------------------------------< PRESS RELEASE >--------------------------- Land Rover, the specialist four-wheel drive manufacturer, today (Thursday September 29) announces the launch of an all-new luxury Range Rover to be sold in all major markets around the world. The new luxury flagship model not only surpasses the current Range Rover's legendary off-road capability, but also has greatly improved on-road ride and handling characteristics to compete with the world's best luxury cars. The original Range Rover, launched 1970, has gained a worldwide reputation for its classic and elegant style. It is the only vehicle in the world to have been exhibited in Le Louvre in Paris as a work of art. In response to customers' wishes, the design team for the new Range Rover have adopted an evolutionary approach, retaining many of the key styling features of the classic model. The commanding driving position, distinctive bonnet and front end, the large glass areas, and the split tailgate, have all been retained for the new model. The new Range Rover is slightly larger than the original with more headroom, more legroom, a larger rear seat compartment, and 50 percent more luggage space. Burr walnut and leather are included in the interior to give refinement, comfort and luxury. The new model is available with three new engines. Diesel versions are powered by a derivative of BMW's widely acclaimed 2.5 litre turbo charged and intercooled six cylinder power unit which has been specially developed for Range Rover. Land Rover's world-renowned V8 has been totally re-designed and re-built. It is now available in the new Range Rover in a 4.0 litre version or in a powerful 4.6 litre unit giving world-class performance. The 4.6 litre unit takes the new Range Rover from 0-60 mph in 9.3 seconds and a top speed of 125 mph. It produces 225 bhp and 280 lb ft torque. Land Rover engineers have designed a totally new ladder-frame chassis, new front and rear suspension, and new beam axles to give the new Range Rover outstanding on-road and off-road performance. Automatic versions feature a revolutionary new H-gate system - developed by Land Rover engineers - to enable the driver to operate all high range and low range functions with one lever. The new Range Rover has a host of features as standard including twin airbags, side impact beams, electronic air suspension, advanced anti-lock braking, and a remotely controlled anti-theft system. There are three models in the range starting with 4.0 V8 or 2.5 diesel versions, followed by SE derivatives in petrol or diesel, leading to the flagship HSE model with the 4.6 V8 engine. The new Range Rover, the result of a 300 million investment programme, is aimed at not only traditional loyal customers, but also at people who buy other luxury models and luxury performance cars. Design and Development In the late 1980's Land Rover designers were given a clean sheet of paper on which to start the design of a brand new Range Rover. They were faced with a dilemma - should the new Range Rover be a revolutionary step forward in design like the old Range Rover, or should it be an evolutionary design change in keeping with the vehicle's heritage? After a few concepts had been produced it became clear that in order to develop a new Range Rover the designers would have to take a number of styling cues from the original classic vehicle. They were very conscious that Range Rover customers are an extremely loyal group, and over the years market research has shown they would be reluctant to accept major changes in exterior styling. There were a number of key styling and design cues which had to be followed from the original Range Rover to appeal to both existing customers and new customers from the luxury car and sports car sectors. These were:- Commanding Driving Position One of the features regarded as important to customers is the traditional commanding driving position. The design of the new vehicle had to incorporate this sense of security. Floating Roof The roof on the Range Rover appears to be floating because it is not supported by body colour pillars but by distinctive, black pillars which help give Range Rover its tough 4 x 4 appearance. Glass Area The deep glass area of the current Range Rover gives the vehicle a low waist line and therefore exceptionally good visibility for both driver and rear seat passengers. The glass area gives passengers a feeling that they are sitting high up in the vehicle - rather than reclining into the vehicle - and in particular gives the driver a feeling that he or she is in a commanding driving position. Wrap-over Bonnet The wrap-over bonnet on the Range Rover and the castle features on the front edge of the bonnet, developed on the original Range Rover to give strength to retain the wing mirrors, give an aura of toughness to the vehicle from the side view. The castle features also are useful when manoeuvring because the front corners of the vehicle are clearly visible. E Pillar The E Pillar on Range Rover is very distinctive and its angle contributes to the unique appearance of the vehicle. It was clear to the designers that they would have to retain the distinctiveness of the E Pillar, particularly from the side elevation, to prevent the new model looking like an estate car. Two Piece Tailgate It was essential to retain the two piece tailgate which customers feel is an essential part of Range Rover's convenience and character. They use it both as a viewing platform and for picnics. Straight Feature Lines The straight feature lines which run from the bonnet along the front and rear doors to the tailgate give balance and a sense of proportion to the existing Range Rover. Any attempt to introduce stepped feature lines, or wedge lines, would detract from the classic Range Rover appearance and make the new Range Rover look too much like a conventional car. Close Wheel Cuts Some four wheel drive vehicles have wide apertures around the wheels coupled with large wheel arches. Range Rover, even with its excellent axle articulation, has very close wheel cuts giving the vehicle status and elegance. EXTERIOR STYLING At the Land Rover Design Studio in Solihull, the overall approach was to create a new Range Rover which would be instantly recognised as a Range Rover but would also be more modern looking. Some of the edges would be rounder to soften the square appearance of the classic model. It was also vital to retain the elegance of the vehicle and at the same time develop an exterior styling that would retain its appeal into the next century. The front of the new Range Rover follows the traditional Range Rover with a black grille widening out to headlamps with directional indicators on the outside. The spoiler houses the auxiliary lamps. On the new Range Rover the traditional 7" round headlights appeared too small. It was decided to select rectangular lights with twin-pocket round reflectors copying Range Rover's round lamps and strengthening the appearance of the vehicle. The introduction of new unique chunky wiper arms on the square headlights added to the strength of the appearance of the new Range Rover as well as being practical. The designers decided that a steeply raked front windscreen would have been out of character with the traditional Range Rover. The new Range Rover has a 54 degree rake which maintains the commanding driving position and improves aerodynamic performance. The aerodynamics are further enhanced by an increased tumblehome which also gives the vehicle a more modern exterior shape. Its drag co-efficient (Cd) has been measured at 0.38 and is believed to be the best figure of any four-wheel drive off-road vehicle. INTERIOR STYLING The design intent of the new Range Rover's interior was that it should be a viable alternative to a luxury car. It was also important to retain the benefits of the existing Range Rover interior which primarily concern visibility from inside the vehicle and the height of the seats and seat positions. The fascia has been designed in ash grey to complement all trim levels and to combine luxury car cues with a 4 x 4 toughness and practicality. It had always been the intention to carry over the use of wood and leather in the interior of the Range Rover and this has been introduced extensively in top-of-the-range derivatives. Another aim was to ensure that all the instrumentation was ergonomically practical. The switchgear was divided into primary and secondary categories with all the primary switchgear within easy reach of the driver, and secondary switchgear positioned slightly further away. The layout of the switchgear for the electric windows was positioned in the centre console area by the handbrake to carry on the tradition from the original Range Rover. A four-spoke steering wheel incorporating cruise control and ICE controls on some models, has been designed to include the driver's airbag, and the rim section has been designed for comfortable use. For example, it is easier for the driver to rest his thumbs on the outside of the rim for comfortable off-road driving. The front seats have further improved the traditional Range Rover armchair comfort, and the extra width of the vehicle means that there is more shoulder room for driver and front passenger. The extra length of the vehicle compared to the classic Range Rover, provides more leg room for rear seat passengers giving luxury and comfort to the businessman who wants to be chauffeured. The rear seat is no longer over the wheel arch so seating three passengers in the rear is much more comfortable. Luggage space is also improved, not only because of the extra length and width of the new Range Rover, but also because the spare wheel has been removed from the luggage area into a position under the load floor. Lower seat belt mounts are attached to the rear seat providing a clean floor area. DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING Range Rover's off-road capability and ability to operate in extreme climatic conditions is legendary. The new Range Rover, equipped with both V8 4.0 and 4.6 petrol, and 2.5 diesel engines was put through some of the most punishing test procedures in the world to prove its toughness and durability. Petrol Range Rovers are designed to operate in temperatures up to 52 degrees Centigrade and down to minus 30 degrees Centigrade - standards far more stringent than those for conventional cars. Cold Environmental Testing (CET) The main purpose is to ensure that all components operate in the most severe winter conditions. In Alaska, for example, Range Rovers were left overnight with their bonnets open in conditions of minus 40 degrees Centigrade to reduce coolant and oil temperatures. At dawn Land Rover engineers then plugged in their recording equipment and carried out cold start tests followed by extreme acceleration and deceleration tests. Engines on CET tests were run for 20,000 miles in sub-zero temperatures to ensure the Range Rovers can operate continuously in extreme winter conditions. Anti-lock brakes and electronic traction control were tested on frozen lakes in Sweden. Hot Environmental Testing (HET) Range Rovers were driven at maximum speed in temperatures over 40 degrees Centigrade in the hot Arizona desert and in the Middle East to ensure they could withstand the world's hottest conditions. The vehicle's components and trim were also thoroughly tested. (For example, the vehicles were subjected to hot desert sunlight to ensure the trim was not affected by UV light and heat). Altitude Testing New Range Rovers were driven hour after hour in the Colorado mountains at heights up to 14,000 feet on the world's highest roads. The Range Rovers were tested pulling large one tonne trailers. Ingress Testing Some of the world's dustiest roads were used to test for ingress. For mile after mile new Range Rovers closely followed other vehicles with equipment designed to throw up a continuous cloud of dust. Off-road Testing Some of the most extreme off-road driving conditions exist in the 5,000 acres of the Eastnor Castle estates in Herefordshire, England. Driving on rough, steep tracks results in mud plastering the under-bonnet area of the vehicle with the result that the mud sets like concrete around the engine. New Range Rovers have been driven for thousands of hours around the Eastnor estates to check the durability of the engines in extreme conditions and in particular the operation of pulleys, belts and electrics. The tests at Eastnor also involved wading tests to ensure that the new Range Rover can be driven in water at depths of 20 inches with the new BMW engine or the new V8 engines. Other off-road testing included driving in sand in the Middle East and driving on dirt roads and rocky river beds in North America. Tilt Test Both V8 engines and the BMW diesel engine have been subjected to Land Rover's unique off-road tilt test. No other manufacturer in the world uses such an extreme test. The objective of the test is to ensure that engines can operate in the most extreme off-road conditions and that oil supply and pressure operates correctly at extreme angles. Engines are tested at varying angles of up to 45 degrees nose up and nose down, with a tilt of up to 35 degrees either side. The engines undergo tests for 25 hours at each of the four extremes at maximum power and maximum torque. Durability Test Land Rover operates a 900 hour durability test where engines are run on test beds at maximum power and torque. The unique test specification cycle involves 25 minutes at maximum power, followed by 5 minutes at idle speed, 25 minutes at maximum torque, and 5 minutes at idle. It is then repeated.