2017 Range Rover Land Rover HSE
By Vince Bodiford
With a profile that will put a hush over its rivals on or off road, the design is functional and distinctive. Inside, it’s pure luxury. Photos by Land Rover.
King of SUV’s hauls royalty for a living
In the world of SUV’s, the Range Rover is among the top expressions of luxury. We tested the new model and found it lives up to its world-class reputation, and contains more advanced autonomous technologies than before.
Since it redefined the luxury SUV sector more than 47 years ago, Range Rover has achieved more than one million sales and sits at the pinnacle of the Land Rover family. Range Rover’s unique combination of refinement, design and legendary all-terrain capability has seen it used to transport Royalty, undertake gruelling expeditions.
The original Classic model debuted in 1970 and over four generations the luxury SUV has established itself as a design reference, representing the ultimate in all-terrain luxury.
Vehicle Highlights:
MSRP starting at $85,650
(supercharged and fully optioned over $100k)
Fuel Economy ranges from 22-mpg to 29-mpg.
Vehicle Highs: Firm grip on off-road ability in a pure luxury package. Outstanding interior. Respected brand and capable performer. Long and short wheelbase choices.
Vehicle Lows: Hideously expensive, very high premium for brand cache. Standard engines are a bit underpowered for such a large, heavy vehicle.
Gerry McGovern, Land Rover Chief Design Officer, said “Range Rover has been the world’s leading luxury SUV since its debut more than 46 years ago. Design is fundamental to this vehicle and the latest refinements reinforce its status as the ultimate luxury SUV. By offering our customers more choice, more technology and more power we ensure Range Rover remains in a class of its own.”
The Land Rover Range Rover comes in a several trim level choices to fit whatever use you have in mind, starting with a supercharged V6 or a turbocharged diesel V6, coupled to an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive – all standard.
Range Rover HSE includes more standard features, available with either the diesel V6 or a tuned-up version of the turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 that adds 40-bhp.
Next up is the Range Rover Supercharged, which is has a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 (510-bhp, 461-torque).
The Range Rover Autobiography has with the same 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 engine as the HSE and much more creature comforts and design. Up a rung from that is the SVAutobiography Dynamic. It uses a version of the 5.0-liter supercharged V8 engine and makes 550bhp and 502-torque.
The long-wheelbase models all share the same longer chassis. The Range Rover’s wheelbase is longer by 7.9 inches. At the top of the range, the SVAutobiography LWB comes with reclining executive seats, which include tables, a center console cooler with glasses, and a rear-seat entertainment.
The introduction of Jaguar Land Rover’s InControl Touch Pro infotainment is a significant enhancement to 2017 Model Year Range Rover. The system delivers improved satellite navigation functionality and connectivity while its more intuitive operation is augmented by the new larger 10-inch dual-view touchscreen display.
As part of the new InControl Touch Pro system, the fully integrated satellite navigation has been developed with a range of new features including door-to-door routing. The system allows customers to set a destination on the Land Rover-dedicated smartphone Route Planner app.
New 2017 model year Range Rover introduces a host of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) to the luxury SUV. The level of personalisation available for 2017 Model Year Range Rover is taken to new heights with the introduction of new exterior finishes available through Special Vehicle Operations.
The mix of 19 new colours gives customers a more varied choice of metallic and pearlescent colours, all available in either gloss or satin matte finishes. The additional options range from traditional shades to bolder, more contemporary choices. From spectacular, deep blacks to dramatic reds, the new colours perfectly complement and finish the design of the world’s most luxurious SUV.
For more information, see your local Land Rover dealer or visit LandRoverUSA.com
Test Drive by Vince Bodiford