2013 New Range Rover - Why the fuss ?

X5_twin · Post by **X5_twin** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 4:03 pm

I've recently read a couple of articles on the new 2013 Range Rover and I have to say it looks awesome. The new exterior is certainly growing on me from the pictures I have seen, and the new interior looks superb, as was the last cars. Land Rover design has come on in the last few years and their interiors really do seem to have a special feel to them compared to some of the German interiors that can sometimes feel quite clinical. It's clear the new RR is set to sell very well indeed with demand from the likes of China etc growing enormously.

However, I then started to think about the stats that each article mentioned. Aside from the superb off-road performance I can't really see what all the fuss is about. In terms of it's road use has it surpassed the competition? They've shaved of 400kg in weight. Well about time. It was massively overweight before. It now weighs about the same as the e70. The fuel economy has improved. So it should be, the last generation of Land Rover diesel engines were 5 years behind anything from BMW etc. The new engines offer similar performance to current e70 engines which are soon to offer triple turbos etc. The performance has improved. It couldn't get any slower. The 2.7 RR Sport I drove felt more like a tractor.

it strikes me that they have improved the Range Rover in many ways, a terrific new exterior design and interior, but are they not just playing catching up with the competition on the technical front? The old car was years behind the e70 in terms of performance, economy, weight etc. Am I missing something here. Have LR just released a car that in approx 18 months time will once again be a step behind the competition once the likes of BMW, Audi, Porsche etc launch new versions of their 4x4's?

shadrack · Post by **shadrack** » Tue Sep 18, 2012 4:21 pm

I agree land rovers feel like tanks and are way behind, my mates rr sport is very slow compared to my x5 and wallows on corners, however my dads had many discos and his disco 4 does feel very nice and far superior to the 3, but it just lacks that little something

SimplyRed · Post by **SimplyRed** » Fri Sep 28, 2012 2:20 pm

You'd have to be mental to think a land rover is better engineeried or better made than an X5.

However, 99% of buyers of these kind of cars, are not petrolheads, they dont know that the LR is several years behind on technology and quite frankly they dont care. The new range Rover will sell like hot cakes because it has something that BMW will always be behind on and that is desireability.

We are all happy to buy items that we know full well are not as good as the competition based on branding and emotions. We are all guilty of it. The Range Rover just has that classy upright Britishness to it, something only seen elsewhere on Astons and Rollers. I am a BMW man through and through which is why there are 2 in my household, but there is no denying, when a Vogue SE passes by with the magnolia leather and contrasting piping etc, I do look and question myself.

As for this particular new model, its new in its line up, its distanced itself massively from the Sport, the Sport stole alot of its sales so the new model is far more luxurious and much more expensive, in good spec its a £100k motor!!! Plus now available n LWB so it will be aiming at the chauffer driven end of the market and maybe steal some sales from S-Class, Flying Spur, Ghost etc.

As for off road ability, its not even worth talking about is it? Most Range Rovers wont even see grass.

X5Sport · Post by **X5Sport** » Fri Sep 28, 2012 3:12 pm

[quote="SimplyRed"]
You'd have to be mental to think a land rover is better engineered or better made than an X5.

However, 99% of buyers of these kind of cars, are not petrolheads, they don't know that the LR is several years behind on technology and quite frankly they don't care. The new range Rover will sell like hot cakes because it has something that BMW will always be behind on and that is desirability.

[/quote]
especially Footballers - they'll love them.......the brain cell will be on loan to Real Madrid. :blink:

Black X5 · Post by **Black X5** » Fri Sep 28, 2012 3:40 pm

The L320 (Range Rover sport) is as most know built on the same platform as the L319 (Discovery 3/4). When it was first envisaged, design wanted to call it any thing other than a 'Range Rover', but in the end the marketing bods won and it wore the RR badge. It is however a disco underneath. Agreed it is not a patch on the E53 or E70 (even in current guise. Also it was designed 100% under FoMoCo stewardship.

The L322 (outgoing Range Rover) is a different animal.

Note: Vogue is a model designation, along with SE, HSE etc. But to most people a 'Vogue' is the large RR, similar to 'Hoover' when referring to a vacuum cleaner, or 'Jeep' when talking about a 4x4)

It is nonetheless a very well designed and engineered car. It was of course conceived under BMW ownership, at the same time as the E53. BMW knew the L322 had to be in a different class to the E53. The engineering is a testament to this. It has more spot welds per metre than the E53, a stiffer monocoque and stronger suspension components. The interior materials used were of a far superior quality compared to it's stablemate, it had better sound proofing, more seals, better NVH values etc etc. it did however use the same drivetrain components as the E53 and therfore being a larger car was not as quick on paper. Both cars were never designed to be in competition. The E53 was aimed at younger drivers, moving up from a sport/saloon car to a family car.

The L322 was envisaged to cater for the needs of the 'upper class' (sorry to sound snobby). It was the fourth, fifth or even sixth car in the 90th percentile customer's heated garage. The US was and still is a big market for LR, and some elements specifically cater for this.

To sum up the 'proper' RR is aimed at a different customer, one who does not really throw it aroud corners but prefers a softer ride when going to the shoot! It has a higher seating position to make the King of Arabia feel like a King.

I prefer the E53 and now E70, for the simple reason that I like driving my cars. But no doubt as I get older (56 was mean age for RR owners a few years back) my thoughts/ requirements may change.

I have not really delved into the ins and outs of the latest model, but no doubt it will carry on from where the L322 left off.

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Fri Sep 28, 2012 5:48 pm

@ BlackX5, nice reply. Genuinely very informative.
Thank you

ianmaney · Post by **ianmaney** » Fri Sep 28, 2012 6:43 pm

I'm in a bit of a quandary with this one, I've had my 3.0D sport since it was a few months old in 2006 and I do absolutely love it, however, I have a real urge for an L322 full fat Range Rover TDV8, I'm just worried that I won't be getting as good a car as I've already got !

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

X5_twin · Post by **X5_twin** » Mon Oct 01, 2012 2:56 pm

[quote="ianmaney"]
I'm in a bit of a quandary with this one, I've had my 3.0D sport since it was a few months old in 2006 and I do absolutely love it, however, I have a real urge for an L322 full fat Range Rover TDV8, I'm just worried that I won't be getting as good a car as I've already got !

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
[/quote]

I agree. I had the same dilemma when I bought my X5. I tried the RR and the RR sport. Yes the Vogue RR is well put together, and another level in terms of interior design, but as you say in so many ways it was behind the X5 in terms of its performance on the road and drivetrain etc (dated diesel engines compared to the e70).

I'm fascinated to see what BMW will do with the new X5 when it launches next year. Will it move things on further and leave the new RR looking a little dated ? Will they take it more upmarket and try to compete with the Range Rover? They can certainly compete in terms of engineering, but as SimplyRed says above, the RR is often bought for its badge. Should be very interesting.

I'm hoping the new X5 will have the same drivability as the current e70, powerful smooth triple turbo diesels across the range and an interior to match the new Range Rover (not the plastic feel of the current e70). That would be a perfect replacement for the e70.

In the meantime the new RR will sell like hot cakes, I'm sure of it.

Dan Alex · Post by **Dan Alex** » Mon Oct 01, 2012 5:10 pm

I'm pretty confident that a comparison cannot be made between BMW and LL. I think that there is such a big difference in the segments that they are meant for, and their buyers are extremely different, as are the cars themselves. 2013 Vogue and RRS will be exquisite.

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