DAPPER DESIGN
Land Rover LR2 is compact luxury for all terrain
It has often been said that Land Rovers are the Swiss Army Knives of the automotive world, albeit with a British accent.
You can rock climb, go for a leisurely drive, wade through bodies of water or just sit in your own driveway listening to classical music through orchestral hall-quality speakers — all in the comfort of your own vehicle.
Completely updated for the 2013 model year, LR2 joins the Range Rover Evoque in the company’s stable, thus giving it two entries in the evolving premium compact SUV market. Among LR2’s targeted competitors are Audi Q5, BMW X3, Honda CRV, Volvo XC60, and the VW Tiguan.
The design is gorgeous, although this description probably wouldn’t make a vehicle that’s as capable as the LR2 happy. I would describe it as aerodynamically rectangular. By that I mean it obviously couches its occupants in a cocoon-like structure but the body design slices cleanly through the wind.
Its grille and fog lamp bezels now sport a bright finish and paint detailing changes to the front grille surround, insert bars, and fender vent harmonize the different elements.
The narrow A-pillars make for excellent all-around visibility. The short front and rear overhangs and high underbody are essential for the vehicle’s off-road performance. Body-side protection guards against stone chips and helps keep the sills clean. Maximum rear axle ground clearance is 10.5 inches while the front axle’s is 8.3 inches.
As handsome as the 2013 LR2 is, what really makes this a force to be reckoned with is the mechanical side. Powered by a new 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that puts out 240 horsepower and 250 pound feet of torque (at only 3,200 revolutions per minute), the power plant is 10 horsepower and 16 pound-feet of torque more than the 3.2L naturally-aspirated inline six-cylinder engine that it replaces.
Furthermore, the new engine is 88 pounds lighter. Mated to an Aisin AWF21 six-speed automatic transmission engineered with advanced neutral logic control to reduce internal drag when the vehicle is stationary, gives it an Environmental Protection Agency-estimated mileage figure of 24 miles per gallon (highway). The transmission is coupled to a full-time four-wheel drive system featuring a Haldex rear axle differential.
The Terrain Response System is one of the core Land Rover technologies that gives the vehicle its outstanding range of capabilities. It adapts the response of the vehicle’s engine, gearbox, center coupling and chassis systems to match the demands of the terrain, such as grass, gravel, snow, mud, ruts, and sand. If you want to “play boats,” the maximum water wading depth is 19.7 inches.
Hand-in-hand with the capabilities technology is the driving dynamic. As awesome as the LR2 is when there’s not a civilized road in sight, it’s just as good a machine on paved roads. It offers an all-day ride so the prospect of driving it for hundreds of miles per day isn’t daunting whatsoever.
Safety also is a prime ingredient of the new LR2. Suffice it to say it would take even more pages (like the operations technologies) to describe them all.
The 2013 LR2’s upgraded interior boasts a host of new features. Every trim level (LR2, LR2 HSE and LR2HSE LUX) comes with grained leather-covered electric seats (standard), standard dual sunroofs, a new instrument cluster with a five-inch screen displaying primarily vehicle-related information, and complemented steering wheel toggle switches operate the clearest of dropdown menus and vehicle setup details.