RANGE ROVER Td6 RANGE
Lets say right at the outset that this third generation Range Rover is an outstanding car. Everyone who has driven one thinks so and after getting behind the wheel, so will you. Here though is the moment of truth: an appraisal of what might potentially be the weak link in the chain the diesel variant.
While diesel versions of rivals notably BMWs X5 and Volkswagens Touareg actually contrive in many ways to outshine their petrol stablemates, Range Rovers have always been different. To put it bluntly, the engines fitted always struggled to pull the skin off a rice pudding. To make matters worse, they were noisy enough to persuade passers-by that you were moonlighting in the private hire game, particularly if youd been unwise enough to order the Metrocab-style second generation model in black Those second generation diesel models ought to have been better, thanks to the fitment of what was theoretically a class-leading 2.5-litre BMW diesel unit.
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Not that youll find this on the exterior badgework: if youre going to be boringly sensible, then theres no point in advertising the fact. But hold on: theres nothing boring about this 3.0-litre straight-six engine when fitted to a 3 or a 5 Series or indeed an X5. Which is where we come back to that weight issue: this car is, after all, 220kg portlier than its predecessor. And all that bulk once again takes its toll: the Td6 takes over 13.5s to reach sixty from rest around five seconds more than the alternative 4.4-litre petrol V8 (also borrowed from BMW) and three seconds more than the X5 3.0d.
Overtaking will clearly require some forward thought. Though not perhaps as much as you might fear, thanks to a mighty 288lb ft of torque something which comes in particularly useful off road.
"By far the finest diesel Range Rover ever made"
Despite that, you still cant help but wonder at the decision not to offer the 4.0-litre twin turbo V8 diesel that BMW has in its parts bin, a far more suitable powertrain for customers spending the thick end of £50,000. Perhaps when BMW sold Land Rover, that option went with it. Perhaps it would be too expensive.
Or perhaps all that power would create such a thirst that it would negate the point of buying the diesel version in the first place: the Td6 does, after all, return over 25mpg in normal use. Thats a full 8mpg better than the 4.4-litre petrol V8, a car which requires over £75 for each 350 miles of progress a lot of money, even for Range Rover buyers. Mind you, these people are well used to spending a lot of money.
Td6 prices start at £45,995 for the entry-level SE, rising to £49,495 for the plusher HSE, £56,995 for the Vogue and £62,995 for the top Vogue SE variant. In other words, theres a list price saving of around £5,000 on the equivalent petrol model. When a fully-loaded BMW X5 3.0d is more than £7,000 less, that might seem like small beer, but as which much else in life, its necessary to compare apples with apples rather than imitation fruit.
All right, so the X5 might handle more sharply and go a little faster but in almost every other respect, its dwarfed by the Range Rover nor only in terms of size. Lets be honest about this: you cant fairly compare the latest Range Rover to any other luxury 4x4. Its like pitching a top Vauxhall Omega against a Mercedes S-class: yes, they do approximately the same job in getting you luxuriously from A to B, but against almost every subjective and objective yardstick, theyre miles apart. So it is here - and thats just on-road. This 4x4 is just peerless on the dirt and on the one or two occasions youll experience the fact during your ownership lifetime, youll be glad you sent your money in Solihulls direction. But hold on: isnt spending around £50,000 on a Range Rover something of a gamble if some less than complimentary reports on the build quality of previous generation models are to be believed? Not really. Land Rover owners Ford have really pulled out the stops to get this car right and the effects should be obvious, even on a short test drive. Not only does the car feel impeccably screwed together, it also feels special and rather exclusive. Expect higher residual values that reflect this.
This is a car whose interior ambience is closer to an Aston Martin than anything else, with wood trim thats tastefully integrated, lustrous pleated leather seats and intelligent use of aluminium and chrome finishing on the dashboard. The effect is tasteful, restrained and isnt going to date as quickly as a more extreme design. Some of the minor controls are obviously BMW-sourced but then thats no bad thing. The styling has also had a mild makeover in recent times.
Those staples of mid-life facelifts the grille, bumpers and lights have been given the once over and the power vents have also been changed. A revised selection of eighteen and nineteen-inch alloy wheels are offered and the supercharged car receives a mesh front grille and twenty-inch alloy wheels. The signature Range Rover design cues such as the clamshell bonnet, the floating roof, the split tailgate and the bluff frontage are all still there, its just that since the launch of the Discovery3, Land Rover design language has become even slicker. The Range Rover had to up its game.
Theres no shortage of technology built into the latest car. The automatic gearbox, normally a ZF-sourced transmission, is curiously different in the Td6 a GM unit. Still, it includes all the proper off-road functions Range Rover buyers now expect, such as a high/low transfer box and Hill Descent Control. A Steptronic manual override option allows drivers to switch ratios manually and the stability control system can also be disabled.
Theres also an all-independent suspension set up (a first for a Range Rover) allied to an air suspension system that allows the car to be lowered for dignified mini-skirted exits. This then is by far the finest diesel Range Rover ever made. Its just frustrating that it could be so much better still. But maybe thats another story.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Range Rover Td6 range
PRICES: £45,995-£62,995 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 13-15
CO2 EMISSIONS: 299g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 111mph / 0-60mph 13.6s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (average) 25mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags, ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 4950/1863/1863mm
