(Test Drive) Range Rover: an exciting SUV

Land Rover’s Range Rover Sport 3.0D HSC. / Courtesy of Land Rover

British luxury brand

offers high comfort

and functionality

By Jhoo Dong-chan

British premium four-wheel-drive sport utility vehicle (SUV) specialist Land Rover’s performance-focused model Range Rover was offered to this reporter for a test drive during Jaguar Land Rover Korea’s two-day event in the South Jeolla Provincial city of Yeosu, March 31. And the vehicle certainly lived up to expectations.

The reporter drove the 2016 Range Rover Sport HSC 3.0D model with the powerful 292-horsepower turbo-diesel SDV6 engine, riding through a winding country course from Yeosu to Hyangilam, one of the nation’s most famous places to watch the sunrise.

Keeping Land Rover’s masculine design identity, the Range Rover’ body reminded me of a muscular gentleman in a tuxedo. Its trunk was big at 1,761 liters, with the rear seats folded, while wide visibility with sizable headroom fully delivered the SUV characteristics.

The Sport model has aluminum monocoque plates, making it 420 kilograms lighter than its predecessor. It can reportedly do 0-100 kph in 7.2 seconds.

Considering the model has a diesel engine, the full-time four-wheel-drive was incredibly silent. Even during hard acceleration, the model sounded as if it was powered by a gasoline-engine.

In the vehicle’s dynamic mode, the Range Rover offered responsive steering on winding roads. For a large five-seat SUV, the Range Rover’s agility was surprisingly smooth and sharp without under-steering.

It was hard to say that the Range Rover’s acceleration dominates its segment of the market compared with its rival the Porsche Cayenne, but the eight-speed model has soft acceleration that delivers stability and is expected to feel comfortable in city driving.

A Land Rover official said: “The diesel model is equipped with the ‘Adaptive Dynamics System’ that monitors and responds to the SUV’s suspension and movement through its sensor readings 500 times per second to control its damping pressure. The system also monitors the SUV’s steering position through its sensor readings 100 times per second.”

The reporter played loud music while driving the SUV and the vehicle’s Meridian Surround Sound System delivered perfect sound quality through its 18 speakers.

The seats have high-quality stitched natural leather that is matched well with the interior electronics.

Unlike most luxury vehicles, the Range Rover did not offer a heads-up display (HUD) but it was not uncomfortable because its sizable infotainment screen was sufficient to deliver the necessary driving information.

The SUV has a domestic-firm navigator _ unlike its German premium rivals _ that reflects more accurate road information. But the screen was not sensitive enough, so it had to be touched two or three times for the GPS to work.

And the vehicle’s power window controller was underneath the window, raising concerns that rain could affect it.

Overall, the SUV was one of the best machines the reporter has driven. Famous TV car show Top Gear rated it nine out 10 points.

But the vehicle is a little expensive. It costs between 115.1 million won ($99,224) and 127.2 million won.