New-gen Range Rover Unveiled With Smoother Exterior Design And More Tech

It looks a lot like the old one, but with a host of design changes to make it look more modern

• Land Rover has premiered the fifth-gen Range Rover.

• It looks smoother and more modern thanks to its new design, but similar enough to the old one to be instantly recognisable.

• New Range Rover gets similarly updated interiors with new screens and more technology than before.

• It will be offered with a choice of six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines with mild-hybrid tech and a twin-turbo V8 petrol option too.

• The new extended plug-in hybrid petrol variants will get a 38.2kWh battery for a pure EV range of up to 100km.

• Land Rover is likely to launch the new Range Rover in India in 2022.

The Range Rover is perhaps the most iconic luxury SUV today and the halo car of the Land Rover lineup. It has now been unveiled in its fifth-gen avatar with a long list of changes under the smoothened exterior.

From the front, the design change is subtle as it still looks a lot like the outgoing model, making it easy to recognise as a Range Rover. The design has been cleaned up, with smoother surfaces and an air dam design that better integrates the sensors, cameras and fog lamps. Its new LED headlamps also get more advanced technology to actively adjust the lighting to avoid blinding oncoming traffic. Similarly, the profile also looks smoother, with fewer breaks in the design which makes it look more modern.

The rear end, with its sleek vertical tail lamps and hidden lights, is the most striking aspect of the new-gen design. The tail lights are actually facing inwards for light to be reflected off of a prism, which gives it a luxuriously subtle look. Meanwhile, the lights for the indicators are hidden in the black bar that connects the tail lamps and only become visible when in use. It also keeps the iconic split tailgate design which can also be set up with padding to use as a leisure bench.

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In terms of structural improvements, the new Range Rover is based on Land Rover’s flexible Modular Longitudinal Architecture which also makes it EV-ready. It is 50 percent more rigid than before and gets a 48V anti-roll system for the air suspension. The new-gen luxury SUV has grown a bit longer. The standard wheelbase is 75mm longer but only 52mm more in overall length while the long wheelbase (LWB) version extends the wheelbase and overall length by 200mm.

For the first time, Land Rover is also offering the Range Rover with a third row of seats in the LWB variant. In the five-seater configuration, you can electronically fold down the middle seat if it is not in use. It is also available in a more luxurious four-seater configuration which adds a fixed central console between the two rear seats. This fixed divider houses a fold out table and even a mini-fridge with space for a bottle of champagne and two glasses.

Land Rover has given the same treatment to the interior of the new-gen Range Rover as the exterior: small changes that make it look more modern rather than a complete overhaul. It gets a new 13.7-inch digital driver’s display and a 13.1-inch central touchscreen infotainment system. The central screen also has a slight curve to it to match the dashboard. It gets Land Rover’s latest infotainment system with built-in Amazon Alexa and will get more tech in the future with over-the-air updates.

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The engine options for the all-new Range Rover include petrols, diesels, mild-hybrids (MHEV) and plug-in hybrids (PHEV). The powertrain options will vary depending on the standard or long wheelbase versions. Here’s the full list of engine options that will be offered at its global debut:

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The Ingenium range of six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines get a 48-volt mild-hybrid system as standard. Land Rover has equipped the fifth-gen Range Rover’s extended range PHEV variants with a 38.2kWh lithium-ion battery. These variants will feature an integrated 143PS electric motor and claim a realistic EV range of 80km along with the 3-litre, six-cylinder petrol engines. The exact performance details of the PHEVs are yet to be revealed but the variants will be called P440E and P510E. A pure electric version of the new Range Rover is slated to be unveiled in 2024.

All engines are paired to an 8-speed automatic transmission with a two-speed transfer case for going off-road. It gets all-wheel drive as standard with Land Rover’s Terrain Response 2 system. It can also disengage the front wheels while cruising on the highway to improve fuel economy. The rear wheel steering also makes the Range Rover’s size easier to manage, with a smaller turning circle than any other Land Rover SUV. You can also control your massive luxury SUV from the outside by using a dedicated smartphone app for navigating tight spaces.

The all-new Range Rover is expected to come to India in 2022 as a CBU import. It will continue to rival the likes of the Lexus LX and Mercedes-Benz Maybach GLS. The sporty variant with the twin-turbo V8 will also take on the Aston Martin DBX and Bentley Bentayga.

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