Range Rover D350 Autobiography

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“A clear focus on comfort doesn’t come at the expense of handling”

Range Rover

Performance

0-62mph/top speed 6.1 seconds/145mph

Running costs

35.6mpg (official) £132 fill-up

FIRSTUKDRIVE It’s the original upmarket SUV, but is it still the best in a crowded sector?

Matt Robinson

Matt _ robinson@autovia.co.uk @matt _ 201

THE original Range Rover kick-started a whole new genre when it launched more than 50 years ago. The automotive world has changed considerably since then, of course, and the SUV sector has, too. As such, the originator must now cut it in a more crowded marketplace than ever.

An all-new version is just what Land Rover needs to stay relevant. Except, while the MLA Flex platform is fresh, from the front this car doesn’t look all that different. The changes are there, however, including new LED light clusters and a different-shaped grille.

At the rear, the deviations are more obvious, with the most radical aspect of the design being the lights hidden within a black panel. It’s a clean, unfussy look.

Inside, there’s a noticeable improvement in quality. The 13.1-inch Pivi Pro infotainment is new, but curiously, it still sits fairly low, where it might be located if it were still integrated into the dash. It’s a shame Land Rover hasn’t made the most of the floating arrangement and moved it closer to eye level, yet it’s a slick system overall.

We’d prefer some sort of tactile control, but the touchscreen is responsive and the menus are clear and easy to navigate. The graphics are really crisp, too, but we’re not fans of the surprisingly aggressive haptic feedback. Thankfully, turning this off is easy. Although the screen is big enough to accommodate digital climate controls, Land Rover has – thankfully – resisted the urge, and left some buttons and dials below.

On the move, the smooth, cosseting ride and almost deathly quiet running impress, but there are limits to the car’s talents in these areas. While great at ironing out most imperfections, the Range Rover is curiously vulnerable to high-frequency bumps, particularly at high speed, transferring more chop into the cabin than we’d like.

At lower speeds, meanwhile, larger hits can sometimes transmit a dull but surprisingly loud thud of wheel and tyre noise, even if the suspension does a good job of absorbing the bump itself.

In terms of ride, then, it’s mostly good news. There’s a clear focus on comfort, but it doesn’t come at the expense of handling. There’s a very satisfying moment when you reach a bend at a decent pace, expect a big roll, yet are bemused at its relative absence.

Some SUVs corner flatter, of course, but those have a more sporting nature that compromises comfort. In the Range Rover, the ride and handling are balanced well, making it more fun than you’d expect. The steering, meanwhile, isn’t brimming with feedback, but it’s well weighted and suits the car. Rear-wheel steering helps here, too, as well as when manoeuvring and off-roading.

One less successful aspect is the eightspeed gearbox. Most of the time it fades into the background, as all good autos should, but on occasion its shifts can be abrupt. Our test car was equipped with a 3.0-litre mild-hybrid six-cylinder D350 diesel, which produces 345bhp and 700Nm of torque for a 6.1-second 0-62mph time. It delivers all the straight-line performance you could need.

The final string to the Range Rover’s bow is practicality. For the first time ever, you can have it as a seven-seater. You still get the familiar split tailgate, while in the front there’s an abundance of cubbies.

However, the Range Rover still has some areas for improvement. Inside, it perhaps ought to feel a touch more special given the cost (the average UK sale price so far is around £125k; this Autobiography starts from £122,375). Even so, the Range Rover blends luxury, comfort and driver engagement better than anything else out there for the money. A Bentley Bentayga betrays its Audi Q7 links if you look too closely, and the BMW X7 isn’t as premium.

You probably don’t need to spend quite as much as this, however. Impressive though the Autobiography is, the £108,775 D350 HSE or the £105,675 D300 in the same trim will tick all the boxes for most.