Another shot from the Autoweek.nl photos:

So here we see the engine without a logo cover on it.  The things that caught my eye are the vents running along the edge of the body and the possible mates in the hood.  Could these be functional hood air vents, following the design of the Evoque or the Jaguar R vehicles?

From Car Magazine, these latest images, I think even more so, show how the Evoque is completely dictating all design decisions, with that fast back look still very alive and well.  It really does look like a big Evoque.  I wonder if we’re going to see the Sport released with the real Range Rover, as a major line refresh, like back in 2010.  I’m trying to figure out how much greenhouse they’ve given up.  It just seems like there’s a lot less glass and a lot more door than in the current Range Rover Sport.

Also notice the camouflage covering items over the front doors.  In the next actual Range Rover (L405), we’ve seen a hint of vents in the front doors.  I’m still not sure if they’ll really be as big as the “renderings” show.  I’m hoping for more of an Aston Martin type of look that does intrude into the door but doesn’t add too much of a mess.  And from what they’re covering here on the Sport, I have hope.

More from the Autoweek.nl treasure trove:

So all our original assumptions are true and the tailgate layout is definitely a little different for this next Range Rover.  We can probably assume the top of the tailgate is motorized.  And even though the externally visual section of the lower tailgate has shrunk, it appears to be almost the same as the current model counting with the trim you don’t see with the tailgate closed.

Interesting…

It’s been a long time coming for an LR2/Freelander interior update.  It was very old school Land Rover before, like the original Range Rover Sport.  Currently sporting an Evoque steering wheel in the test mule, also notice the new gauge cluster.  We’ll have to wait and see what’s under that center console, but let’s hope for at least a little more refinement, along the line of the LR4/Discovery 4 2010 refresh.

http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1074271_2013-land-rover-range-rover-spy-video

From the same cache of new images:

http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1074271_2013-land-rover-range-rover-spy-video

Again pulling from the great pictures found in the Autoweek.nl article, here we see the first close up shots of updated Terrain Response controls.

We’ve seen the Terrain Response dial in both the raised and lowered position.  The new information shown here is that “AUTO” label.  When the DC100 was released, they talked about the “Intelligent next-generation Land Rover Terrain Response® system automatically optimizes the vehicle for any surface or terrain.”  That could be what we’re seeing here.

I want to know how these buttons actually work.  Looking at the Hill Descent Control & the Low Range icons, I’m not sure how those buttons are pressed.  Is that entire bar a toggle or are they individual switches.  DSC has moved down next to the height selection button.  To the right of the height selection controls are two buttons.  The top one appears to be the Automatic Speed Limiter (ASL), a feature that has been used in Jaguar’s for a while now.  You set it at a pre-determined speed and the vehicle will not go above that speed.  You can read more about ASL in this 2007 article from Car and Driver.

And here is an excerpt from the 2011 Jaguar XJ Owner’s Handbook:

When ASL is selected and a set speed inserted, the engine will respond normally up to the set speed. Further accelerator pedal pressure will not increase the vehicle speed beyond your set speed, unless kick down is initiated, in which case ASL will be suspended.

Finally, the button below the ASL button appears to be an ECO button.  In the 2013 Jaguar XJ, we see ECO displayed on the digital gauges, and it looks close to what we see in the L405:

In the Jaguar, the ECO icon is displayed when the now ubiquitous Intelligent Stop/Start is active.

Intelligent Stop/Start
Offering further efficiency improvements is Jaguar’s Intelligent Stop/Start system, which is now fitted – according to market – to all diesel engines and the V6 and V8 petrol units. The system is able to shut down the engine in just 300 milliseconds after the car has come to a halt, allowing for fuel consumption improvements of around 5%.

No driver intervention is necessary; a complex system of control algorithms govern when the Stop/Start should function according to a number of operational parameters including engine, ambient and cabin temperatures, whether the vehicle is fully at rest, vehicle power requirements and so on. A green ‘ECO’ symbol on the dashboard lights up when the engine is shut down by the system.

Having come to a halt and shut down the engine, the Intelligent Stop/Start system is able to restart smoothly in less time than it takes for the driver’s foot to release the brake pedal and depress the accelerator. It does so by utilizing a Twin Solenoid Starter (TSS) mechanism that features its own secondary battery to ensure that in-car systems requiring power are not affected. The unique advantage of the TSS system is that it is able to restart the engine even while it is still in its run-down phase, allowing for ‘change of mind’ functionality, for instance if the car is coming to a halt at a junction but then a gap in traffic appears.

Here’s the button in the 2013 Jaguar XJ

As long as we’re talking 2013 Jaguar, they also have updated the XJ & XF with a standard 8-speed transmission, which will probably mirror what we’ll see in this next Range Rover.  Previously, only the diesel Range Rovers got the 8-speed.

Eight-speed automatic transmissions are now fitted to all petrol and diesel XJ and XF variants for greater efficiency and performance.

And one final Jaguar graphic for fun, that’s a lot of gears!!