2011 Range Rover – LR-TDV8 & 8-speed – 30.1 mpg

While we’ll probably never see it here in the U.S. a new diesel has been announced for the 2011 Range Rover and it’s reported to get 30.1 mpg.  Coupled with the new engine is an 8-speed transmission, I wonder where the gas mileage would be with the petrol’s 6-speed that the rest of us will continue to get.

The LR-TDV8 4.4-litre with parallel sequential turbocharging replaces the outstanding LR-TDV8 3.6-litre and is unique to the Range Rover. An all-new ‘super-diesel’, the LR-TDV8 combines superior power and massive torque with unparalleled levels of refinement. Despite the extra performance, this sublime V8 engine is cleaner too, delivering even lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions than its predecessor and meeting the stringent EU5 emissions standards. The headline news, though, is that the combined cycle fuel consumption of the new LR-TDV8 4.4-litre is just 30.1mpg, making this the first Range Rover ever to better 30mpg.
With 313PS and 700Nm torque, the Range Rover’s new powertrain matches power with conscience, reducing CO2 emissions by an impressive 14 percent. The new diesel engine is helped in this respect by its marriage to an impressive new, electronically controlled, ZF 8HP70, 8-speed automatic gearbox tuned by Land Rover engineers to combine silky smooth shifting with exceptionally rapid response and outstanding fuel economy. This daunting combination is enough to catapult the Range Rover from rest to 60mph in a mere 7.5 seconds and complete the 50mph-75mph dash in just 5.1 seconds.

2010-06-21T23:43:00-04:00June 21, 2010|

2011 Range Rover – Exhausts

Not sure if it’s just these press pics, but none of the pictures released thus far for the 2011MY show the chrome exhaust that has been standard on the Supercharged models in the U.S. since 2006.  Instead they all have the understated almost hidden exhaust found on the HSE’s.  Again, this could just be how these vehicles were spec’d or that they were some kind of hybrid but I’d be happy to see the chrome exhausts go away and this become the standard across the line.  They don’t show them on the Autobiography Black either.

2010-06-19T23:37:00-04:00June 19, 2010|

2010 Range Rover – Autobiography Black – 40th Anniversary Limited Edition

It’s bit much for me as a whole, but there are some nice styling cues, gills are my favorite – there will only be 700 made – no pricing or availability info yet.

2011rrable

EMBARGO: 00:01 June 17th, 2010

Autobiography Black: A very special 40th anniversary limited edition

“The Autobiography Black represents the very best Range Rover has to offer and is a fitting tribute to a vehicle which has consistently set the highest standards for all-terrain performance, luxury and design for the last 40 years.”

Phil Popham, Land Rover Managing Director

The ultimate incarnation of the Range Rover, the Autobiography Black 40th Anniversary Limited Edition, is quite simply the last word in bespoke vehicles. With a unique finish in Barolo Black, the exterior also features 20-inch alloy wheels, Diamond Turned, a unique front grille with Titan grille mesh, a bright chrome grille ‘U’ edge and black grille surround. Side vents have a new mesh set off by bright chrome bars and a black vent surround. There are body coloured door handles and of course, the tailgate badge, ‘Autobiography Black’.

Inside, there’s a choice of the standard colourway in Jet, or two colourways unique to the Autobiography Black – Jet and Ivory, or Jet and Pimento. The Autobiography Black logo is discretely repeated throughout the interior where it is embossed on the rear seat armrest and appears on the four unique, Grand Black door veneers. Front door sill tread plates are illuminated with the words ‘Range Rover’ and there’s a half wood Grand Black steering wheel. Petrol models also offer gearknob veneers.

“At the top of the Range, the new Autobiography Black 40th Anniversary Limited Edition offers customers the option of complete exclusivity with unique colourway combinations as well as striking interior and exterior design features. Around 700 will be made, emphasising the exclusivity of this limited edition.”

Design Director, Gerry McGovern

No detail has been overlooked in ensuring this is the most special Range Rover in the marque’s 40 year history. Even the key fob and driver’s handbook carry the Autobiography Black logo.

…Ends

2010-10-23T23:09:26-04:00June 18, 2010|

2011 Range Rover – The JaguarDrive Selector

2011-Range-Rover-Shift-Knob So Jaguar Land Rover has decided to do some more part sharing – the new XJ got the Range Rover cup holders, albeit with some fancier chrome & the 2011 Range Rover received the JaguarDrive Selector – I’m not sure what Land Rover marketing is calling it yet.

Jaguar describes it as:

A rotary shift interface that combines precise, intuitive control with leading edge ergonomics and interior design

It was designed with some possible Apple collaboration, as per Autoblog & Ian Callum

I describe it as more of a gimmick, did they just want to stop buying BMW gear shifts?  The classic Jaguar J-Gate was completely retired in 2010/11 and this is another unique Jaguar take on a gear shift.  For Land Rover though, it seems like more of an afterthought, giving the aging Range Rover interior another update.  And in doing so, they’ve reset some of their recent Land Rover design DNA.  I guess they couldn’t have two larger round knobs so close together so Terrain Response has now become a right/left toggle button.  On one of my off-road drives at the Solihull factory and my first time with Terrain Response – the Land Rover instructor actually made a point to say, while explaining how easy Terrain Response was to operate, that when you need to go back to regular mode, all you had to do was give the knob a good counter-clockwise spin and you were back.  How  does that work now?  Can you hold down the “left” button and it will cycle through and get you back to normal?  Or if you were in Rock Crawl mode, do you have to hit the “left” button 4 times to get to normal?  With the pre-2011 knob, you didn’t even have to look.  We’ll have to keep an eye out for the 2011 Owner’s Manuals to be released.

Old-Terrain-Response2011-Range-Rover-Terrain-Response

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2011-Range-Rover---KnurledAnd then there’s the actual physical design of the knob – that great Bentley-esque knurling.  I really like the look & the feel should be great too, but does it match anything else in the vehicle?  The old Terrain Response knob had what they called the Noble finish with rubber notches – just like most of the other round controls in the Range Rover.  It was like a larger version of the current HVAC controls.  I’m not saying the shift knob should have been rubberized, but maybe they should have brought the knurled design to the other controls.  This was just a straight lift from the XJ part bin, a great bin, just wish they would have taken more.

And I’ll finish by contradicting myself and say it is pretty cool and I look forward to giving it a try.

2010-06-17T23:12:00-04:00June 17, 2010|
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