The new seven-seat Range Rover luxury SUV has arrived and we speak to JLR executive director Nick Collins to learn all about it
In more than 50 years there have only been four generations of Range Rover, so this all-new, fifth-generation car for 2022 is a significant step for Land Rover. Not least because the British brand’s iconic luxury SUV will be available as a plug-in hybrid and with seven seats for the first time.
The new Range Rover is on sale now, priced from £94,400, and is the first model on the British brand’s new MLA-Flex platform, which allows for pure combustion-engined powertrains, plug-in hybrid tech in the form of the P440e and P510e models, and fully electric propulsion – and on that front, a Range Rover EV has been confirmed for 2024.
New 2022 Range Rover: engines, power and performance
Land Rover has fully opened the order books for the new Range Rover with the arrival of plug-in hybrid options and new well-appointed SV models. The firm has also announced the final specifications for the battery-assisted versions of its new flagship model.
Two plug-in hybrid models of the new Range Rover are available – the P440e and the more powerful P510e model, the former on sale now priced from £103,485.
Land Rover confirmed plans for two plug-in hybrid versions of the new L460 generation Range Rover last year, when the car was revealed. Both models use a 3.0-litre straight-six turbocharged petrol engine in tandem with a 141bhp electric motor and a 38kWh battery (with a usable capacity of 31kWh), though the P440e’s petrol engine is detuned slightly in comparison to the more powerful P510e variant.
As such, total system power for the P440e stands at 434bhp with 620Nm of torque. The P510e steps things up to 503bhp and 700Nm. Both variants will offer up to 70 miles of range on electric power only, while delivering CO2 emissions from as little as 18g/km in hybrid drive mode. 50kW DC rapid charging enables a 0-80 per cent recharge of the battery in under an hour.
With the introduction of the plug-in hybrid models, Land Rover has also introduced SV versions of the new Range Rover, with the new range-topping specification priced from £146,200 in short-wheelbase guise and stretching up to £173,200 for the 4.4-litre V8 petrol powered P530 version in long-wheelbase form. The P510e plug-in hybrid will be available as part of this line-up in the short-wheelbase body length only.
Alongside fully electric EV mode, there’s a choice of Hybrid mode – the default setting, which combines both power sources and uses predictive energy optimisation tech, as well as geofencing to ensure electric propulsion is available in low emissions zones, for example – and Save mode. This latter setting retains a programmable state of charge for deployment later in the driver’s journey.
Mild-hybrid tech also features in the engine line-up, with a 394bhp 3.0-litre petrol (0-62mph in 5.8 seconds, 29.7mpg combined and 215g/km of CO2), as well as two diesel options. The 3.0-litre straight-six-engined D300 and D350 model offer 296bhp and 345bhp respectively, with up to 37.2mpg possible and CO2 emissions from 198g/km.
At the top of the engine range sits a new 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol unit, offering 523bhp and 750Nm of torque. Thanks to a Dynamic Launch system the 0-62mph sprint is dispatched in 4.6 seconds, while top speed is limited to 155mph.
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All powertrains are mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox with low-range capability and Land Rover’s four-wheel drive system with Terrain Response 2 tech that tailors the drivetrain to different surfaces, while the new Intelligent All-Wheel Drive system can decouple the front axle on-road between 21mph and 100mph to improve efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions by up to 4g/km.
New 2022 Range Rover: design
These new powertrains are wrapped up in a more modern evolution of the Range Rover’s styling. At the front, the grille has been refreshed with a new-look pattern, the standard digital LED headlights are sharper, and most of the car’s sensors for its driver assistance systems have been incorporated into a panel lower down in the bumper to give a smoother, cleaner look. This also helps to reduce drag and improve aerodynamic efficiency.
According to Land Rover’s Design Director, Massimo Frascella, the new Range Rover’s design is all about reductionism, reducing the lines and joints in the body to give a new, more understated take on modern luxury.
With this in mind, no Range Rover will wear an engine or trim level boot badge, while alternatives to leather will be offered in the form of Kvadrat technical Ultrafabric to improve sustainability. However, leather will still be offered as standard.
Land Rover’s design reductionism is clear at the rear, where the biggest styling changes for the new car can be seen. The tail-lights and indicators have been incorporated into a solid-looking black panel that is opaque when the lights aren’t on.
In profile, the Range Rover is still defined by three clear horizontal lines. The first below the doors that now sweeps upwards towards the rear, the second runs back from the clamshell bonnet and is sharper and tighter than before, while the third separates the model’s trademark floating roof.
It’s not the only design detail that has been retained, as the new Range Rover still boasts a split tailgate, while the door inserts have evolved to a U-shaped design. Alloy wheels between 20 and 23 inches will be available depending on spec.
New 2022 Range Rover: interior, technology and practicality
This fifth-generation Range Rover will be the first that offers seating for seven. The new car comes in five-seat standard wheelbase form, while if you opt for the long wheelbase variant you can specify a third row of seats.
The LWB model adds an extra 200mm between the car’s axles, facilitating the new seating configuration. We tried the third row at the car’s unveiling and, while there’s not as much room as in the brand’s larger Discovery, there’s still enough space for children and adults on shorter journeys.
Improved torsional rigidity (up to 50 per cent) from the new aluminium-intensive platform means Land Rover’s engineers have been able to increase the door aperture size to improve access, which is reasonable.
SWB models can be had with five seats, while if you go for the Executive Class Seating pack, this comes with four seats. The individual chairs in the rear are available on SWB and LWB cars, improving kneeroom by 44mm; there’s up to one metre of legroom on four-seat LWB models.
This package also adds an eight-inch touchscreen controller in the back to tune the rear cabin environment, while the rear seats recline by up to 25 degrees to add even more comfort and refinement. If you want the seven-seat layout you’re restricted to LWB form, although there are heated seats in all rows, while the rows are also tiered to improve visibility the further back you sit and fold electrically at the touch of a button.
The new Range Rover adopts Land Rover’s latest Pivi Pro infotainment system with a gently curved 13.1-inch touchscreen on the dash. The brand says 90 per cent of tasks are accessible in just two steps from the home screen, while there’s also more connectivity than ever before, with over-the-air software update capability, Amazon Alexa integration, Spotify and, of course, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with wireless connections for both programmes.
There’s a 13.7-inch digital dash panel, while as you’d expect in a luxury car, buyers can opt for a Rear Seat Entertainment package, which adds a pair of 11.4-inch HD touchscreens mounted on the front seatbacks.
There’s 15w wireless phone charging on offer, as well as up to 60w of power to charge devices by USB C; if this isn’t enough there’s also a 230v socket available.
The new MLA-Flex platform is also loaded with clever technology to improve refinement, ride comfort and capability on and off-road.
Along with the six off-road pre-sets for the Terrain Response 2 system there’s also a Wade mode, which raises the body to give a 900mm wading depth, while the next-generation suspension set-up allows for up to 510mm of wheel travel to help boost off-road ability, a Range Rover calling card.
On-road, Land Rover’s Dynamic Response Pro 48v active anti-roll tech helps to keep the car level in corners, improving stability and comfort for passengers, especially at high speed.
There’s active noise cancellation with five times the range of previous systems and electronic air suspension with pre-emptive tech that uses navigation data to set the car up for the road ahead. All-wheel steering is standard, turning the rear wheels in the opposite direction to the fronts by up to seven degrees at low speed to give the more than five-metre-long Range Rover a 10.95-metre turning circle, less than most superminis.
On top of this, cabin storage has been optimised, with lots more clever trays and bins to store items, while boot space stands at 725 litres in both five-seat SWB and LWB form. Go for the seven-seat car and there’s 312 litres with all rows in place, rising to 713 litres with the third row folded down.
There are a maximum 1,841 litres available in the SWB car and 2,601 litres on offer in the LWB model with all seats stowed away.
New 2022 Range Rover: SV models offer more personalisation
Land Rover is revealing the Range Rover SV models alongside the standard car, with this ultra-luxurious option gaining more personalisation potential and different design details.
Available in SWB form, as well as four or five-seat LWB configurations, the brand is offering two SV design themes: SV Serenity and SV Intrepid. The former features a metal-plated finish for the grille in Atlas Silver, as well as Corinthian Bronze accents, including the door inserts. The Range Rover lettering is also in Corinthian Bronze with Silver Satin surrounds.
The Serenity them has been designed to showcase the car’s elegance and features mosaic-pattern embroidery inside, as well as lighter two-tone upholstery choices.
On the other hand, the SV Intrepid theme is a sportier, more driver-focused look and features dark Anthracite finishes in place of Serenity’s bronze trim, while inside there’s also a sportier focus to the single or dual-tone leather trim. Of course, buyers can specify their car’s interior in any way they’d like.
All SV models feature ceramic badging outside, including an SV moniker on the tailgate, while inside these cool ceramic details are carried through to the main touchpoints, including the gear selector, Terrain Response dial and the volume knob.
For ultimate luxury buyers can opt for the SV Signature Suite, which only comes in four-seat configuration and adds a raised centre console that flows through to the rear of the car. This houses a retractable table in the centre, as well as a fridge for drinks and two crystal champagne glasses in between the rear seats.
New 2022 Range Rover: specs and pricing
From launch the new Range Rover is available in SE, HSE, Autobiography and SV trim levels, as well as a First Edition model that will be on sale for the first year of production.
Prices start from £94,400 for the D300 SE car, with the lowest-priced petrol on sale the P400 in SE trim, at £98,000. HSE spec rises to £100,700 for the D300, while the same engine in Autobiography trim starts from £114,300. First Edition trim is only available with either the D350 or P530 engine and is priced from £123,500.
Prices for the long wheelbase five-seat model begin at £120,000, which comes only in Autobiography and First Edition spec, while the seven-seat line-up starts from £103,200 for the SE model.
The P440e range kicks off in SE trim from £103,485, with HSE placed neatly above from £109,425. Autobiography and First Edition versions are also offered, from £122,765 and £127,105 respectively. These are the only two specifications of the P440e available in long-wheelbase form, with the extra length taking prices up to £125,335 for the Autobiography and £126,755 for the First Edition.
The P510e plug-in hybrid will be available in the short-wheelbase body length only, but in loftier trims. Autobiography is where the range kicks off from £126,445, moving up to the £128,055 First Edition version.
Alongside the introduction of the plug-in hybrid models, Land Rover has also introduced SV editions of the new Range Rover, with the new range-topping specification priced from £146,200 in short-wheelbase guise and stretching up to £173,200 for the 4.4-litre V8 petrol powered P530 version in long-wheelbase form. The P510e SV comes in at £149,400.
Q&A with Nick Collins
Executive director, Jaguar Land Rover
We speak to the man in charge of the latest Range Rover programme about new model’s attributes and its importance to Land Rover, its workers and the UK
Q: How important is the new Range Rover for JLR?
A: The latest Range Rover is crucially important. It’s the halo of all of our product range and really defines the top of our portfolio. It’s a massive global success, and you couldn’t really underestimate how important it is to the whole business.
Q: Is this everything JLR knows about cars in one model?
A: Yeah, it really is. The Range Rover is the absolute latest in all of our technology, from both an engineering perspective and also a manufacturing-technology perspective. It’s all new, from the ground up. It’s a massive commitment to our UK engineering, our UK manufacturing in Solihull as well. It really showcases the very best of what we can do as a company.
Q: What are the technological highlights?
A: It’s an all-new architecture: it’s incredibly stiff. Then we’ve got amazing new chassis technology as well. Rear-wheel steer at the back of the car, new suspension geometry in the rear, new air springs, new dampers, and really we’ve worked incredibly hard to make it an engaging model to drive, but with that magic-carpet ride and incredible comfort. Then there’s our progression on our electrical architecture. We’ve got 63 ECUs in this car, with software we can update over the air.
Q: There’s plenty of competition in the luxury-SUV space. What does the Range Rover offer the driver that its competitors don’t?
A: You’ve always got that go-anywhere capability, and it’s an iconic silhouette – you can’t mistake it for anything else. It’s amazingly comfortable, it’s actually accessible compared with some of those other brands as well. But in this fifth generation we really are class leading in the electrical architecture, the software, the infotainment. Yet we’ve also got this fantastic ride quality, combined with the handling quality as well. It’s the jack of all trades.
Q: How important is it to the UK and the Midlands?
A: It’s a huge investment for us as a business – it’s a massive commitment from us to the UK. Our engineering teams, in both Gaydon and Whitley, have done an amazing job bringing this car to life, but also our manufacturing and engineering teams and our design teams. You don’t bring a car to market like this without the complete effort of the entire business.
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