30 RANGE ROVER

We’ve had an exclusive sneak peek at the new Range Rover and its introduction to SA in the second half of 2022 can’t come soon enough.

The Range Rover has been with us for five decades and through four generations, but now the fifth has been revealed and it includes 125 new patents, more than any Jaguar Land Rover model in the company’s history. It sits on new MLA-FLEX architecture with a wheelbase that’s 70 mm longer and 50% more torsional stiffness. Land Rover claims it will have the “widest capability of any vehicle on the road, bar none” thanks partly to 295 mm of ground clearance, an ability to rise 145 mm on its air suspension, 900 mm of wading depth and a 48V electric anti-roll system.

The design follows a reductionist strategy with fewer lines, making it look like it has been hewn from something solid. The big talking point though is the black arch at the rear that hides the LED lighting; a very clever, attention-grabbing piece of design.

It will be available in both standard and long-wheelbase versions, with the choice of four, five or, for the first time ever, seven seats. There will also be the option of tailgate seating, perfect for watching polo or a school rugby match. Then there’s the luxurious rear Signature Suite on the SV models with a centre console, which runs front to rear and is available with an electronically rising table that’s practically a work of art. SV models also get ceramic trim elements and new 23-inch wheels.

When it launches in SA next year, there will be a 3,0-litre turbodiesel and the first use of BMW’S N63 twin-turbo petrol V8 extensively fettled for use by Jaguar Land Rover. There will also be a plug-in hybrid that can achieve an impressive 100 km in electric mode but SA will have to wait until 2023. If you’re keen to go full electric, a pure battery-electric Range Rover will be launched in 2024.