Great official pics from the press trip, unfortunately most of the press is featuring how the Discovery Sport got stuck. It happens, vehicle is still a Land Rover and still quite cool.
Click any image to see the full gallery:
So JLR has announced a new app for the InControl system but I’m still unclear how it all works together and why this new app ecosystem needs to be created.
And one final bit of rant – is the InControl button always on the side of the touchscreen? Does every app actually have to waste that much screen space for a “home button”? Seriously, lose the MODE button if that’s the case.
Press release is below the image.
LOS ANGELES – Jaguar Land Rover has announced the launch of justDrive™, an industry-leading app technology that integrates multiple smartphone apps into a single, voice-activated in-car experience.
Developed by Silicon Valley-based CloudCar™, Jaguar Land Rover has optimized justDrive™ for its InControl™ platform for both Apple iOS8 and Android phones. ‘justDrive for Jaguar Land Rover’ integrates popular apps and services, such as Spotify, Twitter, Yelp and others, to give Jaguar and Land Rover drivers an unprecedented level of connectivity for navigation, media, social interaction, voice search and information services while minimising driver distraction.
justDrive will join 17 other apps including Stitcher, IheartRadio and Parkopedia currently in Jaguar Land Rover’s InControl Apps in-car infotainment system. Free to download, justDrive is available from early 2015 and offers drivers continuously updated apps and services throughout their vehicle ownership.
Dr Wolfgang Epple, Director of Research and Technology, Jaguar Land Rover, said: "Our InControl system already allows the driver to plug their smartphone into the vehicle and then safely control their apps through the vehicle’s touchscreen. The apps are enhanced for in-car use, so it is exactly like having your smartphone installed in your dashboard.
"Today, we are advancing our InControl system a stage further and to the forefront of the industry with the launch of justDrive. This moves the driver from the task-oriented, app-specific touch-based use of individual apps, to full control of all chosen app content through plain natural speech or touch interface."
justDrive uses one of the most advanced plain speech recognition packages in the world, so customers can communicate naturally with their car, rather than using simple syntax commands. justDrive’s intelligence takes care of finding the best results for a user’s request from among the many applications and services that it has aggregated. So instead of the driver having to specify which navigation provider to search for when looking for the closest gas station, they can simply ask justDrive for directions.
The driver can dictate and then send a tweet or SMS by simply saying: ‘Tell George I’ll be late’, with justDrive reading the content of the message back to you before it is sent. You can also ask justDrive to play a particular song, just by asking for it.
"While our aim is to significantly enhance the driving experience through unprecedented levels of connectivity, we also want to reduce driver distraction. So we have worked closely with the CloudCar team to ensure justDrive is ‘right for driving’," added Dr Epple. "Using speech as a key enabler, together with justDrive’s simple and clean user interface, means we only show essential information to help create a safe, non-distracting driving environment."
New technology research centre opens in Portland
To support the development of other future innovative infotainment technologies, Jaguar Land Rover has opened its first overseas R&D facility in Portland, Oregon.
The $3m (£2m) Open Software Technology Center will focus on the development and application of advanced connected technologies and will help lead the development of future Jaguar and Land Rover infotainment systems.
The 15,000 sq.ft facility features a multimedia creative suite, innovation spaces, a development laboratory and a six-bay vehicle workshop. It employs a team of around 30 infotainment specialists, including 16 highly experienced software engineers.
Dr Epple said: "Our new Open Software Technology Center will create many more opportunities for Jaguar Land Rover to collaborate with some of the most innovative and ground-breaking technology companies in the world.
"Not only will the Portland team augment the skills of our 240-strong team of infotainment engineers in the UK, but they will develop and lead research projects with large and small technology companies up and down the West Coast. We want to help guide the technological direction these innovators are taking as they help us develop exciting new in-car experiences for our customers in the future."
ENDS
Notes to editors:
Another great find from the rangerovers.net board, the Black Design Pack gets added and the option boxes get checked for the North American Market Range Rover Limited Editions. All the info can be found below in the MPR13-20 bulletin from JLR NA. No pricing yet.
Click image above or here for original PDF
Limited in both trims: HSE (500 vehicles) & Supercharged (400 vehicles – 300 SWB / 100 LWB)
HSE: Includes all standard Range Rover HSE features plus the following content:
• Santorini Black Exterior
–Ebony Interior with Ebony Seats
• Ebony Headliner
• Grand Black Lacquer Wood Trim
• Heated Wood and Leather Steering Wheel
• HSE Badge Deleted
• Black Design Package – Includes the following exterior components
in Santorini Gloss Black:
–Front Grille
–Exterior Mirror Caps
–Exterior Accents
–Range Rover’ Branding on Tailgate and Hood
–Bumper Vanes
–Toweye Cover
–Tailgate Plinth
–Hood Finisher
–Side Vent Graphic
• Black 21" Style 901 Wheels
• Vision Assist Package
• Meridian™ Premium 825 Watt Surround Sound System with 19 Speakers including subwoofer
• InControl™ Apps
Supercharged: Includes all standard Range Rover Supercharged (or Supercharged Long Wheel Base) features plus the following content:
• Fuji White Exterior with Santorini Black Contrast Roof
–Ebony Interior with Ebony Seats
• Ebony Headliner
• Grand Black Lacquer Wood Trim
• Heated Wood and Leather Steering Wheel
• Black Design Package – Includes the following exterior components
in Santorini Gloss Black:
–Front Grille
–Exterior Mirror Caps
–Exterior Accents
–‘Range Rover’ Branding on Tailgate and Hood
–Bumper Vanes
–Toweye Cover
–Tailgate Plinth
–Hood Finisher
–Side Vent Graphic
• Black 22" Style 707 Wheels
• Vision Assist Package
• Rear Seat Entertainment
• Four Zone Climate Comfort Package
• Meridian™ Premium
Official PR:
· Unique Holland & Holland Range Rover embodies craftsmanship of two iconic British marques, both associated with luxury outdoor pursuits
· Builds on Range Rover luxury with a set of features specifically designed for Holland & Holland customers
· The most expensive Range Rover ever benefits from a raft of SVO-designed exclusive features to complement outdoor pursuits.
· The new car builds upon a long and successful association between the two Royal Warrant-holding luxury marques.
Whitley, UK, November 6, 2014 The Holland & Holland Range Rover builds upon the strengths of the two iconic British brands to provide the perfect vehicle for the sporting gun manufacturer’s customers. Thanks to the skill and craftsmanship of the team at Special Vehicle Operations, the new car is able to combine the unrivalled off-road capability of the Range Rover with an extensive range of bespoke features. Both Land Rover and Holland & Holland hold Royal Warrants and the collaboration between them has resulted in the most luxurious, and most expensive, Range Rover ever.
Based on the Range Rover Autobiography Black, the summit of the Land Rover model portfolio, the new model has been designed by Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations (SVO), which will build 40 units per year over a three-year period. The collaboration demonstrates the new division’s rapidly growing and ambitious repertoire of high-end luxury bespoke commissions, as well as extreme performance vehicles.
John Edwards, managing director of Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations, said, “The whole SVO team is very proud of this car, a bespoke design, which perfectly meets the very particular needs of Holland & Holland’s customers. This shows the huge potential of SVO, which encapsulates both off- and on-road performance as well as luxury and craftsmanship.”
The Holland & Holland Range Rover is available with a choice of powertrains: the diesel-powered 4.4-liter SDV8, which delivers 339PS and the 510PS petrol-powered 5.0-liter V8 Supercharged.
Both SVO and Holland & Holland represent the very pinnacle of craftsmanship, and the new car is where their collective skills combine. It is instantly discernable from a distance, even among other Range Rovers, thanks to the unique Holland & Holland Green of the full bodywork, mirrors and bonnet vent. The grille is painted in the same deep green and has chrome highlights.
Holland & Holland badging can be found on the lower accent door badges of both long and standard wheelbase versions, as well as on the tailgate.
On the inside, the Range Rover Autobiography Black has been tailored to accommodate the lifestyle pursuits of Holland & Holland’s customers. The Executive Class seating package in the long wheelbase car makes the most of the additional 186mm (7.3 inches) of legroom and 17 degrees recline available to the rear seat passengers. Two individual fully adjustable seats are complemented by an extended and re-designed center console with electrically deployable walnut tables, integrated USB charging sockets, enhanced stowage and bespoke lighting.
In the Holland & Holland car, the interior is upholstered with the softest tan and espresso leather hides, with precision leather detailing including Holland & Holland embroidery on the front seats. Even the sides of the transmission tunnel are trimmed in the same shade of leather. This is perfectly complemented by the sustainably-sourced French walnut veneer, subtly polished to resemble the oil-finished gunstocks for which Holland & Holland’s craftsmen have been famous since the company’s foundation in 1835. To mark this, their logo is inlaid into the front center console. The car’s woodwork is made from a single huge piece of walnut, 1500mm long by 500mm wide, to ensure that every veneer is perfectly matched.
The engraver’s art is well represented too, with Holland & Holland’s brand-defining acanthus scroll turning the internal door handles into works of art. The fascia letterbox panels are decorated with gunstock checkering and the exquisite engraving of the center console panel has been inspired by Holland & Holland’s distinctive forend diamonds.
What really sets the new Holland & Holland Range Rover apart, though, is located in the boot. A stunning leather-trimmed aluminum loadspace cabinet – debossed with the Holland & Holland logo – has been designed especially for this car. Its espresso Alcantara-trimmed interior can be precisely fitted to safely transport the owner of the car’s pair of Holland & Hollands – although it is also removable when maximum luggage capacity is required.
It sits on a deployable loadspace floor, engineered from aluminum and carbon fiber and finished with leather and wood veneer. The floor components are machined and cut to produce a unique platform that slides out with a perfectly damped action, to ensure that the cabinet is easily accessible, even when the tailgate is open. The sliding floor is also designed to be load-bearing so that it can still be sat upon when owners wish to change their footwear or stop for a brief picnic. When floor and box are in their travel position, they sit low and well back in the boot to ensure that there is still plenty of room for luggage or sports equipment.
Daryl Greatrex, managing director of Holland & Holland, commented: “This project represents two great British brands working together to produce a car that perfectly represents our shared brand values. Stunning form and perfect functionality unite in a car that is supremely fit for purpose.”
The recommended retail price (RRP) for the Holland & Holland Range Rover will be £180,000.
Official PR:
Land Rover has announced a comprehensive series of updates for the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport, further enhancing the world’s best luxury and premium sporting SUVs. The revisions include Land Rover’s innovative All-Terrain Progress Control system, a world-first technology which complements and further improves the Range Rover’s already class-leading off-road capability. Significant gains in both performance and efficiency are achieved through enhanced six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines. For added convenience, Head-Up Display (HUD) projects key driving information onto a small area of the windscreen, while two eye-catching new paint colors update the exterior color palette.
‘Range Rover and Range Rover Sport offer an unrivalled combination of performance, efficiency, design leadership and off-road capability,’ says Phil Popham, Group Marketing Director, Jaguar Land Rover.
‘Our latest updates capitalize on these strengths, with our ground-breaking new All Terrain Progress Control, along with extra-efficient six-cylinder engines, which underline Land Rover’s commitment to sustainability.’
All-Terrain Progress Control for peerless off-road capability
Class-leading off-road capability stands at the core of every Land Rover. Now All-Terrain Progress Control (ATPC) is being introduced to further complement the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport’s highly accomplished four-wheel-drive chassis.
ATPC allows the driver to input a desired speed, either from rest or an existing speed, without any pedal inputs once the brake is released. The system continuously monitors and adjusts the vehicle settings to optimize traction and maintain progress in all conditions.
ATPC reduces driver workload to enhance Range Rover’s world-renowned off road capability, maintaining composure over steep gradients, rough terrain and low-grip surfaces. It is particularly beneficial in challenging off road environments where a very low constant speed is desirable. ATPC works both in forward and reverse gears and is operational from 1mph to 19mph (1.8km/h to 30km/h).
Available on TDV6, SCV6 and V8 Supercharged derivatives*, Range Rover and Range Rover Sport are the first models to feature this new technology.
* When specified with dual-range transmission and Terrain Response® 2
Cleaner engines, increased performance
The impressive performance and fuel economy of Land Rover’s 3.0-litre six-cylinder engines has been enhanced still further. Previously equipped with twin-turbocharging technology, TDV6 derivatives now adopt a ball-bearing single turbocharger. Along with Low Pressure Exhaust Gas Recirculation (LPEGR), a two-stage oil pump that reduces parasitic engine losses and a revised design of fuel-injector nozzle, the TDV6 continues to produce 258PS and 600Nm. Fuel efficiency, however, significantly increases: Range Rover TDV6 improves by an impressive 8.5%, while Range Rover Sport TDV6 improves by 5.7%.
Range Rover Sport SDV6 derivatives retain parallel-sequential turbocharging, but detail calibration changes increase performance to 306PS and 700Nm, increases of 14PS and 100Nm respectively. LPEGR, a two-stage oil pump and revised fuel-injector nozzles also increase fuel efficiency. The result is a pronounced 7.0% improvement at 40.4mpg/7.0 liters per 100km and 185g/km.
Fitted with a 3.0-liter V6 supercharged engine, Range Rover and Range Rover Sport SCV6 derivatives continue to deliver 340PS and 450Nm, while fuel efficiency improves by 1.9%. A new thermostat allows the all-alloy engine to reach its ideal operating temperature far faster, while laser-drilled injectors ensure a finely optimized spray of fuel directly enters the combustion chambers; elsewhere, revised camshaft chain guides, a two-stage oil pump, a new diamond-like coating for the piston and gudgeon pin, and lower viscosity oil all combine to reduce friction and improve efficiency.
Head-Up Display
Head-Up Display (HUD) debuts on Range Rover and Range Rover Sport, projecting key information onto the windscreen. It allows drivers to view relevant information more quickly without glancing away from the road.
HUD data includes vehicle speed, gear position and shift indicator, cruise-control information, satellite-navigation instructions and Traffic-Sign Recognition. For maximum convenience, the driver can pre-select which information is displayed.
Increased personalization options
Both Range Rover derivatives are now available with an updated color palette featuring the striking Yulong White. Range Rover Sport is also offered in eye-catching Kaikoura Stone.
Fixed panoramic roofs with power blinds are available on Range Rover and Range Rover Sport, and bring an additional sense of space and light to both vehicles’ luxurious interiors.
UK Pricing:
Head up Display – £1000 option
All Terrain Progress Control – £175 option