RANGE ROVER LONG WHEELBASE

While the iconic British SUV’s prowess needs no introduction, the ultra-luxe feel of the Range Rover’s interiors make it every CEO’s dream car. Rugged on the outside, plush on the inside, power-packed with technological features, a dashboard laden with ddle-worthy features and a road presence like no other, given its enormous proportions, the Range Rover is a complete package. While the large SUV’s performance features do appeal to serious car a cionados and o -roaders, it also nds favour among the upscale urban luxury consumer, for its generous lifestyle elements. We went all the way to the top of the spectrum and chose the Range Rover Long Wheelbase — note the understated “L” sign near the front wheel arch to indicate so — which, as its name suggests, is visibly larger and more spacious. On the outside, this model’s body is extended by 200 mm giving it a commendable road presence. ese increased proportions are felt on the inside as well, with an additional 186 mm of oorspace. We judge our luxury cars by the quality of the backseat experience — we’ve had way too many instances of luxury cars with passable backseats. We can safely conclude that this extended Range Rover is best enjoyed if you’re being driven around (a strong statement, given how much we love self driving our Rovers).

e cabin itself feels almost like a private jet or yacht with its generous Semi-Aniline leather seats, pastel tones and wood- nish trims. Creating a lifestyle space within the car are the additional stowage spaces in the centre consoles as well as a refrigerator compartment in the front centre console. Another design cue that we absolutely love is the sweeping panoramic sunroof, which bathes the cabin in natural light, and adds a certain ambience during night drives.

Admittedly, all our time was not spent in the backseat — we did spend a lot of time in the front drooling over and dgeting with the infotainment console. e car comes with the manufacturer’s Touch Pro Duo system featuring 10-inch HD touchscreens, allowing you to, say, operate the entertainment on one screen, while setting navigation settings on another. Long drives are rendered e ortless thanks to this

easy-interface system and a set of 19 Meridian surround speakers, wisely placed across the cabin. is system, coupled with the Interactive Driver Display (we absolutely love this feature), where key data on journey, navigation and even media are displayed.

While our experience was largely limited to driving on city roads, the SUV comes with seven Terrain Response settings, which are manually set — Comfort, Dynamic, Eco, Grass/Gravel/Snow, Mud and Ruts, Sand and Rock Crawl — retaining its DNA is a quintessential o -roader. at said, the SUV lends itself perfectly to city driving and navigates narrow streets and turns quite e ortlessly, in spite of its massive proportions. is is combined with the Terrain Response 2 technology, where the SUV’s engines, gear and chassis automatically adjust to driving conditions, to increase e ciency. Other features include Electronic Traction Control, Emergency Brake Assist, Dynamic Stability Control and Hill Descent Control.

e Automatic Access Height, which lowers the car so passengers can board with greater ease, is a nice touch.