There has been a shake-up of the Range Rover’s powertrain offering: there are now no four-cylinder options, the plug-in hybrids use a completely new powertrain with significantly improved performance and the top-rung model swaps its supercharged 5.0-litre V8 for a twin-turbo BMW unit. The structure has also been designed to maximise efficiency: so-called ‘aero shields’ run the length of the car’s underbody to channel air efficiently towards the rear, and even the rear suspension elements have their own aero-optimised covers, which “deliver a controlled separation of the underbody airflow”. Vehicle programme director Nick Miller said any loss of lateral stiffness caused by removing such a large piece of steel is cancelled out by the installation of a high-strength glass panel, which serves the same load-bearing function. The enhanced stiffness has been achieved even with a full-length, and standard, panoramic sunroof. Jaguar Land Rover’s new MLA ‘Flex’ architecture, which has been pioneered by the Range Rover, brings 50% more torsional stiffness and 24% less structure-borne noise than the underpinnings of the outgoing Range Rover, chiefly through the use of mixed metals and a set of ‘rings’ built into the body shell for maximum rigidity. A focus on increased aerodynamic efficiency is also evident in the Range Rover’s new look, and as a result the new car has a drag coefficient of as little as 0.30, which represents a 12% improvement. The ‘gill’ motifs and grille of the old car have been redesigned, and the pop-out door handles first seen on the Range Rover Velar give a sleeker look. A new movable panel in the boot floor (which conceals a hidden load space) can be folded up to serve as a backrest, turning the tailgate into a two-person bench, complete with drinks holders in the base. The split-folding tailgate continues to operate as before, with the lower portion folding down and the rear screen raising up, while new features are aimed at adding “a sense of occasion to tailgate gatherings”. The new rear-end design retains a significant level of functionality and utility. Each mirror can be turned on or off independently, giving a so-called ‘shadow tracking’ functionality that avoids shining any light at oncoming cars. The tail-lights are said to use the most powerful LEDs in existence, while at the front, each headlight cluster contains some 1.2 million individual mirrors that reflect light from a rear-mounted mirror. Land Rover says this new set-up will become a Range Rover “signature”, suggesting it will eventually appear on the next-generation Evoque, Range Rover Sport and any Velar successor. The most obvious differentiator is the addition of a sizeable gloss black panel at the rear, incorporating vertical brake lights at the side and indicators in a bar across the top, all of which are invisible when not in use. The Range Rover’s distinctive silhouette remains fundamentally intact, with a rising shoulder line, short overhangs, a ‘floating’ roof and a clamshell bonnet, but differences between it and the outgoing car are extensive.
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