Land Rover contemplates the future

The Land Rover story stretches as far back as 1948, when the first 4x4 from the company was sold. Back then, there weren't too many alternatives, which resulted in Land Rover gaining an almost blanket market share.

When things started getting tougher for the marque, it introduced the luxury 4x4 in 1970 - the Range Rover. That vehicle is the mainstay of the Land Rover fleet, along with the Defender, though other models have performed well in recent years, like the smaller Freelander.

Calls by critics that Land Rover has lost the plot are about to be put to the test following the company's newest release, the 2002 Range Rover.

The new car will debut in Europe February 2002, and is set for an Australian release in June of 2002. But what of the new vehicle? Sure, it's big, but what does it aim to do?

Well, for one, it's always been a fairly good mud slinger and the freeway poses no problems for big 4x4, either. Thus far, this new Range Rover is only the third time in 31 years that the model has been completely redesigned.

As far as the new styling goes, the lights have been given a modernistic once over, with new LED brakelights and circular projector beams up front. It is definitely a new Range Rover, but from afar, even the most learned of car lovers would find it hard to tell new and old apart.

"We believe the new Range Rover is the most capable vehicle in the world given its outstanding breadth of on and off-road ability," said CEO of Land Rover, Bob Dover. "It is supremely capable off-road and one of the world's finest luxury cars.

"The exterior is thoroughly modern yet retains all the distinctive Range Rover styling cues. We believe it is essential that people instantly recognise the new vehicle as a Range Rover.

"We wanted to set the new Range Rover apart from all off-road competitors and also offer an interior that beats luxury saloon rivals," said Dover.

Despite the main man's optimistic views, the new Range Rover is under immense pressure to perform. Indeed, the buzz is there and much has been promised, but the outgoing model wasn't exactly a dream machine when it came reliability.

The stakes are high, but the new generation Range Rover could well achieve what the company hopes it will - that is claw back market share lost to the likes of Toyota, Nissan, even BMW and Mercedes.

The Range Rover is a luxury vehicle. The moment you step inside the large, and very raised, interior, you know the ride is going to be plush and comfortable. The new Range Rover is heavier than it's precursor, but slightly narrower, addressing the concerns of city folk when it comes to parking.

The new 4x4 will come with a choice of two engines, both with full-time 4WD: a V8 and a six-cylinder turbo-diesel mill. The turbocharged 3.0-litre diesel powerplant is good for 130kW and is targeted more towards the European market, where diesel is ultra cheap.

The bigger 4.4-litre V8 is capable of churning out about 210kW and, remarkably, offers better fuel economy than the 3.0-litre six. It also offers much better straight-line performance. Both engines will be mated to five-speed Steptronic automatic transmissions and, if things don't change between now and the vehicle's release, this will be the only gearbox option.

Independent suspension has been added all-round and this time Land Rover claims suspension travel has been improved. Hill Descent Control also made the cut, as did an impressive new intelligent system that actually changes the height of the car, dependent on road surface. It can automatically address rough roads by increasing the ride height, for instance. This new system also comes into effect when the vehicle has stopped, allowing for easier access.

While this is a very early glimpse at Land Rover's new Range Rover, the signs are promising. If the price is right and reliability issues that plagued previous models are ironed out, the new luxury 4x4 could well be a huge success.

For more information, check out the world-wide Land Rover site.