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2003 Land Rover Range Rover
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| Trail Britannia |
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| Updated |
Jun 10, 2004 22:20:00 |
| Rating |
 337 ( 45 +13.35% ) | | Author | Dan Lyons |
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Description:
2003 Range Rover
Trail Britannia
Writer's Notes
Test Vehicle
2003 Range Rover
MSRP:
$69,330
As tested:
$72,045
Showroom appeal:
Beautifully appointed SUV with serious off road chops
Cool Factor:
Stealth Super-Ute status
Plus:
The ability to go anywhere, and bring it all with you
Minus:
The inability to pass gas stations
The company quotes a zero to sixty time of nine seconds flat, with a top end estimated at 130 mph.
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This is the story of the BMW that wasn't. Back when Land Rover was a part of BMW, the task of developing the Uber Ute that would become the third generation Range Rover (and the X5's big brother) was all but a done deal, when the company changed hands. Ford became the proud new owners of Land Rover/Range Rover, and with it, the nearly completed Range Rover. With finishing touches applied by the new owners, that vehicle arrived this summer as an early 2003 model - just the third all new Range Rover in its 32 year history.
Sized up from the outside, Range Rover III bears more resemblance to Range Rover I than II. The big box dimensions are still in evidence, though the facial features are notably updated. A traditional four bar vertical grille is sandwiched between some decidedly modern lamping. Bi-Xenon headlamps have a distinctive, overlapping shape and throw a strong, blue-cast light. Below, a substantial looking front bumper houses deeply recessed fog lamps. The profile view includes a pair of curious looking but functional air vents on the front fenders. Bringing up the rear is a split tailgate, framed by stacked, twin circle tail lamps. Overall, a box still, but an elegant one.
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"We believe the new Range Rover is the world's most capable vehicle, with the greatest breadth of ability of any vehicle ever made."
Compared to the last generation, the new Rover is longer, taller, wider and some 400 lb. heavier. The reason that you're not likely to notice the latter point has much to do with former designers. One of the legacies that Ford inherited was a brace of BMW componentry, most notably under the bonnet. All stateside Range Rovers are powered by the same, 4.4 liter V8. The all-aluminum 32 valve motor is rated at 282 hp @ 5,400 rpm and 325 lb. ft. of torque @ 3,600 rpm. The company quotes a zero to sixty time of nine seconds flat, with a top end estimated at 130 mph. Gas mileage is unsurprisingly bleak: 12 mpgs city, 17 highway, according to EPA's reckoning. The engine is somewhat different from stock BMW. Land Rover spec'd certain design changes to meet the unique, non-Bimmer-like driving situations that a Range Rover might find itself in - like towing a trailer, fording a stream or clambering up a steep, rock-strewn trail.
Rather than body on frame, the new Range Rover is a monocoque design, and the integrated frame is fitted with a fully independent air suspension. The self-leveling unit can be manually adjusted over a 3.7" range. The chassis employs a full array of traction assist systems, including Dynamic Stability Control, Hill Descent Control, Emergency Brake Assist, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and ABS.
Off-road, Range Rover answers questions that few of its owners will ever ask. The generous ground clearance (11") is an improvement over the last generation, and angles of approach/departure are 32 degrees and 29 degrees, respectively. Range Rover has a two speed transaxle with shift on the fly capability. The long throttle travel allows for easier control when crawling over obstacles, and Hill Descent Control gives you the luxury of maintaining a foot-free constant speed when heading down a steep slope. The only restrictions here are practical ones. The sheer size of the vehicle, at 195" long and 75.7" wide, means that tight quarters feel tight. Overall, Range Rover gives the reassuring impression of being able to get you out of just about anything you could get yourself into.
On road, Range Rover is cushy and luxurious with a well mannered ride. Part of the reason for that traveling comfort, of course, has to do with the highly civilized cabin. Range Rover's vast interior is elegantly appointed in leather and wood. The latter has a classy, low gloss look happily at odds with the over polished sheen found elsewhere in Ford's Premiere Automotive Group. Placement of switchgear seems to have been ordained by BMW - a straight forward layout, easily accessed, once learned. Slip inside the Range Rover on a raw fall morning, toast the seats and you're soon so comfortable that finding motivation to leave can be hard to come by.
Access to Range Rover's cargo bay is by means of a two piece door. The split door lacks the convenience of a one piece unit, but once open, there's good room to be had. Leave the rear parcel tray in place and you net 18.9 cubic feet of covered storage below. At the opposite extreme, folding all rear seats expands your options to the tune of 62 cubic feet.
With the sustaining popularity of Sport Utility Vehicles, categories have blurred in all directions, including the ones between SUV's and high end luxury cars. There are an increasing number of utes in the market that straddle the ground between back woods conveyance and rolling lounge. Range Rover was among the first to till this soil and the latest version works its on/off road luxury with an effortlessness that bespeaks its experience - and a little shot of German engineering!
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---Story and photos by Dan Lyons
photos © Dan Lyons 2002 |
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