Test drive Land Rover Range Rover 2002 - 2005 SUV

The rank is higher

Since the appearance of the Range Rover in 1970, it was considered the standard of the luxury class SUV, with each generation of generation ascended to a new height, inaccessible to competitors. Range Rover 2006 of the model year, which we tested in Spain, has become another confirmation of this pattern.

Working on the modernization of the Land Rover flagship, the engineers made hundreds of changes to its design designed to improve the already excellent consumer qualities of the model. But the most significant purchase of updated Range motors. In exchange for the only gasoline 286-horsepower 4.4 V8, inherited by the Range Rover from the BMW AG, the previous owner of the Land Rover, the 2006 model year received two new V8 from Jaguar: atmospheric 4.4 with a capacity of 305 hp. and 4.2 Supercharged. Due to the supercharger, the latter gives out 400 hp. Almost one and a half times more than the Bavarian motor!

Range Rover with a supercharger is easier to identify: it is given by a metal mesh on the grille of the radiator and lateral ventilation holes and a chrome nameplate with the inscription SuperchaRged on the back door. The list of external metamorphosis also includes new front bumper, headlights, lanterns and a luxurious 20-inch cast.

We will return to the conversation about SuperCharged, but for now we will get acquainted with the 4.4-liter atmospheric version. Unlike a 400-horsepower rang, the appearance of this model evolved less noticeably. Despite the fact that the radiator grille, lateral gills, front bumper, lighting equipment and alloy wheels are also completely new here, without having a picture of the former Range Rover before the eyes, it will be difficult to find obvious differences to a person to the uninitiated. And all due to the fact that Range Rover 4.4 does not have the same metal mesh characteristic of Supercharger.

To understand how better the updated model became, we had to make a stock march in the mountains of Catalonia, on a special off-road route, where participants in the well-known G4 Challenge competitions, designed to check the fortress of the human spirit and iron Land Rover.

The high -speed part of the way ran through the paid highways, where, unlike unlimited German autobahns, the maximum permitted speed is 130 km/h, which, however, did not stop us in the desire to evaluate the dynamic capabilities of the SUV. No, we did not check the maximum speed of the updated Range Rover (we planned to leave our business trips to the Duty Free of the Barcelona airport, and not in the police station), but we managed to verify the excellent acceleration reported by the Yaguarovo engine more than once.

Compared to the previous power unit, the power of the new 4.4 with the gas distribution phase system has increased by almost two dozen forces, which ensured the best acceptance and almost a half -second gain in acceleration to 100 km/h. Moreover, for this it was not necessary to pay excessive fuel consumption, on the contrary, a more powerful motor was even more economical! Of course, a new 6-speed adaptive machine, which replaced the previous automatic five-a-way, also made its contribution to the improvement of the dynamics and decrease in fuel consumption.

Range received a modified pneumatic suspension, which, according to the manufacturer, provides better handling and smoothness. There is nothing to argue with: this massive SUV is surprisingly accurately obeyed by the steering wheel and with the appetite of a hungry alligator swallows all road irregularities.

The designers did a good job of isolation of passengers from external noise. Moreover, the work was carried out in two directions: the fight against the very sources of noise and the improvement of the sound insulation of the salon. In particular, the noise and vibration of the motor were reduced, and laminated glass appeared in the front doors, which differed in better sound insulation. The result is obvious: when driving in the cabin is almost a grave silence, only a slight aerodynamic noise is heard, caused by twisting air near large external rear -view mirrors at speed over a hundred, and a pleasant basswood eight, acting as an accompaniment of energetic acceleration.

In relaxing silence, you can enjoy the sound of the Harman/Kardon audio system, with the power of your 14 speakers, capable of making the listener to the most stoves. The audio system is integrated into a single unit with satellite navigation, which supports movement not only on ordinary roads, but also by off -road, as well as a mobile communications system with Bluetooth. You can manage this farm using a voice, a touch display on the front panel or buttons on the steering wheel.

If you have a phone with Bluetooth, then by installing a connection with the on -board system, for example, you can dial SMS using a keyboard displayed on the screen. The image from the rear view camera is also broadcast onto the screen, and here you can display the transmission scheme and the air pressure in the tires.

If I were not driving, then, perhaps, I would not have occupied the front passenger chair, but moved back. Provided, of course, that there is an optional entertainment system with 6.5-inch screens built into the head restraints of the front seats, and the 6-disk DVD. I would charge some film a while, but in order not to distract the driver, I would put on wireless headphones included in the kit. An external signal source, for example, a game console, can also be connected to this system: for the kids the most.

Arriving at the destination and making a coffee break, I sit behind the wheel again, however, already versions of SuperchaRged, on which you have to drive along a special off-road highway.

With what ease of Range Rover he went on by the Catalan mountain path, struck me. I mentally took off my hat to the creators of Range Rover: this is perhaps the only car in the world that can combine incompatible things: the luxury of the representative limousine and the cross -country ability of a real all -terrain vehicle.

In one of the particularly difficult sites, I did not believe that the car could pass. Then the partner pulled out a portable video camera from the compartment in the lower right part of the front panel, and, leaving the car, he directed the electronic eye under the bottom, opening a complete picture of what was happening on the color monitor. This camera, which appeared in the equipment of the Range Rover, reports the video signal via Bluetooth and can work at a distance of 10 m from the car, allowing not only to look under the car, but also show the driver a section of the road hidden from his eyes. After making sure that the suspension moves have not yet been exhausted, and the boulders are still at a safe distance from protecting the motor compartment, we moved on.

After lifting up, we had a new test of steep descent. With one incorrect movement, one could seriously damage the expensive car. If we didn’t have a Land Rover, we could have panicked, but the company's engineers provided such a situation by equipping the car with a system for descent. Twing a small lever near the KP selector, we activated this system. Now the driver’s business will rotate the rest of the electronics. It was precisely dosing the power and branding the wheels, the massive Range went down the slippery stones gently and gracefully, like a cat.

Upon arrival at the base of our off -road limousines, they were covered with a thick layer of sand. I asked the representatives of Land Rover, would the Jaguar light engine clog the field of such a walk? The British took my question with a smile: it turns out, before falling under the range rover hood, the Yaguar engines were seriously finalized: they had improved dust and moisture capacity. So on the updated Range, you can storm both sandy dunes and water barriers with the same success.

In the evening we moved back to Barcelona. The yard was dark and noticeably colder. The small snow began gradually intensified, having a mountain, literally half an hour ago, drowned in greenery, a white blanket. The snow cover on the asphalt forced to instinctively reset speed, but on the Range Rover, which was shining along a winding mountain road by spotlights of adaptive xenon headlights, we drove anyway much faster than we risked on another car.

At the foot of the mountain, the snow turned into drizzling rain, which either stopped, then intensified. However, it was not necessary to pull the wiper control lever every minute: the rain sensor itself regulated the intensity of the waves of the wipers. Closer to Barcelona, \u200b\u200bthe rain completely stopped, allowing the car to spur. If the version with the atmospheric engine seemed very dynamic to us, then the 400-horsepower SuperCharged opened us Range again: you do not expect such rapid acceleration from a makhina weighing two and a half tons. In addition, super better is controlled and better inhibits what the merit of altered suspension settings, 20-inch low-profile tires and powerful Brembo brake mechanisms on the front axle.

Compared to the predecessor, the updated Range Rover with a 4.4-liter engine will cost exactly $ 3,000 in Russia: in the HSE is 100 900, and in the richer Vogue $ 112,900. version 4.2 Super is not compared with: there are no such powerful ones, There were no fast and luxurious SUVs, not only under the Land Rover brand. For the right to possess this by combining qualities, the car will have to pay $ 125,900. And do not try to find an alternative to him: it simply does not exist.

Technical characteristics Land Rover Range Rover

Body station wagon
The number of places 5
Equipped mass, kg 2557 (2632)
Full mass, kg 3100
Dimensions, mm:
- length 4972
- Width 1956
- Height 1902
Base, mm 2880
Trunk volume, l 9972122
Fuel tank volume, l 104.5
Engine:
- Type V8 (V8 with a supercharger)
- working volume, cm3 4394 (4197)
- Power, L.S. at MIN-1 305 (400)/5750
- Torque, N.M at MIN-1 325/4000 (420/3500)
Transmission automatic., 6 -t., With lowering nearby, constant full. drive unit
Tire size 255/60R18 (255/50R20)
Wheel suspension (front and rear) independent
Brakes:
- front disk, ventilated
- rear disc
Steering with UR
Price, $ 100 900 (125 900)
* 4.4 (in brackets are given data for modification 4.2 SuperchaRged).

Text: Maxim Fedorov
 

Source: Magazine 5 wheel [04/2005]