The car’s styling makes reference to Range Rovers past but its engineering could not be more different. Two changes define the new Range Rover. The first is that a steel monocoque replaces the old car’s separate ladder-frame chassis to provide the ride and refinement required of a luxury road car.
The second is the introduction of independent suspension for the same reason, and to increase clearance. A link between the air spheres on the same axle retains the advantage of live axles off-road, forcing down unladen wheels to help maintain traction. The new car is significantly bigger but Land Rover claims that its critical off-road angles have been maintained.
The 282bhp 4.4-litre V8 borrowed from the BMW X5 has been modified to cope with more rigorous wading, tilt and temperature requirements.
