Test drive Land Rover Range Rover 2002 - 2005 SUV

Third generation tramp

The first Range Rover, if you remember, appeared in 1970. The second generation of the car did not see the light soon - in 1994, only a few months after the Rover group went into the ownership of the BMW. The next replacement was prepared by November 2001, and the official debut of the third -generation Range Rover took place in the USA in the United States.

(There is some kind of historical injustice here: the second Range Rover, purely English development, the public was represented by the Germans, and the current, the third, which BMW engineers were hardly worked on, is already for the American company Ford.) What is the English legend in its current form? How does it differ from the previous model?

We tried to compare.

Outside, the new Range Rover is identified unambiguously, even if the collectors torn off all the nameplate. The shape of the massive body remained almost the same - the purity of the lines, the large area of \u200b\u200bglazing and the optimal angles of the conjugation of the form -forming surfaces. Range Rover was not small before, the new one was just a giant. Everything increased: the length - by 237 mm, the width is 67 mm, the height is 40 mm, and the wheelbase is 135 mm. (Aluminum elements were added to the body design, but the increase in sizes makes itself felt - the car was more and more than 200 kg.) Xenon headlights with absolutely smooth thick glass are immediately striking. It is glasses, and not massively used by polycarbonate. District the views of ridiculous lattices A la ZIL-131, covering the headlights.

The rear lamps repeat the front fardbacks-gabarits in configuration: two of the same diameter located on each other. The rear lighting technique is combined, optical elements consist of ordinary lamps and mobile multi -focus LED panels. Only two eyepieces contain dimensions, and fog lights, and turn signals, and stop-signals.

The reversing lights are shifted to the center, to the frame of the registration sign. In the lower cut of the rear bumper, narrow cataphs lurked - the emphasis on the form is not bad.

The front part of the car is damaged by a rubber kangaroenet with a powerful chandelier. We approve of the chandelier, kangaroo - no, it violates the purity of the front line lines. If our car, without regret, would have tore off ...

We open the driver's door - and we get into a chic salon with a decent cave with a decent cave. The interior causes a complex feeling of luxury and some sterility. The front seats have all possible electroregies with memory on three riders (I especially liked the opportunity to fit the upper part of the backs under the backs of varying degrees of stoop). Even the headrests are electrified, and all operations are performed absolutely silently. Planting is beyond praise, a slightly underdeveloped support appeared, however, this can be attributed to the individual characteristics of the figure. The steering wheel adjustments are also electric, with memory. When the ignition is turned off, for the convenience of exit, the steering wheel automatically drives to the dashboard.

Baranka is a triumph of high technology. Cruise control, air circulation, the brightness of the instrument lighting, audio/video installation and telephone (by voting) were displayed on it. With the convenience of buttons, not everything is definitely, but there are no major complaints. The steering wheel itself is very pleasant to the touch, but in some cases it blocks the running sectors on the dash scale. The steering wheel, by the way, is equipped with heating - a solution for the first time used on Range Rover cars, only under the influence of the Germans.

The instrument shield is conservatism and modest greatness. Stylistically everything is British. A tachometer, a speedometer and two signs (fuel level, marked in liters, and an oh -lady fluid) - for a serious SUV, it seems to be small, but it is unlikely that there are a lot of people who want to care for such a car. In addition, the necessary information can be displayed on the LCD display, including the central one, in combination, which is the standard monitor of the DVD system. The lighting of the devices is green, traditional for Land Rover, for dark time of day - what is needed.

The steering wheel switches are now more informative and less overloaded functionally, even with intensive steering, they have never been hooked with their fingers. The light is controlled by a rotary and exhaust switch, which is characteristic of modern products of the European auto industry.

The rest of the front panel is made no less qualitatively and no less harmoniously decorated. Under the monitor between the large climate installation deflectors, there is a red, the largest of the emergency alarm buttons we have ever seen, and a little lower is the door lock button. Further down - climate controllers, glass heating switches and air distribution control. Even lower are the branded clock in the style of the dashboard and the suspension control handle, between them - the indicator of its provisions.

Near the right knee of the driver, the ignition lock was arranged - almost like in Saab cars. The casing of the transmission tunnel is loaded with a monumental lever of a five -speed automatic transmission, a cigarette lighter, a hand brake lever and two flags of turning on a lowering series of transmission and HDC systems - for lovers of downs hilling in conditions of limited grip of wheels with the earth's surface. In the previous generation car, the lever, moving along the N-shaped trajectory along the noble number of illuminated characters, was directly responsible for everything. The new solution provides the speed of perception and more comfort, in addition, a number of transmission functions are activated directly on the go. On the left front two -ri, the control of mirrors and glass windows is concentrated - in the previous model it was necessary to pull the right hand to the inclined surface of the central box. Comfort is added by adjustable armrests - here the traditions are preserved.

The interior decoration can vary - from the imperial style with wooden panels to a super -modern high -tech with panels made of pressed aluminum powder. For customers in the cabin of each dealer there is a demonstration chest with options for body tinting and interior decoration. On the inner surface of the chest cover there are three pairs of the control: by inserting fragments of the body and upholstery of the cabin, you can choose a fragment of the panel for them-from cherry, nut, aluminum or something else to order. I especially liked the cherry tree (four -layer plywood) - the salon with such a decoration resembles the royal chambers. Variations do not affect the cost of the car, all this is only basic wealth. Vogue equipment contains everything that the soul wants, you can only install a phone that works with the GSM standard SIM cards. The standard equipment is the GPS navigation system, we are not yet relevant ...

What has changed in the mechanical filling of the car? A lot of things. Firstly, the design of the body. Now it is supporting, not frame, while the hardness of the body has grown by a third, which should positively affect controllability. Secondly, suspension. In the new car, it is independent, ineffective bridges - in the past. Pneumatics, as before, allows you to change the height of the car, but if before the rise of the body gave only the opportunity to increase the angles of the entrance-sitting or force the forces (the really road clearance did not change, since the bridges remained in place), now the clearance is also increasing. Thirdly, the engine and the box.

Since the car was developed with the active participation of the BMW, the power unit - quite logical - German origin. The V8 gasoline engine has a smaller (4.4 liter) volume than the previous Rover, but develops 282 hp. - An increase in almost 70 horses. The German source was slightly modified, in particular, the lubricant system (to ensure reliable oil supply with large rolls) and the location of the air intake were changed. The Automatic box of STEPTRONIC is curious in that the manual selection of gears is possible with the reduced row on.

From the previous version of the car, a wonderful design of the rear door crossed - glass up, side down. They say that the thrown side can withstand 300 kg. The company declares the advantages of this solution in a purely English spirit: a rep well of solid complexion may well wash its horse by standing on a threw side and putting everything necessary there for this. Water bucket, sir?

But I would like to get behind the wheel. The start struck. Not every passenger car is able to respond to gas so. According to passport data, acceleration to hundreds now occupies 9.2 seconds. Instead of the previous 9.9. The review in all directions is excellent, even the salon mirror gives a complete picture of what is happening from behind. Parktronics are also provided - for those who have tightly with the glazomer (the system, by the way, did not work - the mentioned kangaroo was interfered).

The new Range does not require addiction, despite very solid dimensions. The previous model requires a much more careful handling, in particular, moving to it from a passenger car, you need to carefully monitor the right side.

The car simply sucks to the road, it is on you with any coating, whether it be asphalt or soil. The sharpness of the steering wheel is a separate song. At speeds of about 130-150 km/h, with sharp maneuvers, the new Range is much smaller than the old one. Management is not only the passenger - almost sports. For this, thanks to the new steering mechanism (gear/rail instead of a hinge with recirculating balls) and a modified pneumatic suspension, in which the bypass valves appeared. When they are closed, the suspension becomes tougher that it is good on the highway. On off -road valves open automatically ...

The system of changing road clearance in the new machine works even more smoothly and delicately than before, in addition, the range of vertical movements has grown. In the standard position, the height of the car is 1863 mm. When driving along the highway, it decreases to 1840 mm, and when planting and eating passengers - up to 1820 mm. On off -road, the height is maximum - 1913 mm, while the road clearance increases to 281 mm.

Short front and rear overhangs increased the corners of the entry-site even compared to the previous generation model.

The dynamics of the car is just missile. Especially if you press the pedal stronger - there is a clear threshold. Having overcome the force of the spring, you involuntarily hold onto the wheel. Gudkov and Light are not required - everyone is inferior to the road, even the police paraphernalia is not so effective. To match the dynamics and brakes, to stop 2440 kg of dry weight is a difficult matter, but it is on the shoulder four piston calipers and ventilated disks (front and back). The value of the brake mechanisms is such that wheeled wheels in size less than 18 inches simply will not come into the hubs. The car we got in the galoshes in size 255/55R19 with a carrying capacity index of 122 and a category of speed Y (up to 230 km/h). As an option, you can install a cargo standard - 20 inches ...

In general, the impression is great. Another look at the side of the car standing side by side is that the new Range Rover only strengthened the already solid image of the brand with its appearance. A convincing family duet is like an older and younger brothers. The main advantage of the latter is a radical improvement in highways. Up to 200 km/h, the third -generation Range behaves perfectly, then we did not try - in the afternoon of fairly long free sites there are no highways near Moscow. And we will tell about how he feels in the conditions of Off-Road in a separate material.

Text: Egor Karpunin, Alexander Nadens
 
 

A source: Motor magazine [No. 8/2002]