![]() A heated steering wheel is optional and comes as part of the Autobiography Package. The steering wheel has been redesigned and is now strewn with buttons, but they’re well laid out - all 21 of them. Metal trimmings are everywhere, from the floormats to the turn-signal stalks. The seats are also upgraded, but things like metal-tabbed buttons and knobs are standard across the line, and they really make the interior feel luxurious. I’m not sure how much the special edition’s added leather on the dashboard and headliner - yes, it’s a real leather headliner, complete with stitching - contributed to the overall luxury feel. With the exception of luxury sedans like the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes S-Class, I can’t think of a better interior in a modern vehicle than the Range Rover’s - but I have to temper that praise by acknowledging the Autobiography edition’s additional $14,500 cost. You’ll notice the body leaning on highway cloverleafs, as happens in most large SUVs. The Range Rover is also surprisingly agile when cornering, but there’s no escaping its tall, boxy shape. The sand setting is a unique one that’s good for drivers who live near beaches or in dry, sandy (read: desert) environs. This adjusts throttle and traction to prevent slipping. There’s also an adjustable setting for various terrain, including a Snow and Ice mode and a Sand mode. Compared with a Porsche Cayenne, it feels like riding among the clouds. While not as road-isolating as the Lexus LX, the Range Rover does a good job providing a smooth ride over the inhospitable terrain that encircles our downtown Chicago offices. The technology for off-roading crosses over to on-road performance, too, with an adaptive air suspension system that can aid in tackling potholes. (If you’re trying to imagine such a setting, Land Rover’s website shows a Range Rover on a muddy dirt road alongside a horse ranch.) Hill descent control is a standard feature, and it’s likely the Range Rover will get you many places without roads. If you own isolated property with dirt roads, this will get you there. Luxury buyers are likely to be impressed with that brute power on the highway, but many might not be aware that this expensive SUV is extremely capable off-road. You’re basically flying down the road in a gorgeous box on wheels. It’s an odd exhilaration, because while most vehicles with 500-plus hp let you know about their power with snarling exhaust and rip-roaring engines, the Range Rover’s engine revs to life properly that’s about the extent of the cabin intrusion. Whether it’s taking a highway onramp or getting into a passing lane, the Range Rover blows past more pedestrian modes of transportation. That’s plenty of power for most people, but if you’re going to splurge, why not move up from that $78,425 HSE to the Supercharged model and its 510-hp, supercharged 5.0-liter V-8, which I was lucky enough to pilot for a week? The Supercharged model costs an additional $15,850 - roughly the cost of a Ford Focus - but it might be well worth it.Īll the performance gains come in a straight line, but what a straight line it is. The Range Rover comes standard with a 5.0-liter V-8 good for 375 horsepower and 375 pounds-feet of torque. I don’t think that will hurt its chances among luxury buyers, though, who will appreciate its decidedly British appearance versus the somewhat clunky looks of a Mercedes GL or the generic Lexus LX. It might be hard to convince the casual observer that the 2010 Range Rover has gotten an update, as its sheet metal remains virtually unchanged. ![]() With a special Autobiography Package (for movie stars who can’t write their own life story?), our test car’s MSRP topped $110,000, including a gas-guzzler tax. And like most Land Rovers, the new Range Rover is beyond capable off-road and in severe weather - so if you’re a celebrity, you can escape the paparazzi on almost any terrain. There’s a supercharged engine that’s ridiculously fast, a new interior awash in leather and metal trimmings, and seats that make you feel like a pampered movie star. It’s hard to explain how any car or SUV could be worth more than $100,000, but somehow, when it comes to the heavily updated 2010 Range Rover, Land Rover has me compiling a list of reasons why luxury buyers should consider this classy British SUV.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |