Land Rover, part of Jaguar Land Rover, is a large luxury four-wheel drive sports utility vehicle, which is owned by the Indian conglomerate, Tata Group. The model launched in 1970 is now in its fourth generation. The all new Range Rover Land Rover 2013 is the world’s first SUV with an all-aluminum unibody.
The use of this light metal has allowed the company to reduce the weight of its flagship model by as much as 700 pounds. To give you a better idea, the weight that has been knocked off the new model is equal to the total weight of five average size Europeans.
The all new redesigned vehicle, which is much lighter than its predecessor, is all set to bring up a revolution in the way SUVs are perceived. These large vehicles are synonymous with high fuel consumption, large bulk, and higher degree of complexity.
A strong public opinion against the polluting SUVs and heightened environmental concerns has put some SUVs manufacturers on the back foot. The Governments of developed nations have been increasingly bringing in new and stringent rules regarding the fuel-efficiency and emission limit of these large vehicles.
Under such circumstances, it would be nave to explain the benefits of the lighter and much compact Range Rover. It has won praise from one and all for its light body with many experts describing the experience of driving the new model giving a feeling of being empty from the inside.
Despite all the hullabaloo and pollution concerns, the previous Range Rover was a runaway success with the model defying the downhill going global automobile sales to post an astonishing 21 per cent jump in worldwide sales.
Range Rovers have always been associated with high quality engineering and unique styling, and the new Range Rover, despite some distinct changes in weight and styling, remains the ultimate luxury SUV. It is a softer, more sculpted, and less arrogant version of its previous models.
The same though, cannot be said about its powerful intercooled, 32-valve, 5.0 liter, V-8 engine that generates 375 horsepower @6500 RPM. With a top speed of 130-140 mile per hour, it can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in around 5 seconds. It comes with an 8 speed automatic transmission with manual shifting mode and a fuel economy of 13 mile per gallon under city condition and 20 miles per gallon on highways.
The Range Rover Evoque went into production in July 2011 and is available in three-door or five-door hatchback body. It can be ordered with a choice of three variants€”a 2.0 liter petrol engine that can generate 240 BHP, a 2.2 liter Ed4 diesel variant that can produce 150BHP, and a 2.2 liter SD4 diesel capable of generating 190 BHP.
The new Range Rover is a substantial upgrade over its previous version, especially in the weight department. It has a lot of road presence and despite the reduced bulk, it maintains its unique Range Rover identity.
