Land Rover Range Rover 4.4 V8 Twin-Turbo (A) First Drive Review
14 Apr 2022|7,339 views
What We Like
It looks good from all angles
Rear changes exude a wow factor
Extremely quiet on the go
Supremely comfortable, spacious and luxurious
User-friendly Pivi Pro infotainment system
What We Dislike
It will be rather expensive when it goes on sale in Singapore
By offering a good mix of talented all-terrain capability with impressive engine and supreme luxury, the all new Range Rover is the exact definition of what a luxury SUV should be. After over 50 years, the car is now only on to its fifth iteration, but with every new Rangie model that comes out, the carmaker never fails to consistently deliver the same winning formula that outdoes its predecessors.
This time round, it's no different. After all, Land Rover has sold 1.275 million Range Rovers in total since its inception, with the previous fourth generation filling up over 500,000 units.
Size matters
The car will be available in both standard or long-wheelbase (LWB) forms when it's due to arrive in Singapore later this year in July.
Fashionably sitting on the tarmac at 5,052mm long, 2,209mm wide and 1,870mm tall, the standard wheelbase Rangie has a wheelbase of 2,997mm. The LWB variant, on the other hand, adds 200mm to the overall length and has a more generous wheelbase of 3,197mm.
To put it into perspective, the long wheelbase Rangie is bigger than some of its already-sizeable peers like the BMW X7 and the Bentley Bentayga. As a result, you have a choice of having your car in seven or five-seating configurations or, if you so wish, a fancy four-seater with motorised table.
New form of art
Regardless of how you want your Rangie, the sheet metal of the SUV will look equally fabulous. Appearing like the entire car was moulded from a single piece of aluminium block, panel gaps are incredibly tight, finishing on the details are spot on, and changes up front are down to a minimum to keep it instantly recognisable.
The rear is where you'll pick out the biggest and most obvious aesthetic change. Brake lights as well as signal indicators are hidden behind a black panel until they are lit up or when the brakes and indicators are activated. It's a neat party trick, indeed.
Equally impressive is the cabin. Here, you'll have trouble finding a piece of switchgear that's been uncared for. Every single thing - from the buttons and the knobs to the seats and the door handles - is thoroughly designed and engineered. Run your palms through areas where you'll hardly touch and you won't find anything that's sharp or protruding unnecessarily.
It's a minimalistic and a rather tech-savvy place to be, the cabin. You get three 13.1-inch displays (two located at the back for passengers), of which the main one takes the centre stage of the dash. Pivi Pro, as the carmaker dubs it, is a crisp and clear infotainment system that's easy to use and navigate around. It isn't quite as intuitive or creatively designed as the one in the BMW iX, but it's a modern tech on board that enhances the car's desirability.
Lavish yacht on wheels
Speaking of desirability, if you're hoping that the Range Rover will display some form of sporty disposition to magnify its appeal, you'll be left wanting more. For that, you may want to turn to others like the Aston Martin DBX or the Porsche Cayenne Turbo.
See, the Rangie isn't the sort of car you buy for driving involvement or for the race track because it wasn't made to be as dynamic as an Aston or a Porsche. But then again, we will have to understand that it isn't trying to be sporty or dynamic. The Rangie is that archetypal SUV that sits in a world of its own, without trying to define itself to anyone who isn't in the know.
As it is, the driveability of the car has already been improved. Based on a new MLA Flex platform that's made up of 80% aluminium, the Rangie is now stiffer. Body leans are better-controlled around sweeping bends, it doesn't dive as much when you brake the car hard and there's no longer that sloppiness when you perform sudden lane changes.
Yes, you'll seldom be driving this hard in the Rangie as I did, but given the intense 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 powerplant residing underneath the bonnet, I could hardly resist the temptation. Gun the throttle and all 522bhp and 750Nm of twisting force are immediately sent to four corners with massive urgency, empowering the Rangie to hurtle to the 100km/h mark from nought in just 4.6 seconds - accompanied by a sonorous soundtrack that will leave you begging for more.
But once you've had your fun and decide to take it down a couple of notches, the Rangie lets you enjoy the sublime ride with its remarkably civilised character and well-insulated cabin.
As a matter of fact, the cabin is so quiet now that the carmaker's claim of reducing external noises by over 20% is thoroughly believable here. Thanks to active noise cancelling technology, Range Rover's Meridian Signature sound system as well as 35 speakers scattered around the SUV's interior, you may as well hear a pin drop in the car while you're driving around town.
Start of a new era
The all new Range Rover is a highly confident, comfortable and luxurious SUV that's intelligently well-engineered and stunningly well-designed. It's with this very iteration that the carmaker can proudly claim the Rangie to be the definitive luxury car, methinks.
And that's the utmost important intention for the SUV, as Land Rover boldly takes the flagship model to fend off tough and extravagant competitors such as the Bentley Bentayga and the BMW X7.
Whatever the case, competitors of the Rangie should start making notes, because if Land Rover has been consistent in delivering the same winning formula that creates better Range Rovers, the car that you see here could well be a big success.
Looking for a comfortable and luxurious full-sized SUV? Here are some options for you to consider:
The new X7 is BMW's everything car
Bentley Bentayga Hybrid is an SUV that performs with luxury
The Rolls-Royce Cullinan has an impressive breadth of ability
What We Like
It looks good from all angles
Rear changes exude a wow factor
Extremely quiet on the go
Supremely comfortable, spacious and luxurious
User-friendly Pivi Pro infotainment system
What We Dislike
It will be rather expensive when it goes on sale in Singapore
By offering a good mix of talented all-terrain capability with impressive engine and supreme luxury, the all new Range Rover is the exact definition of what a luxury SUV should be. After over 50 years, the car is now only on to its fifth iteration, but with every new Rangie model that comes out, the carmaker never fails to consistently deliver the same winning formula that outdoes its predecessors.
This time round, it's no different. After all, Land Rover has sold 1.275 million Range Rovers in total since its inception, with the previous fourth generation filling up over 500,000 units.
Size matters
The car will be available in both standard or long-wheelbase (LWB) forms when it's due to arrive in Singapore later this year in July.
Fashionably sitting on the tarmac at 5,052mm long, 2,209mm wide and 1,870mm tall, the standard wheelbase Rangie has a wheelbase of 2,997mm. The LWB variant, on the other hand, adds 200mm to the overall length and has a more generous wheelbase of 3,197mm.
To put it into perspective, the long wheelbase Rangie is bigger than some of its already-sizeable peers like the BMW X7 and the Bentley Bentayga. As a result, you have a choice of having your car in seven or five-seating configurations or, if you so wish, a fancy four-seater with motorised table.
New form of art
Regardless of how you want your Rangie, the sheet metal of the SUV will look equally fabulous. Appearing like the entire car was moulded from a single piece of aluminium block, panel gaps are incredibly tight, finishing on the details are spot on, and changes up front are down to a minimum to keep it instantly recognisable.
The rear is where you'll pick out the biggest and most obvious aesthetic change. Brake lights as well as signal indicators are hidden behind a black panel until they are lit up or when the brakes and indicators are activated. It's a neat party trick, indeed.
Equally impressive is the cabin. Here, you'll have trouble finding a piece of switchgear that's been uncared for. Every single thing - from the buttons and the knobs to the seats and the door handles - is thoroughly designed and engineered. Run your palms through areas where you'll hardly touch and you won't find anything that's sharp or protruding unnecessarily.
It's a minimalistic and a rather tech-savvy place to be, the cabin. You get three 13.1-inch displays (two located at the back for passengers), of which the main one takes the centre stage of the dash. Pivi Pro, as the carmaker dubs it, is a crisp and clear infotainment system that's easy to use and navigate around. It isn't quite as intuitive or creatively designed as the one in the BMW iX, but it's a modern tech on board that enhances the car's desirability.
Lavish yacht on wheels
Speaking of desirability, if you're hoping that the Range Rover will display some form of sporty disposition to magnify its appeal, you'll be left wanting more. For that, you may want to turn to others like the Aston Martin DBX or the Porsche Cayenne Turbo.
See, the Rangie isn't the sort of car you buy for driving involvement or for the race track because it wasn't made to be as dynamic as an Aston or a Porsche. But then again, we will have to understand that it isn't trying to be sporty or dynamic. The Rangie is that archetypal SUV that sits in a world of its own, without trying to define itself to anyone who isn't in the know.
As it is, the driveability of the car has already been improved. Based on a new MLA Flex platform that's made up of 80% aluminium, the Rangie is now stiffer. Body leans are better-controlled around sweeping bends, it doesn't dive as much when you brake the car hard and there's no longer that sloppiness when you perform sudden lane changes.
Yes, you'll seldom be driving this hard in the Rangie as I did, but given the intense 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 powerplant residing underneath the bonnet, I could hardly resist the temptation. Gun the throttle and all 522bhp and 750Nm of twisting force are immediately sent to four corners with massive urgency, empowering the Rangie to hurtle to the 100km/h mark from nought in just 4.6 seconds - accompanied by a sonorous soundtrack that will leave you begging for more.
But once you've had your fun and decide to take it down a couple of notches, the Rangie lets you enjoy the sublime ride with its remarkably civilised character and well-insulated cabin.
As a matter of fact, the cabin is so quiet now that the carmaker's claim of reducing external noises by over 20% is thoroughly believable here. Thanks to active noise cancelling technology, Range Rover's Meridian Signature sound system as well as 35 speakers scattered around the SUV's interior, you may as well hear a pin drop in the car while you're driving around town.
Start of a new era
The all new Range Rover is a highly confident, comfortable and luxurious SUV that's intelligently well-engineered and stunningly well-designed. It's with this very iteration that the carmaker can proudly claim the Rangie to be the definitive luxury car, methinks.
And that's the utmost important intention for the SUV, as Land Rover boldly takes the flagship model to fend off tough and extravagant competitors such as the Bentley Bentayga and the BMW X7.
Whatever the case, competitors of the Rangie should start making notes, because if Land Rover has been consistent in delivering the same winning formula that creates better Range Rovers, the car that you see here could well be a big success.
Looking for a comfortable and luxurious full-sized SUV? Here are some options for you to consider:
The new X7 is BMW's everything car
Bentley Bentayga Hybrid is an SUV that performs with luxury
The Rolls-Royce Cullinan has an impressive breadth of ability
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