Land Rover Range Rover Vogue 2013 review: road test

Land Rover's V6 diesel does a 'Stirling' job of moving the bulky Ranger Rover. The Ranger Rover portfolio also includes V8 petrol and diesel engines as well as a supercharged petrol V6 that was added recently. But with an impressive 190kW of power and 600Nm of torque, why go past the V6 diesel? The answer is that for some, enough is never enough - especially when it comes to cars.

Value

There are four rungs on the large Range Rover ladder. Our TDV6 Vogue sits one up from the bottom. Priced from $178,900 it's not cheap. In fact, the Ranger Rover is the most expensive vehicle in its segment - but then some people will find that attractive in itself.

And before you ask, it's still manufactured in a new, state-of-the-art aluminium manufacturing facility at Solihull in the UK - not on the Sub-Continent. Standard features include leather, wood veneer, satellite navigation, heated seats and even a heated steering wheel for those cold mornings - plus a hi-end Meridian sound system.

Design

Explore the 2013 Range Rover range

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They've managed to shave 420kg off the weight of the vehicle through the adoption of a totally aluminium monocoque body/chassis. In fact, it's this dramatic weight saving that has allowed them to introduce the acclaimed V6 diesel. The interior finish is impressive too.

The instrument panel has been decluttered, with 50 per cent less switches and as a result it's a lot less intimidating. Even the off road dial has an automatic setting which means no driver intervention is necessary - the car will do it all.

The driving position is claimed to be 90mm higher than other premium SUVs affording a clear view of the traffic ahead. Some of the more often used controls have been moved to the sides of the touchscreen to stop the screen acquiring dirty finger marks.

Safety

A reversing camera is standard and it comes with more acronyms than you can poke a stick at, including Hill Descent Control (HDC), Gradient Release Control (GRC), Hill Start Assist (HSA), Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), Electronic Traction Control (ETC), and Roll Stability Control (RSC). If you option active cruise control, you also get automatic emergency braking which is particularly handy in heavy traffic.

Technology

It's fitted with a ground-breaking next-generation version of Land Rover's Terrain Response system. Terrain Response 2 features an Auto setting that uses sophisticated `intelligent' systems to analyse the current driving conditions, and automatically select the most suitable terrain program.

Driving

It's surprisingly quick for a vehicle that weighs in excess of 2100kg. With an eight-speed ZF auto the dash from 0-100km/h takes 7.9 seconds, but it feels quicker than this - with a top speed of 209km/h.

It's quiet inside too, so quiet that you'd be hard pressed to tell it's a diesel. The thing sits on air suspension and some body roll is apparent, but it firms up once you get into it.

Fuel economy is a claimed 8.5 litres/100km and that's exactly what we were getting from the 85-litre tank, giving the car a theoretical range of 1000km from on a single tank. Trailer stability control is standard and it can tow a 3500kg load.

Verdict

The best of both worlds. The Range Rover is tough and luxurious, a car that is as much at home in the city as it is in the back lots. Time was when Rangeys used to suck fuel like a vampire - but not so anymore.