Range Rover V8 Supercharged Vogue SE
Those of us who get that oddly unsettling feeling at the end of the month when slotting our card into an ATM dont live in the same galaxy as buyers interested in Range Rovers Supercharged Vogue SE. For these plutocratic purchasers, the buying decision is no more involved than establishing what the best 4x4 money can buy is, working out where the nearest sales outlet resides and placing an order. The accountant will then need to find a way to make the £74,820 asking price tax deductible.
Of course, there will be those who prefer a top end Porsche Cayenne, a BMW X5, a Mercedes M Class or a Volkswagen Touareg and each of these vehicles has much to commend it. None of them has anything quite like the sense of occasion and style of the Range Rover however, and in Supercharged Vogue SE guise theres 400bhp to play with to boot. Despite this prodigious power figure, the Range Rover isnt devastatingly rapid due in no small part to the fact that it puts the scales onto their bumpstops with a reading of 2,572kg. By contrast, a top of the line BMW 750i weighs 1910kg.
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If going quickly is one of your key 4x4 priorities, there are many better options. The standard V8 Vogue edition of the Range Rover has had its power boosted from 282 to 305bhp and isnt slow, but the upgrade to supercharged specification from there costs a whopping £12,000. Now you can see why this car is marketed at genuine money no object clientele. The design of this vehicle highlights this fact.
Fuel economy is predictably poor at around 17mpg although you will dip into single figures in town and during spirited use. This is offset by the 100-litre fuel tank which means that youll see over 400 motorway miles before being forced to mix with the lumpen proletariat in a filling station. Likewise the fact that the engine emits more carbon dioxide than a G8 summit meeting will be of only peripheral consequence.
"The worlds most desirable 4x4 just got better"
This supercharged edition shares with the rest of the Range Rover line up a whole host of improvements. Land Rovers superb Terrain Response system now features and makes this car even easier to use in the unlikely event that you venture off road. Theres also an electronic park brake and an electronic rear e differential. The improved cabin meanwhile, gets extra stowage space, enhanced finishes and more effective air conditioning plus the option of cooled front seats.
Some things didnt need changing. The steel unitary body is still outstandingly resistant to the sort of torsional stresses that taking the Range Rover off road generates, and results in a smoother ride on road, the Electronic Air Suspension able to do its job without having to contend with chassis flex. Think of a massively rigid road car for example a Lotus Elise, a car that is built around a bonded aluminium tub. The Range Rover body is three times stiffer than an Elise.
This translates into superb road manners. Despite the cars leviathan bulk, the airiness and all-round visibility of the cabin engenders enormous confidence. Never mind the quality, youll certainly feel the width on city streets but front and rear parking sensors take the worry out of delicate manoeuvres. Get the Range Rover out onto the open road and youll marvel at the body control.
Corner a previous generation model with any gusto and you needed to be brave, well insured and with the neck muscles of Iron Mike. Yaw and pitch seem to have been expunged from the current cars pilots manual. Although the air suspension is occasionally caught on the hop by sharp intrusions such as a cats eye, its a beautiful system. Initially troubled by why the Range Rover V8s ride was so redolent of the Mercedes S-Class, it was only when I realised that both were pneumatically suspended, so as to speak, that the picture became clear.
Anybody whos been lucky enough to drive the big Mercedes will know what high praise this is. Theres no shortage of technology built into the latest car. The automatic gearbox 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.
The air suspension system that allows the car to be lowered for dignified mini-skirted exits. Although this Range Rover may be used as the ultimate urban battle bus, should the need to take it off-road beckon, a Torsen centre differential should make sure you return safely. To discover that the Range Rover can still cut it off road comes almost as a bonus. With Terrain Response, Hill Descent Control, Dynamic Stability Control, ABS with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and Brake Assist youll go some to relinquish control.
The Electronic Air Suspension utilises terrain sensing software to establish whether the car is off road or not, softening the ride and allowing maximum articulation if it believes youve left the metalled road. Wheel articulation, for those that scoff at the off-road abilities of a vehicle with a unitary chassis, is significantly better than the previous generation Range Rover. The road-biased tyres obviously limit ultimate grip but its doubtful too many owners are going to sink something this beautiful up to its sills in slurry. Life is full of tough decisions.
If you have the means, this purchase shouldnt need to be one of them.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Range Rover V8 Supercharged Vogue SE
PRICE: £74,820 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 17
CO2 EMISSIONS: 376g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 130mph / 0-60mph 7.1s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 17mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags, ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 4950/1863/1863mm
