If a 2022 Land Rover Range Rover drives through a California redwood forest and no one is there to see it, is it still beautiful? Oh yes. There’s not much that can rival the quiet, imperious beauty of these magnificent trees, but the all-new 2023 Range Rover First Edition in a stunning Sunset Gold Satin matte finish picks its way through this arboreal wonderland like it’s sashaying down a fashion runway.
The fifth-generation Land Rover Range Rover is a remarkable melding of form and function, showing an evolution of design that looks to the future while keeping an eye on the past. Not an easy task, reimagining an icon, but lead designer Gerry McGovern and his team have succeeded, arriving at a sleek, pared-down elegance. The 23-inch wheels fill the arches perfectly, and “hidden” vertical taillights that only appear when illuminated complete a stunning rear end design.
Jacked up on its tippy-toes and with all off-road systems set to “let’s go!”, I’m deathly afraid of putting even a minute scratch on its graceful aluminum flanks. Yet the Range Rover is apparently afraid of nothing.
Granted, this wasn’t exactly a gruelling exercise, but it was enough to announce the new Rangie carries all the off-road pedigree expected of the nameplate. Of more interest to buyers will be the gen-five’s quantum leap in on-road ability, refinement, comfort, and technology. For the first time there’s an available third row (in the long-wheelbase models), and the new interior is a stunner, expanding on the previous linear design with finer detailing, exquisite material choice and peerless build quality.
2022 Land Rover Range Rover P530 First Edition greets the local residents
2022 Land Rover Range Rover P530 First Edition is comfortable on road and in fields
2022 Land Rover Range Rover P530 First Edition stretching it legs on a hike through the forest
2022 Land Rover Range Rover P530 First Edition is back in time for dinner
2022 Land Rover Range Rover P530 First Edition
2022 Land Rover Range Rover P530 First Edition in Sonoma California
2022 Land Rover Range Rover P530 First Edition headlights
2022 Land Rover Range Rover P530 First Edition wheel
2022 Land Rover Range Rover P530 First Edition door handle
2022 Range Rover P530 SV LWB 1
2022 Range Rover P530 SV LWB
2022 Range Rover P400 LWB profile
A 13.1-inch Pivi Pro touchscreen commands centre stage, while the new floating 13.7-inch digital gauge cluster ahead of the driver is pin sharp. Thankfully the new Range Rover has not succumbed to the trend of full touchscreen control – we have rotary controllers and hard buttons for HVAC, and the same for drive modes and off-road functions like low range, hill descent, crawl control, et al. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, “Hey Alexa” voice control, Meridian sound, and improved seats up the convenience and comfort, and the cabin is uncannily serene thanks in part to new noise-cancelling speakers in the headrests.
Essentially, the whole kit and caboodle is kicked up the desirability ladder more than a few rungs. From the body panels’ perfectly taut tolerances to the cabin’s chic new digs, the 2022 Range Rover is a Boundary Six (home run in Cricket-speak).
Arriving in Canadian showrooms shortly, the new Land Rover Range Rover initially comes with two powertrains – either a mild-hybrid turbocharged 3.0L straight-six making 395 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque, or a new turbocharged 4.4L “hot-vee” V8 kicking out 523 ponies and 553 lb-ft. A 434-hp plug-in hybrid model will join the fleet for 2023 and a fully electric model in 2024. The standard-wheelbase Range Rover P530 First Edition tested here carries a list price of $182,000 in Canada, gets the full laundry list of goodies and runs with V8 power.
2022 Land Rover Range Rover P530 First Edition steering wheel and centre console
Canadian Pricing for the 2022 Range Rover lineup starts at $126,400 for the six-cylinder P400 SE standard wheelbase. Unlike in the US where long wheelbase models are available with the inline-six, here in Canada anything above this “entry-level” P400 SE get the robust V8. And a good one it is.
Coming from BMW, that would be expected. Yes, this 4.4L twin-turbo V8 that replaces JLR’s venerable (and thirsty) 5.0L supercharged V8 is courtesy of Bavarian Motor Werks. Land Rover needed a modern gasoline V8, and the time and cost needed to develop its own for this relatively brief period before all ICE (internal combustion engines) are put on ice proved prohibitive. Land Rover adds it own tuning along with a shallower sump for better ground clearance and a few waterproof ancillaries for those times when fording Amazon tributaries.
On the road, the V8 (paired with the ubiquitous ZF eight-speed automatic) is smooth, sonorous and delivers effortless wafting. Where this new Range Rover really separates itself from the outgoing model is in its ability to blend a truly serene ride with improved body control. In Dynamic Mode, it will carve a winding road with surprising speed and composure, yet never loses that creamy ride.
Peter Bigham, chief engineer for the new MLA-Flex platform, explains how and why. “There are a number of elements to it. First one is a stiff platform to start with. It is fifty per cent stiffer than the outgoing one – a good basis to work from. We kept the spring rate of the air suspension low, as Range Rovers do. That’s the fundamental thing, what gives it the wafting feel – the magic carpet ride. Next contributor – Bilstein Damptronic Sky dampers that we can tune for compression and rebound. Previously it was only compression. And then, the 48-volt roll-response control system. And the beauty of that is how quickly it responds. So I can go from totally unlocked roll bar to applying 900 Newton-metres of resistance against roll in 200 milliseconds. And I can use this response to keep the car supple in roll control too.”
Additionally, rear-wheel steering is now standard with Range Rover, improving stability above 50 km/h while significantly reducing its turning circle. Range Rover says the LWB model has a tighter turning circle than its compact Range Rover Evoque.
Driving a P400 LWD showed the six-cylinder powertrain to be perfectly serviceable. It’s smooth and provides all the necessary urge, but compared to the V8 you can tell it’s working a bit harder – not quite the full-on premium experience.
Getting into the Range Rover’s third-row is relatively easy thanks to one-touch control that has the second-row seat sliding and tipping forward. Those in steerage shouldn’t complain much if they’re not too tall.
Sami Haj-Assaad chauffeurs Peter while he experiences the full sumptuousness of the SV’s club-like rear accommodations
There’s plenty that can be done from the hatch area. The lower half of the two-piece tailgate flips down, creating a seat for posh tailgate parties. Revellers enjoy overhead LED lighting and built-in cup holders. A clever panel in the floor flips up making a backrest, and it also doubles as a cargo divider. A control panel on the right has buttons for raising and lowering both second and third rows, with a nifty one-touch button marker “4” that flattens all the seats for cargo hauling. The suspension can be raised and lowered from this panel, allowing for easier loading, or a shorter jump for the hounds.
For those desiring something more pricey and exclusive, the Range Rover P530 SV arrives as a 2023 model with a Canadian list price of $220,900 for standard wheelbase and $250,100 for the long wheelbase. We drove the LWB fitted with the SV Signature Suite that, along with reclining chairs boasting ventilation and hot-stone massage, it bestows a full-length centre console with electrically deployable Club Table, a dual cup-holder that rises majestically from said console, a refrigerator, Darlington Crystal glassware and 8-inch touchscreen control panel. The 35-speaker 1680-watt Meridian Signature Sound is spectacular.
Range Rover SV bragging rights includes “the most powerful fridge fitted in a motor vehicle”. Take that Rolls-Royce.
Range Rover SV bragging rights include “world’s first cam-driven cup holder” and “the most powerful fridge fitted in a motor vehicle”. Take that Rolls-Royce. And while on the subject of most powerful, the actuators that spring the Rangie’s exterior door handles free of their flush retreats also get that billing. Take that Canadian ice storms.
The ultra-luxury SUV niche is hot, and Range Rover (arguably the originator of the segment) has fashioned an immensely capable and desirable vehicle in this fifth-generation offering. It’s a pleasure to look at and drive, and unparalleled in its calming and serene demeanour. To sum up – gobsmackingly good.
Keyword: First Drive: 2022 Land Rover Range Rover