was achieved. The new Range Rover was 420 kilograms lighter than the previous generation, with a lower CO2-emmision and fuel consumption as direct results. The TDV6 even has got the energy label C! With blank paper, they’ve started to completely redesign the car and improve it when necessary. This fourth generation of the Range Rover is the first SUV to have the revolutionary self-carrying body-construction. Still, when we compare both generations we drove, the difference is just 143 kilograms. Despite this, the Range Rover became much more economical. One of the things which helps the fuel consumption is the eight-speed automatic gearbox. The previous one had a six-speed gearbox, which is a world of difference when you drive both! One the great things of this 5.0 V8 Supercharged is that you can easily keep up with sports cars like a Porsche Carrera S or BMW M3. None of these cars will outrun the 510 hp mastodon, to the amazement of the cars’ drivers. The cars won’t win before they reach 225 kph, because that’s the maximum speed of the Range Rover. We reckon this speed is limited, because you can easily reach it. The acoustic layered glass makes high speeds, we talk about speeds above 200 kph, possible without even hearing the fewest wind noise, something which is totally different for the rivals. By the way, the sprint to hundred kph can be done in 5.3 seconds.
The new Range Rover is improved on every thinkable surface. The new generation of Land Rover’s Terrain Response®-system analyses the most actual driving conditions and automatically selects the most suitable settings for the conditions. It all sounds good, but in reality it can be less successful, as we experienced. Not only this car wasn’t equipped with off-road tires, it was expectable that we would get stuck with a 2300 kilogram car in clay ground. Happely though, a friendly excavator driver got us out of trouble. We have to say, with other circumstances like sandy hills, this Range Rover handles perfectly, without even the slightest struggle or wheel spin. It’s a real strange experience, of such a heavy car driving up a hill so easily. This proves that 18 months of testing under heavy circumstances bear their fruits, and that small hills like we have at the Dutch testing location are a piece of cake.
Compared to the previous one, the interior was raised to an even higher level. The satellite navigation finally works properly and fast, where the previous one excused on speed. The comfort of the car also improved a lot. We mentioned the acoustic glass earlier on, but also the leg space increased with 118 millimeters. Then, there is the addition of the optional Executive Class-version. This optional extra, implies two separate seats in the back which create even more luxury. The new Range Rover is fitted with the latest development on the surface of car technology, luxurious interior equipment included like exclusive Meridian, electric service of the above and lowest boot lit, and even the rear seats can be fold down automatically. We start to understand why the weight has increased again.
When we take a look at the exterior of the Range Rover it immediately stand out that Range Rover used some design elements from the Evoque. This stands out even more at the Range Rover Sport. The Range is an SUV with the luxury of a limousine. Luckily, there are optional footboards to make it easier to step into the car. For smaller people, it’s a small jump to get behind into the luxurious seat behind the steering wheel so this is quite a functional option. Even when the Range is set on entry mode, it’s still a challenge to get into the car. The looks haven’t changed much compared with the previous generation. The lights look more modern and the Range now has 22 inch wheels. A nice option is the automatic tow bar, ideal for those who need to tow their caravan or trailer.
Luckily, the price is something we always mention last because the price for this car is high, very high. The version we drove costs 208,910 Euros. But this does give you a complete and very luxurious SUV with the most powerful engine. You can also choose for a softer version, the TDV6 or de SDV8 Vogue which cost 114,400 or 147,600 Euros. This is, of course, without any extra options. The version we drove also has extra options worth 20,000 Euros. This includes the tow bar, 22 inch wheels, the Meridian Surround Sound System and the massage function on the front seats. The options we now named are already worth 7,000 of the 20,000 Euros.
The Range Rover 5.0 V8 Supercharged is an all-rounder. It’s good in carrying people around in luxury, driving off-road or just cruising on the highway. Everything’s possible only filling up at the gas station will be a thing you will regret about this car. They might say that this car is economic but fueling up does take a lot of time. Choosing for the diesel version is an option but this won’t come together with the lovely sound and acceleration of the V8 and we don’t know if you can live without this?