XCar Reviews Range Rover Hybrid, Doesn't Quite Get It

Starting from this fall, Land Rover added hybrid versions for the Range Rover and the Range Rover Sport to its range. The first ever hybrid models in the history of Land Rover combine a 3.0-liter SDV6 turbodiesel engine linked to an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission with a 35kW (47hp) electric motor/generator.

With a total system output of 335hp (340PS) and 700 Nm (516 lb-ft) of torque, the Range Rover Hybrid sprints from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in under 7 seconds and has an average fuel economy of 44.1 mpg UK (36.7 mpg US, 6.4 l/100 km).

XCar took the Range Rover Hybrid for a spin and found that it’s exactly like any other Range Rover (which is good), only more economical.

However, as the hybrid model is only offered on the top-spec Autobiography model, there’s a big problem: it costs £98,400 in the UK, the same as the 510hp V8-powered Range Rover. The question is: will fuel costs really matter for customers who can afford to spend that much on a car in the first place?

By Dan Mihalascu

VIDEO

Land Rover Introduces New Range Rover LWB Variants Costing Up to $199,500 in LA

If Land Rover’s Indian owners would have felt inclined to, the new Range Rover Long-Wheelbase Autobiography Black model, finished in the exclusive Valloire White Paint, would have ended up being embarrassingly expensive, but thankfully they stopped piling on at $199,500. It’s a hefty price to pay, but thankfully it includes the $895 destination and delivery charge; available as of March 2014.

They justify this fairly high price tag with opulent extravagances such as “individualized front and rear seating package with a bespoke seat cover design,” and a bespoke “rear center console includes electrically deployable tables covered in black leather with integrated USB charging sockets and cup holders.”

There’s configurable LED mood lighting (with 10 colors to choose from), perforated leather door inserts and the obligatory tread plates with a backlit “Autobiography Black” inscription, to literally name but a few.

Naturally, all this and more can be endlessly customized and trimmed in a wide assortment of leathers.

Thankfully, if you don’t need all that bespoke treatment in your life, then you will more than happily make do with the base long-wheelbase Range, a model that’s also making its global debut alongside the posh Autobiography at the Los Angeles motor show. It starts at a slightly easier to digest $106,195, or exactly $22,000 dearer than the short model.

Land Rover says the extra cash grants an additional 7.3 inches (18.5 cm) of rear legroom; all come with tilting individual rear seatbacks that will have a 17-degree range of motion – that’s 8 degrees more than the regular model can muster. Powered window blinds, a panoramic sunroof and unique L badges on the lower front door trims complete list of unique lwb touches.

Check out the full price list and gallery below.

By Andrei Nedelea

PHOTO GALLERY

360 VIEW OF RANGE ROVER LWB INTERIOR

Is the New Mercedes-Benz S-Class a Better Luxury Car Than the Range Rover and Audi A8?

We’ve seen many reviews of the all-new Mercedes-Benz S-Class lately, and the unanimous opinion is that the new luxury sedan is a class above all of its competitors. However, when it comes to luxury cars, things are not that simple to classify. Nowadays, traditional luxury sedans face stiff competition from other luxury vehicles as well, like SUVs and four-door coupes.

This is why AutoExpress decided to test the S-Class against a traditional rival like the Audi A8 (albeit the pre-facelift model) and against a vehicle that theoretically belongs to another segment, the Land Rover Range Rover.

One of the reasons the magazine chose the luxury SUV was because it won Best Luxury Car at the 2013 Auto Express New Car Awards, following six consecutive years of S-Class supremacy.

I suspect the award may have had something to do with British pride as well, but can the Range Rover beat the S-Class in a comparative review? You’ll just have to watch the video to find out.

By Dan Mihalascu

VIDEO

Range Rover Sport Sets Fastest Desert Crossing Time with Avg. Speed of 81.87 KM/H (50.87 MPH)

A good way to get publicity for new models is to establish records few thought about before. After setting a record for production SUVs at Pikes Peak this summer, Land Rover has claimed another first with the new Range Rover Sport, this time off-road.

The SUV set the fastest time for a land vehicle crossing of the “Empty Quarter”, the largest sand desert in the world and the second largest desert overall after the Sahara.

Land Rover’s team completed the journey from Wadi Adda Wasir in Saudi Arabia to the border of the United Arab Emirates in 10 hours and 22 minutes at an average speed of 51.87 mph (81.87 km/h), covering a distance of 849 km (527 miles) on a route dictated by the conditions on the ground.

The record was made with a standard production new Range Rover Sport fitted with a 510PS 5.0-liter supercharged V8 petrol engine, riding on regular tyres. The only modification to the vehicle was the addition of an underbody protection plate.

Behind the wheel was Land Rover driver Moi Torrallardona, a 47 year-old Spanish off-road racer who has competed 10 consecutive years at the Dakar Rally, with a best finish of 6th overall.

“Desert driving requires a unique combination of speed, finesse and technical skill. It is crucial that you tackle the dunes with precision. Knowing the right time to go full throttle and the right time to slow down, takes experience and clear judgement,” said Torrallardona.

“This unique way of driving requires a vehicle which has the same skillset - it must be both incredibly fast but also agile, responsive and well planted. The Range Rover Sport is exactly that. It is massively capable and is truly the best tool for conquering the desert,” he added.

By Dan Mihalascu

PHOTO GALLERY

VIDEO