Land Rover Range Rover

Range Rover at a glance

Five generations since 1970

The Classic stayed in production until 1996, two years after the P38A arrived. The generations and their engines are also listed in the Land Rover catalogue.

The Classic (1970–1996)

Spen King and Gordon Bashford began work on a more comfortable Land Rover in 1966, and David Bache styled the outer panels. The design was frozen in 1969, and 26 development vehicles were built before the public launch in June 1970. The first car had two doors, coil springs and permanent four-wheel drive with a two-speed transfer box. Earlier Land Rovers had selectable four-wheel drive. Power came from the aluminium 3.5-litre Rover V8, detuned to 101 kW (135 hp).

The range grew slowly. A four-door body arrived in July 1981 and a three-speed Chrysler TorqueFlite automatic in October 1982; a four-speed ZF automatic followed. The first factory diesel, a 2.4-litre VM unit, came in 1986, followed by Land Rover's own 200Tdi in 1992 and the 300Tdi at the end of 1994. The V8 grew to 3.9 litres in 1989 and 4.2 litres in 1992. That year the LSE added a 2,743 mm wheelbase and air suspension; in the US it was called the County LWB.

Two Range Rovers were among the first vehicles to cross the Darién Gap from north to south, in 1971–1972. The model also won the four-wheel-drive class of the Paris–Dakar Rally in 1979 and 1981. After 26 years and 326,070 cars, production ended in 1996.

P38A and L322: from air springs to a monocoque

The second Range Rover was launched on 28 September 1994. Its project code, P38A, came from the office block where the team worked. It kept a separate chassis but added electronic air suspension with five ride heights. The petrol engines were 4.0- and 4.6-litre Rover V8s with about 140 kW (190 hp) and 172 kW (230 hp). Diesel buyers got BMW's 2.5-litre six-cylinder with 101 kW (136 hp). The P38A was the last Range Rover with a manual gearbox. From 1999 its V8s used Bosch engine management taken from the BMW 7 Series.

The L322 was planned under BMW ownership and shared components with the BMW 7 Series (E38); Ford bought Land Rover about two years before production began. It arrived in 2001 as the first Range Rover with a monocoque body and fully independent air suspension. Until 2005 the petrol engine was BMW's 4.4-litre V8 with 210 kW (282 hp), and the diesel BMW's 3.0-litre Td6 with 130 kW (175 hp).

The 2006 model year brought Jaguar V8s, including a 4.2-litre supercharged unit with 294 kW (395 hp). The 3.6-litre TDV8 diesel with 200 kW (268 hp) followed for 2007–2010, together with Terrain Response. The 2010 model year added a 12-inch virtual instrument panel and the 5.0-litre V8, with 276 kW (370 hp) or, supercharged, 375 kW (503 hp). A 4.4-litre TDV8 with 230 kW (309 hp) served from 2010. In total 293,494 L322s were built.

L405 (2012–2021): the aluminium Range Rover

The fourth generation was shown at the 2012 Paris Motor Show and went on sale late that year as a 2013 model. Its all-aluminium monocoque made the body shell 39 percent lighter, and the whole car about 420 kg lighter than the L322. A long-wheelbase version was revealed in Los Angeles in 2013, with deliveries from early 2014. The 2018 facelift brought a new four-bar grille and LED lights, and the Touch Pro Duo infotainment. A second touchscreen replaced the climate-control knobs.

The SDV6 Hybrid paired the V6 diesel with a 35 kW electric motor. The P400e combined a 2.0-litre Ingenium four-cylinder with an 85 kW motor and brought plug-in hybrid drive to the full-size Range Rover. Euro NCAP tested the car in 2012 in the large off-road class. It scored 91 percent for adult occupants, 84 for children, 63 for pedestrians and 86 for safety assistance. Wikipedia lists sales of the full-size model alone rising from 22,001 in 2009 to 60,226 in 2015.

Fifth generation L460 (since 2022)

Designer Gerry McGovern revealed the L460 at London's Royal Opera House on 26 October 2021, and production began in mid-2022. It sits on the MLA-Flex platform, which it shares with the third-generation Range Rover Sport. The standard car is 5,052 mm long on a 2,997 mm wheelbase. The long-wheelbase version adds 200 mm and can seat seven. Both are 2,047 mm wide and 1,870 mm tall. All engines drive through the ZF 8HP eight-speed automatic with a low-range transfer box.

For the 2024 model year the P550e replaced the P440e and the P615 joined the range. Land Rover Germany quotes 405 kW (550 PS) for the P550e, slightly less than the Wikipedia figure in the table.

Plug-in hybrid and Range Rover Electric

The plug-in hybrids combine the six-cylinder petrol engine with a 105 kW electric motor in the gearbox. The battery holds 38.2 kWh gross and 31.8 kWh usable. Land Rover's German website gives up to 116 km of electric range (WLTP) for the P460e and P550e.

The same website now lists a fully electric Range Rover, the EV550. It has 405 kW (550 PS) and a WLTP range of up to 600 km (October 2026).

Chassis, off-road ability and cabin

The L460 body is 50 percent stiffer in torsion than the L405's. A closed steel front bulkhead cuts the road noise reaching the cabin by about 24 percent. It was the first Land Rover with four-wheel steering, which reduces the turning circle to 10.95 m, or 11.54 m for the long-wheelbase car. Air suspension with twin-valve dampers is standard. Between 35 and 160 km/h the intelligent all-wheel drive can disconnect the front axle, which Land Rover says reduces drag losses by 30 percent.

Inside, a 13.1-inch touchscreen runs the Pivi Pro system, and a 13.7-inch screen replaces the dials. The options list includes a 35-speaker Meridian system with active noise cancelling and rear screens. A four-seat layout adds a centre console with a tray table and a fridge, and wool or other leather-free trims are available. The largest wheels grew from 22 to 23 inches.

Safety

Euro NCAP tested a Range Rover D300 in 2022. It scored 84 percent for adult occupants, 87 for children, 72 for vulnerable road users and 82 for the safety assistance systems.

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