The
2014 Land Rover Range Rover adds long-wheelbase comfort and
Autobiography Black style to an already impressive all-purpose vehicle. 
- Interior / Exterior »
While the new look last year wasn’t as dramatic a change as you’ll find at some other brands, it is a completely new shape and theme, if executed in heritage proportions. The instant recognizability of the silhouette remains, even though the windshield has been laid back, the front end smoothed out for aerodynamics, and the details changed at almost every point.
At first blush, the Range Rover looks long, but in SUV terms, it’s rather low-slung and lithe. Slimmer-seeming roof pillars help lighten the look, complementing the rounder, smoother surfaces.
Nowhere is the updated look more obvious than at the nose, where the Range Rover’s slimmer LED headlamps flank a trim mesh grille and faired-in fog lamps. The overall effect gives up some of the rugged off-road appeal in favor of a more sophisticated urban look.
At the rear, the bottom of the SUV sweeps upward, a purposeful nod to the original Range Rover and a decided step away from the blocky, squared-off look seen in Range Rovers when the company was under the BMW Group’s ownership. Visually, the tapered tail takes weight and bulk out of the rather large–especially in LWB form–Range Rover.
Inside the Range Rover, the look is true to its heritage, but updated to suit modern tastes–and technologies. Two large LCDs dominate the driver’s view of the dash, with one taking the place of a traditional instrument cluster. In the center console, a large touchscreen display sits above the manual climate and system controls, and while the display’s interface is cleaner and more elegant than in years past, it’s still not likely to win the hearts of many Apple devotees. Thumb controls mounted on the steering wheel fortunately offer remote access to many functions.
Throughout the cabin you’ll find rich wood trim, supple leather, and elegant metal that rivals the likes of Bentley. An incredible selection of finishes, materials, and colors are available, allowing you to customize the Range Rover to be truly unique–from the hushed and understated tones of a traditional Range Rover to the audaciously gorgeous, rich hues–rendered in even finer leathers–of the Autobiography and Autobiography Black.
- Performance »
The all-aluminum body of the Range Rover gives it a weight loss of 700 pounds over the previous generation, using riveted and bonded construction for aircraft-quality rigidity and strength. The suspension is also made of both cast and forged aluminum elements, and some of the body panels have been sandwiched with composite liners to further save weight.
For the 2014 model year, the Range Rover line gets rid of the normally aspirated 5.0-liter V-8 engine as the base option, replacing it with a supercharged 3.0-liter V-6. Rated at 340 horsepower, it’s nominally less powerful than the V-8 it replaces, but thanks to the forced induction, it delivers as much or more torque in most use cases, as well as enhanced gas mileage–up to 17 mpg city and 23 mpg highway from the V-8’s previous rating of 14 mpg city and 20 mpg highway. Top-line Range Rovers still use a supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 engine rated at 510 horsepower. Whichever engine you choose, an eight-speed ZF-sourced automatic transmission shifts the gears. The high-performance supercharged V-8 engine allows the Range Rover to hit 60 mph from a stop in just 5.1 seconds.
If those numbers read much like a large luxury sedan’s, that’s not merely coincidental. The ride, street demeanor, and poise all mimic a luxury sedan’s as well. The Range Rover’s advanced suspension deserves much of the credit for that level of paved-road ability, with control-arm front suspension, multi-link rear suspension and a set of adaptive air dampers at all four corners. Variable-ratio electric power steering never threatens to deliver sports car-like feel, but it does manage nearly Flying Spur or S-Class levels of feedback. All of these suspension and steering elements can also vary with the traction settings provided by the Range Rover’s various selectable modes. The combination of power and rugged suspension also enable a towing capacity of up to 7,716 pounds.
Dynamic Response, an active anti-roll bar system, is equipped on supercharged V-8 models. Using the anti-roll bars to dynamically counter body lean when cornering, it flattens out the Range Rover’s handling, improving overall road-holding ability without getting in the way of off-road capability–another area where the Range Rover shines.
Full-time four-wheel drive with a 50:50 torque split front-to-rear is the Range Rover’s base of strength, but it builds on that with a range of electronic and mechanical technologies that surpass any other luxury SUV. A low-range ratio is available at speeds up to 37 mph for climbing or descending truly steep grades; wheel travel is a considerable 10.2 inches front and 12.2 inches rear; the adaptive air suspension can increase ride height up to 12.2 inches; fording depth is greater than 35 inches; and then there’s the Terrain Response Control.
Terrain Response Control uses sensors to detect and predict the grip level of the surface ahead, altering the settings for the traction control, stability control, steering, suspension, and locking differential to suit. Users can also select modes manually, including General; Grass/Gravel/Snow; Mud/Ruts; Sand; and Rock Crawl.
Though its luxurious interior and elegant exterior might not hint at it, our time behind the wheel of the Range Rover attests to its formidable ability to matter the terrain. Whether running sand dunes and rocky outcroppings in Morocco, or muddy trails deep in the woods of North Carolina, the Range Rover’s advanced technology enables it to transition from city slicker to expedition adventurer at the mere push of a button.
All new just last year, the 2014 Land Rover Range Rover retains its position at the very top of the luxury SUV segment. While the first Range Rovers more than 40 years ago now seem laughably archaic, the latest edition is firmly steeped in tradition but completely up to date in design, materials, features, and capabilities. It’s got modern powertrains (and more to come), superb interior design and materials, and the latest in sophisticated electronics. The total package makes it one of the most impressive, desirable sport utilities in the world.
As one owner once said, “It’ll climb mountains, rocks, and probably trees, all without disturbing your enjoyment of one of the subtler symphony movements”–although the champagne in your passenger’s flute may slosh a bit.
For 2014, Range Rover has replaced the previous standard V-8 engine with a new supercharged V-6. Combined with the all-aluminum construction pioneered in 2013–fully 700 pounds lighter than its predecessor–the new engine boosts efficiency even further to meet various challenging global fuel-economy and carbon emissions goals.
So how does the new Land Rover Range Rover look? Just about like it should, though it’s a very streamlined, modern take on the boxy, upright themes of past decades. From the side, the 2014 Range Rover looks fairly traditional, though the wraparound headlights, the more relaxed windshield angle, and the floating roof all help keep it fresh and interesting. Head-on, the Range Rover’s “face” is friendlier, with each surface seemingly flush with the next, from the grille to the headlights to the bumper to the hood. At the rear, a slightly up-swept profile is reminiscent of the original. Inside the new Range Rover you’ll find even more modern accommodations, with a distinctly high-tech look and feel; huge LCD screens nestle in ranks of wood and semi-aniline leather surroundings. In the Autobiography edition (and especially the all-new Autobiography Black), the feel is more hand-built bespoke than production-volume luxury.
Lighter, stiffer, more efficient, and still quite powerful, the 2014 Range Rover is an impressive SUV, both on-road and off. Replacing the previous normally aspirated 5.0-liter V-8 is a new 3.0-liter supercharged V-6 engine rated at 340 horsepower. That’s a decrease of 35 horsepower, but it brings gains in gas mileage, and wrapped in the new Range Rover’s all-aluminum chassis, it still feels plenty athletic–if anything, even more so thanks to its ample 332 pound-feet of torque. A supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 is also available for higher-tier models, rated at 510 horsepower. A ZF eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters delivers smooth, quick shifts in all models.
Feeling more like a long, tall touring sedan than the tippy, off-road-biased SUV it once did, the new Range Rover’s manners are better than ever. Independent suspension, adaptive air dampers, and variable-ratio electric power steering help deliver these more finely tuned responses. The result is a smooth, languid experience behind the wheel with a feeling of greater control and directness. On Supercharged models, which also gain an active anti-roll bar system, the feeling is more taut and sporty, but can still offer ample comfort–and plenty of off-road ability, too. Surprisingly, perhaps, the long-wheelbase version of the new Range Rover feels just as nimble, with no noticeable difference in manners despite growing about 7 inches in wheelbase and rear leg room.
In the dirt, mud, gravel, snow, or sand, the Range Rover is every bit as at home as it is on the asphalt. Full-time four-wheel drive, plus a new generation of Land Rover’s excellent Terrain Response Control system make for a truly fit off-roader. The Terrain Response Control system uses sensors to predict surface traction ahead of the vehicle, modifying parameters for the stability control, traction control, and active differential on the fly. Drivers can also select from give different modes: General; Grass/Gravel/Snow; Mud/Ruts; Sand; and Rock Crawl. With more than 12 inches of ground clearance when the air suspension is raised to its highest setting, and three feet of fording depth, the 2014 Range Rover is more than just a flashy luxury SUV–it’s a real Land Rover. On top of its on-road and off-road ability, the Range Rover can also tow up to 7,700 pounds.
Despite being lighter, the new Range Rover is about 1.7 inches longer (in standard form) than its predecessor. There’s also an additional 4.7 inches of leg room (or 7.3 inches in the long-wheelbase model). The front seats carry on the Range Rover tradition of offering fantastic visibility owing to their upright position and low, expansive glass all around. Step-in height is lower than before, too, thanks to a lower setting for the air suspension. In the rear, the seats recline and feature heating, ventilation, and massage functions, and also offer limo-like leg room, especially in the long-wheelbase version. With the Autobiography Black package (a limited edition upgrade beyond even the Autobiography), the luxury factor goes through the roof, with even more premium materials and available gadgets. The rear tailgate design features a split design with power-operated elements.
Dual LCD screens are standard in all Range Rovers, including a 12.3-inch unit that replaces the instrument panel, and an 8-inch touchscreen in the center stack that handles infotainment duty. A combination of touchscreen inputs and physical buttons controls climate, phone, audio, navigation, and more. The screen’s interface on the central display is upgraded from previous models, but doesn’t quite match the slickness of the larger instrument panel screen. All models also get leather upholstery as standard equipment, but upgrades to a panoramic sunroof, a 1,700-watt Meridian audio system, surround-view cameras, cooler boxes, and more are available. Aesthetes can pick from a selection of 37 exterior colors, 17 interior colors, and three veneers.
The U.K.-built Range Rover starts from $83,500 for base models, about $100,000 for the Supercharged, and more than $130,000 for the ultra-lux Autobiography models. Long wheelbase models begin sales in March, 2014.
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