- The Range Rover will be available in standard and long wheelbase configurations with seating for four, five, or seven passengers starting in 2022.
- Four-wheel steering is now included as standard equipment across the entire lineup.
- The Range Rover SE, Autobiography, and First Edition models for 2022 are now available for order, with deliveries beginning in the spring of that year.
"Jaguar Land Rover has extended its ongoing powertrain collaboration with BMW Group for the joint development of state-of-the-art V-8 petrol engines," a Land Rover representative confirmed to Car and Driver. "Jaguar Land Rover has confirmed that the 4.4-liter V-8 is sourced from BMW."
According to Gerry McGovern, Jaguar Land Rover's chief creative officer, "Range Rover is not about radical change for the sake of radical change." Despite the fact that a new Range Rover is only introduced once every decade (a period that is significantly longer than the typical product cycle), the all-new 2022 Range Rover appears to be a continuation of the current model. However, the new Rover is packed with a slew of innovative features. To start, there will be a three-row version of the vehicle, putting it on an equal footing with competitors such as the Mercedes-Benz GLS, BMW X7, Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator for the first time in the model's history. The seven-seat Range Rover has a long-wheelbase body style and is expected to be particularly popular in the United States, where one in every four existing Land Rover customers has expressed an interest in such a vehicle, according to Land Rover.
Both versions have gained approximately three inches between the axles, with the standard wheelbase now measuring 118 inches and the overall length measuring 199 inches, and the long-wheelbase version measuring eight inches longer in both measurements than the standard wheelbase. The wheels measure up to 23 inches in diameter. As McGovern puts it, "the design of the new Range Rover is clean and simple; it is not overburdened with excessive line work." As was previously mentioned, the profile view features an elegantly curving roofline, an uninterrupted beltline, and a rising sill line. The new version, according to McGovern, "is about taking out, not adding in," as opposed to the previous version.
In order to achieve this, the molding at the base of the windows has been removed, the door handles have been flush-mounted, and the glazing has been flush-mounted. Until they are illuminated, the taillights are nothing more than a series of black vertical elements. Because of these flush elements, as well as the new vertical creases at the rear corners, active aero elements, and a suspension that lowers itself automatically at highway speeds, the Range Rover has a coefficient of drag of 0.30, which represents a 12 percent improvement over the previous model.
SV trim (which will be available starting with the 2023 model year) will feature ceramic knobs and switchgear (available in white or anthracite), wool-blend upholstery, and marquetry wood veneers in a mosaic pattern, according to Range Rover. With two design themes to choose from, the SV can be described as Serenity with a copper-colored roof and matching accents on the wheels and grille surround or Intrepid with a black trim and anthracite gray as an accent color.
With a 13.1-inch central touchscreen running JLR's Pivi Pro operating system, which includes haptic feedback and Amazon Alexa integration, as well as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the new Range Rover's interior is more luxurious than ever. In front of the driver is a new 13.7-inch digital instrument cluster with a configurable display that can be customized. In addition to active noise cancellation, the 1600-watt Meridian sound system, which is exclusive to the Autobiography and First Edition models, includes 35 speakers, including speakers built into the headrests. Perhaps the ultimate luxury is to be able to: The optional cabin air purification system is capable of filtering pathogens such as SARS and Covid. Power Assisted Doors, which are available as an option and can be controlled via the touchscreen, will make entering and exiting the Range Rover easier starting next year.
In three pre-production Range Rovers, we got a look at the inside: a first-generation standard-wheelbase model, an extended-wheelbase SV with a four-seat interior, and a seven-seater model. Both rear rows of the seven-seater are power-folding, as is the middle row. With 34 inches of legroom, the third row is genuinely usable, and getting to it is relatively simple and straightforward. In addition, the padded armrests, USB ports, A/C vents, and seat heaters help to keep it from feeling like steerage class on the plane.
With the SV, you get a full-length center console with a motorized table that can be used by either of the rear-seat occupants and an 8-inch touchscreen to control the vehicle. The rear seats in the executive class are equipped with retractable leg rests. A rear-seat entertainment system with dual 11.4-inch screens is available, and there's also a refrigerated cool box in between the rear seatbacks to keep things cool.
Moving to the rear of the Range Rover, the vehicle is equipped with an upper liftgate and a drop-down tailgate, as is the case with the front. A new Tailgate Event Suite is available for the latter: a pop-up two-person seat with leather cushions that's perfect for watching a polo match or tailgating before the Harvard-Yale game, among other things. Additional lighting and speakers in the liftgate, which can be used to play music from your smartphone, are included with this option.
Underneath all the glitz and glam, the new Rover is the first vehicle to feature the brand's MLA-Flex architecture, which is said to be composed of 76 percent aluminum. Torsional rigidity has reportedly increased by 50%, according to the researchers. Inline-six engines and a turbocharged V-8 are among the available powertrains. An electric vehicle (EV) is also on the way, but it won't arrive until 2024.
Engine options for the SE include the familiar turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six with 48-volt hybrid assistance, which is also the base engine. It has a maximum output of 395 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque.
A new 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8 engine with 523 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque is available as an option on the SE and standard on the Autobiography and First Edition models. With it, the new Rover accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds, according to factory estimates.
A plug-in hybrid six-cylinder engine with 434 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque will be available for the 2023 model year, a few months after the current model. Its 38.2 kWh battery (with a usable capacity of 31.8 kWh) is expected to provide a range of 62 miles in electric mode. Powered by a 105kW electric motor that is integrated into the transmission, the Range Rover is capable of reaching speeds of up to 87 mph.
All-wheel drive is now standard, and it has the capability of disconnecting the front axle. A front camera system called Clearsight is installed in the Range Rover. This system is capable of stitching together a forward-view image that appears as if the front bodywork were see-through. The ground clearance is 11.6 inches by default, and the air suspension can rise up to a maximum of 5.7 inches in height. The Rover is capable of wading through standing water up to three feet deep. There are six different off-road driving modes, just like in the Defender.
The addition of four-wheel steering, which is included as standard, is the most significant chassis innovation. As little as 7 degrees can be turned by the rear wheels, reducing the turning circle to 36 feet. Air suspension is used once again, but with new twin-valve dampers that allow the driver to adjust the rebound and compression independently. In addition, electronic anti-roll bars with a 48-volt power source are standard on the Range Rover.
The Range Rover 2022 is currently available for pre-order, with deliveries scheduled to begin in spring 2022. The plug-in hybrid powertrain is expected to be available three months after the gasoline-electric hybrid. Starting at $105,350 for the SE and rising to $153,350 for the Autobiography, the First Edition is currently the most expensive model, costing $159,550 for the standard-wheelbase variant and $164,850 for the long-wheelbase variant. The SE is the most affordable model, costing $105,350. When the SV is released, it will be even more expensive than the current model and will be at the top of the lineup.