Land Rover’s upwardly mobile aspirations for the Range Rover
finally went into orbit with the arrival of the third generation model L322 in
February 2002. Where previous Range Rovers mixed off-road ability with comfort,
the L322 pushed comfort and luxury to the fore, though it also retained the
full spread of off-road ability expected of a Range Rover.
This was also the first Range Rover model to ditch a
separate chassis, instead using a monocoque design that heralded a shift in
Land Rover’s thinking. The L322 also ushered in a new style for Land Rover,
penned by Don Wyatt, that we can still see the effects of today in the L322’s
replacement, the L405. As such, the L322 now competed against luxury saloons
such as the Mercedes S-Class, as well as other SUVs, which is why the car has
become beloved by so many for its dual-purpose ability.
Longer, wider and taller than the P38A it replaced, the L322
has a 2880mm wheelbase, generous cabin space and comes with permanent
four-wheel drive in all models. There's also an automatic transmissions for
every version, initially a five-speed ’box that was then superseded by a six-speeder
for the 2006 model year.
To begin with, Range Rovers came with BMW-sourced engines in
the shape of a 184PS 2.9-litre TD6 turbodiesel and 4.4-litre V8 petrol with
290hp. These engines lasted until the 2006 model year when the V8 was replaced
with a Jaguar-derived 4.4-litre V8 with 306hp, while the flagship was now
powered by a supercharged 4.2 V8 developing 400hp. A new 3.6-litre TDV8 took
over from the TD6 and offered 272hp and a heft 640Nm of torque.
In April 2009, the supercharged V8 grew to 5.0-litres and
510hp yet offered slightly better fuel economy of 19.0mpg and lower 348g/km
carbon dioxide emissions. A year later, the 3.6 TDV8 engine was replaced by the
4.4-litre unit with parallel sequential turbocharging to deliver 313hp, 516lbft
and 30.1mpg - making it the first factory Range Rover to exceed 30mpg. Land
Rover also took the opportunity to fit the new eight-speed auto to the TDV8 and
restyle the front end with daytime running lights that curve around the
headlights. Improvements to the Terrain Response system were also introduced,
with the addition of Hill Start Assist and Gradient Acceleration Control.
Pre-2009 cars featured simpler headlights
There’s a choice of HSE, Vogue, Vogue SE and Autobiography
versions of the L322 Range Rover, which go from luxurious to downright
sumptuous. You can also spend even more on tuned models from the likes of
Overfinch or Kahn, while armour-plated models command yet more based on their
level of protection. However, we’ll stick with the standard models here for a
huge number of roles and reasons.
source: http://www.pistonheads.com/doc.asp?c=52&i=27046by Alisdair Suite
http://www.boscheuropean.com
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