Car news! Land Rover Range Rover SUV

Land Rover Range Rover SUV

Full 2014 Land Rover Range Rover Review

What's New for 2014

The 2014 Land Rover Range Rover gets a new engine. A supercharged 3.0-liter V6 engine is now standard on base models, replacing last year's naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8. In addition, a stop-start system has been added to all Range Rovers with the supercharged V8 engine. A Supercharged LWB (long-wheelbase) model has also been introduced: it's nearly 8 inches longer than the standard-size Range Rover, and most of that increase goes to rear-seat legroom.

Introduction

When it comes to ultra-luxury sport-utility vehicles, the five-passenger 2014 Land Rover Range Rover has very few peers. It resides at the top of the lux-u-vee food chain, the benchmark against which many other premium-brand SUVs are measured. Not only does it exude class and offer every spoil imaginable, it's also the real deal from a utility standpoint: It's able to go farther off-road than virtually any other four-wheeled luxury vehicle.

Fully redesigned last year, the 2014 Range Rover is still very fresh, with crisp new styling and a relatively lightweight aluminum body -- indeed, it weighs about 700 pounds less than the previous Range Rover. This massive weight reduction helps it turn and stop better than before, and when equipped with the optional supercharged V8 engine, it is stunningly fast. Expectedly, fuel economy has never been a strong suit of any previous Range Rover, though this year's new supercharged 3.0-liter V6 provides a significant bump in efficiency. Six-cylinder models earn a 19 mpg EPA combined rating compared to a mere 16 mpg combined with last year's naturally aspirated V8 engine.

One of the best places to enjoy the improved performance is from the stately second row of the new long-wheelbase (LWB) Range Rover. Nearly 8 inches longer than the standard-size 2014 Range Rover, the Supercharged LWB version has an additional 7.3 inches of rear seat legroom. The extra room and supremely quiet cabin make for a lavish experience on their own, and optional equipment like power-deployable rear tables, massive DVD entertainment screens, and reclining and massaging rear seats with power footrests virtually guarantees your passengers will get a thorough pampering.

Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options

The 2014 Land Rover Range Rover is a five-passenger luxury SUV available in three trim levels: base, Supercharged and Supercharged LWB (long wheelbase). An optional Executive Class seating package for the Supercharged models provides rear bucket seats and decreases passenger capacity to four.

The base Range Rover comes standard with 19-inch wheels, an adjustable air suspension, front and rear parking sensors, a rearview camera, LED light signature, heated and power-folding mirrors, a power clamshell-style liftgate, automatic xenon headlights, privacy glass, keyless entry/ignition, tri-zone automatic climate control, eight-way power front seats, rear seats with manual recline, driver memory settings, leather upholstery, a power tilt-and-telescoping steering column and a heated steering wheel. Also standard is a navigation system with an 8-inch touchscreen interface and voice control for most infotainment functions, along with Macassar striped wood trim, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, and a 13-speaker Meridian audio system with USB/iPod/auxiliary audio ports and satellite and HD radio.

Optional for the base 2014 Range Rover is a Vision Assist package that includes an automatic setting for the Terrain Response system, configurable mood lighting, surround-view parking cameras, adaptive headlights with automatic high-beam control, a blind-spot monitor, reverse traffic detection and auto-dimming sideview mirrors.