Test drive Land Rover Range Rover 1994 - 2002 SUV

Dismantish luxury

Our magazine has not yet written about Range Rover cars. The fact is that by the time of the birth of the motor (1996) this model was produced in its latest version for two years and was not a novelty for readers. But the 50th anniversary of the company struck, and we still decided to take Range Rover for the test, thereby continuing a series of articles on luxury SUVs. In addition, I turned up - as we were told - not quite an ordinary car ...

The combination of good off -road qualities with the comfort and luxury of the salon has long been given the appearance of the Range Rover with exclusivity. Of course, the image also works that the brand was born in the UK - the most respectable country of the Old World. So there is nothing surprising in the fact that this SUV (in addition to the luxury) naturally and with full right was among the representative cars. Her Majesty’s garage is inappropriate here as an example: other cars, except for local brands (Jaguar, Rolls-Royce, Daimler, Metrocab and, of course, Range Rover), there is no definition there. These are all English traditions and English patriotism. But the pope! The Pope, for example, also travels to Range Rover. And, I think, no accident.

As for traditions, it is known that Range Rover is No. 1 in the class of luxury SUVs. Not only is he there E1 is simply in their birth. It is traditionally No. 1 software, for example, cross -country ability.

Range Rover appeared in 1970, as the youngest - and very franchial - the offspring of the Land Rover family of all -wheel drive cars. Preserving the excellent off -road qualities of older brothers, the car had a significantly improved appearance and, most importantly, more comfortable when moving along roads with normal coating. He was served as an off -road wagon. Commercial success was not long in coming ...

The update of the car went slowly - like everything that Land Rover does. The radically new model, which was called - the new Range Rover, was released only in 1994, to its 25th anniversary. Since then, nothing new has appeared in this car ...
 
Before us - Range Rover 4.6 HSE. Metal letters and numbers on the back door indicate that the car is equipped with the most powerful engine from the set for it - 4.6 l V8 (226 hp, 380 nm). Open the hood - a plate 4.8 Range Rover - CRD Special Edition - Serial Number 001 is attached to the motor. What's this? Ah, yes: the car is unusual ...

The car owners reported that their Range Rover was tuning at a very respected company for a special order. The company, they say, does not deal with the machines of this brand, but she respected this customer, refusing, however, to put his branded nameplate on the car - it was replaced by the above sign under the hood. The car is now piece, as evidenced by the serial number 001 ... It was quite strange to hear all this, especially since the owners did not have any technical data modification. In addition, the secret value of the letters CRD remains. But - what just does not happen ...

We assume that the initial volume of the engine grew about a glass. If we assume that the cylinders were just a little waste, then the car has become more powerful than the 10P15 forces. Only for the sake of this was clearly not worth it. But the V8 motor, which is equipped with the Range Rover, has probably left a decent potential. It is enough to recall that it was he (more precisely, his predecessor) who stood on the formula Brabham car, which won victories in 1966 and 1967. The power of this motor of forces by one hundred can raise the power of this engine, but only due to a sharp decrease in the resource. Is it worth a sheepskin?

The design of the car is based on a powerful supporting frame to which unreasonable bridges, engine and body are attached. The transmission is automatic 4-speed (in the range there is also a mechanical 5-speed box). The automatic lever moves in a frame with a N-shaped neckline. The left longitudinal slot of the cutout serves to select the traffic mode, the right - off -road (low row). This design made it possible to do with one lever for control both a box and a demultiper. You can switch to a low row in motion (up to 10 km/h), but the manufacturer recommends completely stopping the car.

To facilitate the perception, the digital designations of some programs are replaced by iconograms. Using a button, you can turn on the sports or economical modes of transmission. The on -board computer vigilantly monitors the manipulation of the lever and, if necessary, sends the driver to the instrument shield written tips (for example, turn on another, correct transmission), but he himself does not interfere in anything.

Between themselves, bridges are connected through a viscous coupling that connects the front with a deterioration in the clutch of the rear tires with the soil. The rear wheels are interconnected not only through the differential, but also through APS. Smart electronics in the case of slipping of one of them slows it down and transfers torque to another. There is also ABS with the same mechanics-electronics. She monitors course stability when braking on a bad road surface. The brakes of all wheels are disk.

The multifunctionality of the car forced the designers to make a road clearance to the variable. The controlled air suspension provides five positions of the body relative to the ground. Normal (Standard) clearance is 210 mm. With an increase in speed to 80 km/h, the machine squats by 25 mm (LOW). In this position, the suspension can be fixed.

In difficult road conditions by pressing the button, the car can be lifted by increasing the lumen to 250 mm (High). If this turned out to be few, and the landing took place on the belly, the automation will add another 30 mm65 mm (Access) ...

Comfort in the cabin is distributed according to the hierarchy, and the main here is not the one who sits from behind, but the driver. Both front seats with the help of servo drives can change the angle of their inclination, pillow height, move forward and forth and tilt the back, inside which there is an air cavity, pumped to the required elasticity by the compressor. But the driver, unlike the passenger, has two more buttons in memory memory, which is convenient, for example, during family operation. By the way, the computer’s memory is enough to remember the selected positions of external mirrors and the brightness of the dashboard lighting. You can make it recall the installed adjustments not only with buttons, but also from the remote keyboard, even when approaching the machine. The rear seats have no adjustments, except that you can change the height of the headrest. But passengers here are so good, even excessively long -legged.

The casing of the seats is dark gray, with blue inserts, skin. For an SUV, this is not the best material - slippery, despite the good side support of the backs. Each seat has a pair of armrests - stationary on the doors and folding along the axis of the cabin. The wide central armrest of the rear sofa eats one passenger place, and separate armrests of the front seats in the lowered state interfere with the fasteners of the belts.

Between the front seats, behind the box lever - the control panel of external mirrors, four glass -windows and hatch. The convenience of using the remote control is dubious. It is oversaturated with buttons. To look at him, you will have to take your eyes off the road, which is dangerous in motion. In addition, the rear passengers have their own control buttons on the doors.

The steering column is adjusted in a wide range - in height (48 mm) and length (64 mm). A thick, leather-wood rim of the steering wheel in the hands does not slip. In its massive middle part, a pillow and a horn control are located. On the column on the right is a lever that controls the work of the front-back janitors and glass miners. On the left - control of lighting equipment. Through the steering wheel, a tachometer, speedometer, gasoline level indicators and coolant temperature are clearly visible. The devices are very stylish, with green arrows on gray, with black numbers, round dials. On the instruments - oval emblems of Land Rover. Under the dials is a green display on which the computer gives out texts of its advice and instructions (up to 150 different messages accompanied by sound signals). In the lower left of the panel there is a timer of the webasto pre -heater. Useful device. In winter, for example, - set the time for turning on, and you can soak in bed while the engine warms up.

On the central panel, where there are usually a radio and control of a climate installation with an individual distribution of air flows of a given temperature, a Clarion telemagnetle with a remote IR remote control appeared. Apparently, the owner needed a TV - the standard Range Rover musical system is quite good: the HSE model includes 5 amplifiers and 10 speakers - in the cabin, subwoofer and chainer - in the luggage compartment. In the panel above the TV, the turning watches with the Land Rover logo are mounted, and the suspension control panel is located even higher. On the side of the panel - Nokia cell phone.

In general, a beautiful and convenient salon corresponds to the car. True, the greenish-silverly polished wooden overlays seemed a little plastic, and for some reason the passenger glove compartment was poorly closed-the latches were not fixed. This is strange, usually the owners of Range Rover complained that the glove compartment is poorly opened ...

It's time to drive. Once again, looking at the plastic, albeit with a metal frame, kangaroos, not too powerful protection of optics, as well as the radiant paint of the body, and estimating the cost of the car, we decide that we should not experience Range Rover in nature.

The overview in all directions is excellent. Despite the large area of \u200b\u200bglazing, we feel completely protected. The atmospheric engine is powerful, burdened, but in ordinary traffic modes it is not too energetic. In any case, we did not find any obvious signs that the motor was tuned. True, it should be borne in mind that the dry mass of the car is for two tons ... Note that when the speed exceeds 100 km/h, the car acquires a fairly frisky temperament. The gearbox is quite calm, the programs switch thoughtfully, which is not very suitable for, for example, overtaking in the oncoming lane. But the switching itself occurs almost imperceptibly.

The steering is too light, cotton. Whether here is the scheme with recirculating balls, usually used on trucks, the amplifier helps too much in the area of \u200b\u200bzero, or just something malfunctions, but there is almost no feedback on the steering wheel. Zero is practically not felt, and as a result, the car scours along a drunken trajectory.

The brakes are good, the slowdown is reliable and confident, ABS behaves correctly and does not greatly pound the brake pedal.

At first, the suspension seemed tough enough, which pleased. But as soon as the car in the bend fell on the asphalt waves, a strong transverse build began. It ended that Range Rover jumped no worse than the ball and tried to run into the oncoming lane. Manufacturers of springs, shock absorbers and reptile stability for the secondary market may rejoice: they will have any buyers ...

In general, the impression of acquaintance is complicated. On the one hand, Range Rover is an SUV, on which it is unlikely that anyone will climb into the mud: too luxurious and expensive. On the other hand, the universal of the representative class, with excessive for the city, is off -road properties. And not too bright in appearance-from afar it can be confused with some mini-van. But in inconsistency and discreetness there are advantages - for the whole day of traveling around the city without license plates (sometimes - with a clear excess of speed) we have never stopped us.

Tuning? God be with him, with tuning ...

Alexey Strelkov.
 

A source: Motor magazine [No. 2/1996]