2022 Range Rover Review: Luxury Meets Off-Road Ability
The new Range Rover is a big deal for Land Rover and hence, it now has a new platform, more modern engines, and a lot more technology.
In terms of luxury SUVs, the Range Rover stands apart due to its unique combination of luxury and off-road ability. It is the most important product from Land Rover and also a brand in itself. However, the luxury SUV space has exploded off late with everyone jumping into this lucrative space. You now have Lamborghini, Bentley, and Rolls-Royce plus many more to give the Range Rover some serious competition.
The luxury SUV buyer does have a lot of options but where does the new Range Rover sit amongst the others? We already had a first look and experienced the rear seat with so much space thanks to the long wheelbase version. Now what was remaining to be done was the driving experience.
The new Range Rover is a big deal for Land Rover and hence, it now has a new platform, more modern engines, and a lot more technology. It is probably the biggest and longest SUV that you can buy in India with a length of more than 5.2m. It is huge and has a lot of presence but it is not too flashy or over-complicating. It is a simple yet brilliant design we think due to having the classic Range Rover styling cues but adding in details like the cool taillamps which remain hidden unless lit or even the smoother shape including flush door handles. Due to its size, it has loads of presence but is also elegant.
Such a massive SUV requires care in terms of driving it every day. At first, you are indeed intimidated by the sheer size of it and for cramped city roads, it is very big for sure. However, the light steering and raised driving position help a lot here. A much-needed feature is also the all-wheel steering which makes turning this SUV much easier with even the rear wheels turning.
Once you start driving, you are eventually accustomed to the size and the petrol version that I drove was silent as well. The petrol is a 3.0l mild hybrid with 400bhp/700Nm and provides enough power along with being delivered smoothly. The same can be said for the 8-speed automatic as well. The Range Rover is big and you have to take care in the corners but you'd be amazed at its handling as it's much more sorted than its predecessor or its 'direct rival'. There is a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes including an active anti-roll bar system which helps the big Range Rover corner better.
The automatic air suspension also gives the big Range Rover the comfort it needs to give its occupants as it glides over potholes. The massive wheels on our car did bring in some stiffness over the potholes, but overall, the ride quality is as expected, a soft and comfy one.
We did not do much off-roading but it can wade through seriously deep water at 900mm while having an optimum approach/departure angle. That said, we did take it to a particularly challenging location where the ground clearance was tested and here, the vehicle can be raised to 295mm ground clearance. Suffice it to say, the Range Rover does off-road better than any other super luxury SUV.
We haven't talked about the interior but that does beg the question as to whether the Range Rover in this LWB spec is a chauffeur-driven car, especially with all that space. Getting in a climb even with the suspension lowered for easy entry. But, once inside, it's a lovely cabin that is not too complicated. There is a big curved touchscreen and cool knobs below which are for climate control. Soft leather and various materials are all there while buyers can spec a lot more including wool blend fabric interior which is leather-free.
There are a lot of screens: a new 13.1-inch infotainment screen, 13.7in HD driver display, HUD, and two 11.4 touchscreens at the back along with an 8-inch one for the controls at the rear seat.
The place to be is the rear left seat which is truly king-sized. Space is huge and you can properly recline with the executive seat feature while everything is controlled automatically from the full glass roof, and 35-speaker Meridian audio system to even the cupholders or even the massive armrest itself. Of course, the seats are heated, and cooled and you can have a massage too! This is clearly the space that owners would spend all of their time on!
Prices start at Rs 2.4cr but you'd spend around Rs 3.5cr for a well-specced example as seen here. It is hugely expensive but you do get your money's worth in terms of a massive luxury car that also becomes an SUV with a proper off-road pedigree when you want it to. Of course, the Range Rover brand name and the status that it brings means that filmstars, celebrities, and the jet set that buy one, buy it for the looks and the image. It is an icon that is back in a new avatar and for its combination of talents, there is nothing quite like a Range Rover!
What we like- Luxury, comfort, features, design, performance
What we do not- Too big for our roads, Expensive
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