Just as it did with the 2016 Range Rover Sport, Land Rover
has introduced a diesel-engine option for the 2016 Range Rover HSE line as
well, offering the same V-6 turbo-diesel and its accompanying superb fuel
economy.
For 2016, the Range Rover HSE Td6 model (base price $93,450)
comes with the 3.0-liter turbo-diesel, rated at 254 horsepower and an
impressive 443 foot-pounds of torque.
Coupled with an eight-speed automatic transmission, this
vehicle has EPA ratings of 22 mpg city/29 highway/25 combined, which is quite
an improvement over the gasoline engines offered. The gas V-6 has EPA ratings
of 17/23/19, while the V-8’s ratings are 14/19/16.
The Td6 engine provides its peak torque as low as 1,750 rpm,
which is great for towing heavy trailers. The Td6-equipped Range Rover can
handle trailers weighing up to 7,716 pounds.
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All of that diesel torque also is beneficial during extreme
off-roading, especially on steep grades where low-range gearing is necessary to
keep the vehicle moving.
The low-end torque also allows the diesel-equipped Range
Rovers to nearly match the zero-60 mph times of the Range Rover supercharged
V-6 gasoline engine, which has considerably more horsepower (340).
Land Rover says the Range Rover Td6 models can accelerate
from zero-60mph in 7.4 seconds, compared with 7.1 seconds for the V-6 gasoline
models. That’s aided by the aluminum construction of the Range Rover, which
came with the complete redesign of the vehicle for 2013. Land Rover added the
V-6 gasoline engine for 2014, replacing the redesigned 2013 model’s standard
normally aspirated 5.0-liter V-8.
The Td6 engine has a block made with Compacted Graphite
Iron, or CGI, “which has a higher tensile strength than standard gray cast
iron, better fatigue strength than aluminum, and added stiffness,” Land Rover
says. The material allows the engine block to be smaller and lighter.
Range Rover’s Td6 uses Diesel Exhaust Fluid, or DEF, to
reduce nitrogen oxide emissions to meet U.S. air-quality standards. DEF is
injected into the exhaust, turning it into harmless nitrogen gas. Most truck
stops and diesel fuel stations sell DEF, and it’s also available at Land Rover
dealerships.
As for the Range Rover in general, it’s at the top of the
line of Land Rover vehicles, the legendary British off-road brand. Besides
being drenched in luxury, the Range Rover is one of the most-capable off-road
vehicles on the market – although most owners of these vehicles will never take
them off road.
That’s because Range Rover prices for 2016 start at $84,950
(plus $995 freight) for the supercharged gasoline V-6 base model, and run as
high as $199,495 for the special top-of-the-line supercharged V-8 SV
Autobiography long-wheelbase model.
When you pay that much for a vehicle, you’re probably more
likely to drive on well-paved roads, rather than rocky trails where it could
sustain body damage.
There are lower-priced Land Rover vehicles with very capable
off-road four-wheel-drive systems, too, beginning with the 2016 Discovery Sport
for $37,455, and the LR4 for $50,900. Those prices are well in line with many
of today’s crossover utility vehicles – even non-luxury brands.
Also available are two lower-priced Range Rover-branded
vehicles: the two- or four-door 2016 Evoque, starting at $41,475; and the 2016
Range Rover Sport, at $64,950. The Range Rover Sport also can be equipped with
the Td6 engine.
But for those who want the best Land Rover has to offer,
there are the models called simply Range Rover. They are beautiful vehicles,
but as refined and uptown as they are, these vehicles still can take you just
about anywhere you could want to go – on or off the paved road.
Our Range Rover HSE Td6 was an amazing highway vehicle for a
long family trip, but it’s just as much at home around town or on unpaved
national and state park roads. Seeing as though our tester’s total price was
$106,325, including freight and options, we didn’t dare take it anywhere that
it might have gotten damaged.
The HSE package brings such extras as 12-way power front
seats, perforated Oxford leather seats (heated front and rear), interior wood
trim, 20-inch alloy wheels, a huge panoramic sunroof, fog lights and
power-folding/self-dimming outside mirrors.
Our vehicle came in the Aintree Green exterior color, with
an Ivory interior with Espresso trim.
The transmission comes with paddle shifters on the steering
wheel. Fulltime four-wheel drive with low-range gearing is standard on all
Range Rovers, which turns all of these vehicles into off-road beasts.
This newest generation of the Range Rover has lighter-weight
all-aluminum construction, which, combined with the Td6 engine, helps give it
the excellent fuel economy.
Range Rover is one of the most-refined vehicles you’ll ever
experience. These SUVs are built for comfort, and can accommodate up to five
people. (The Range Rover Sport is available with seven-passenger seating, as is
the LR4). Top speeds are 130 mph for the V-6 models, and 140 for the V-8s, but
just because Land Rover electronically limits them. Turned loose, they would go
much faster.
With the redesign for 2013, the Range Rover was all new. The
exterior is lower and more-carlike, and the aluminum body weighs 700 pounds
less than its steel predecessor. But even with the stylish makeover, the
vehicle is still instantly recognizable as a Range Rover, as there was no
radical restyling.
While we didn’t take our 2016 HSE Td6 into any serious
off-road conditions, I previously tested the new Range Rover on some
quite-rugged national forest trails in northern Arizona, where the vehicle
proved its off-road prowess. It easily climbed steep and slippery slopes and
slogged through mud, deep sand and even some snow, all while riding on street
tires.
When driving off road in the Range Rover, the standard
terrain-response system does most of the work, automatically choosing the
proper driving mode. The driver can choose the mode manually, though, among
such settings as Mud/Ruts, Grass/Gravel/Snow, Sand, Rock Crawl, and General.
Standard seating in the Range Rover is for five, but there
is an optional “executive” two-passenger rear seat that cuts the total to four.
Our vehicle had the three-person rear seat, however, and we needed it, as we
had five on board most of the time.
With the optional two-passenger rear seating, you’ll get
reclining captain’s chairs that offer both massage and heat. Land Rover calls
it “the ultimate in personalized rear-seat luxury.”
To make the vehicle quieter, there is acoustic lamination
for the windshield and door glass. The premium leather for the interior comes
from Scotland, and wood for the cabin trim from “sustainable forests,” Land
Rover says.
The HSE’s cabin is roomier than that of the previous
generation, with an increase of 4.7 inches in rear-seat legroom. The standard
models are 196.6 inches long, while the new long-wheelbase models, introduced
for 2014, are 204.7 inches long, giving them nearly eight inches more rear
legroom than the regular version.
The two-piece rear hatch is now power-operated, and can be
opened with the remote control for the door locks; only the top three-quarters
opens automatically.
An aluminum suspension system was designed to give the
vehicle more stability and better handling. It no longer has the top-heavy feel
of the previous models, something off-road users will appreciate.
The Range Rover’s air-suspension system helps give
additional stability during cornering, and allows the vehicle to raise itself
up to an additional 5.8 inches off road to clear obstacles. It lowers about two
inches from normal highway height to allow for easier entry and exit.
A smart-key system allows for pushbutton start and stop of
the engine, and there is a system that shuts the engine down while the vehicle
is stopped in traffic or at signals.
Range Rovers can wade through water up to 35.4 inches deep,
and have a maximum of 11.7 inches of ground clearance. We have a state park
close by that has a road that runs through a creek, but it’s just a few inches
deep, so we didn’t give the vehicle a real deep-water test.
source: http://www.star-telegram.com/cars/g-chambers-williams/article70705837.html
by BY G. CHAMBERS WILLIAMS III
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