The Range Rover is one of those SUVs that do not need an introduction. It’s a name synonymous with luxury SUVs with brilliant off-roading capabilities. And the new 2022 Range Rover takes a step forward in everything, be it design, technology, features, and performance. We drove the long-wheelbase Autobiography variant with the 3-litre V6 diesel and here’s how it fared. Special is the first word that comes to your mind when you enter the new Range Rover’s cabin. No complex designs or dramatic curves, just a straight-up dashboard, and that’s what you call elegance personified. As expected, you get swathes of leather which can be had in the shade of your liking. The dashboard gets a real wooden insert that runs along the bottom and shiny aluminium inserts at the ends. Bang in the centre is the 13-inch Pivi Pro touch screen that looks and feels brilliant. Then, there are the complex aircon controls positioned right below the screen. This centre console indeed looks and feels like a skilfully crafted piece of furniture. Even the gear selector feels exotic to look at and upon touch. The front seats are 24-way, heated and cooled, hot stone massage electric chairs that are supposed to offer supreme luxury. I say ‘supposed to’ because after a couple of hours of driving I did need the massage feature and some re-adjusting to get comfortable again. At the rear, you get the executive class comfort package. So, just a tap on the screen on the centre console and the seat at the front makes way for additional legroom, the rear seat slides into a cosier position, you get additional under-thigh support, and an extra support flips open for your feet. Notable features include a panoramic roof, Meridian sound system, a fridge, noise-isolated cabin via headrest speakers, multiple powered tailgate options for loading and sitting, and plenty more. Powering this Range Rover is a 2,997cc, diesel unit that pushes out a strong 346bhp and a monster 700Nm of torque. Power is transferred to all four wheels via an eight-speed torque converter gearbox. What is immediately noticeable is the refinement. The engine is absolutely silent and the noise-isolated cabin makes it even more difficult to feel that there is a diesel engine under the hood. Now, the gearbox isn’t exactly lightning quick, but then this isn’t a sportscar. Torque is available from extremely low down and there is no dearth of shove at any rpm. Mash the throttle even in its sportiest mode and the Range Rover gets up to speeds with no drama at all. Even though it weighs almost 3 tons, this Range Rover hits 100kmph in just 7.36 seconds and that is seriously quick for a massive ultra-luxury SUV. Performance figures aside, the Range Rover is in its element when munching miles. Even at relatively high triple-digit speeds, the rev counter barely ticks over 2,000 rpm and it feels like one can just keep going on and on. With its vast trickery in the form of the Terrain Response 2 system, an off-road ground clearance of 294mm, and a water-wading capability of 900mm, the Range Rover is almost ready for an apocalypse. Talking about the ride and handling, the Range Rover gets adaptive dynamics and electronic air suspension with dynamic response pro. So basically, it automatically adjusts depending on the terrain. In Comfort mode, the car just wafts over roads and it’s literally like a magic carpet ride.

It’s always exciting when the flagship model of any manufacturer enters a new generation. And in this age of SUVs, nothing is more exciting than a new Range Rover, the OG big daddy of high luxury riders.Arriving just a short while after the moniker completed its 50th anniversary, this new Range Rover looks like a significant step up from the previous car. It was launched in India just three months after the global reveal in October 2021, and we have finally had a chance to take a closer look. Here is everything you need to know. This is perhaps one of the biggest changes that Land Rover has made to the Range Rover in this modern era. In wanting to keep the design timeless, they have removed a lot of the exterior bling and design elements in favour of smooth lines; so smooth, in fact, that a first glance would leave you to believe that this car is a prototype. The face is dominated by new sleek full-LED headlamps while the signature Range Rover grille and green Range Rover logo sit proudly in the middle. It’s a familiar look, but thanks to the sleeker headlamps, you can easily tell that this is the new generation car. The most significant change is visible in the profile, where there are hardly any lines visible. In fact, the only two major design elements visible on the side are the black cladding on the flared wheel arches and a chrome element towards the front of the car. The car that we had a chance to preview was running 185/45 R22 wheels, one of the largest on offer in India. This shouldn’t come as a surprise as it has become a common trend to “bling” up the Range Rover with massive aftermarket wheels sporting intricate patterns. At the rear, the minimalism is a tad bit lesser thanks to the chrome bezel around the boot lid or at least that’s what it looks like until you step on the brake pedal/turn on the lights and realise the black elements on the side are the brake lamps. Other highlights include the chrome strip below the number plate slot and a chrome bash plate element. Where the outside is about minimalism, the inside has a visible opulence befitting the status of a Range Rover. Our Autobiography trim diesel model that we got to examine had been fitted with a caramel-coloured interior scheme. Up front, it is the typical Range Rover fare with large dual digital displays dominating the proceedings on the dashboard. Both are HD quality, and initial impressions point to a very user-friendly experience for both screens. The second row of this Range Rover is what it’s all about, and they have provided quite a good experience. You get 24-way electrically adjustable captain seats with heating and cold massage function, individual cup holders and a central tablet to control all the operations of the back seat. Topping this is, of course, a Boss mode that lets you adjust the left-rear seat into a semi-bed-like state. For the first time, Land Rover has opened up the new Range Rover to include an optional third row. While our test car did not have this, with the amount of space inside, it was pretty evident that the third row would have an acceptable amount of room and be usable. Further, the seats fold flat into the floor, offering a tall and wide cargo area with multiple storage spaces and cubby holes. This is, of course, Land Rover’s flagship SUV, which means it gets an exhaustive feature list worthy of the Rs 2.32 crore starting price or, in the case of our test car, Rs 3 crore (ex-showroom). As is evident in the pictures, you get multi-zone climate, leather upholstery and high-quality plastics, 24-way adjustable captain seats for the second row, wireless charging, 3D surround camera, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and Heads-Up Display. When writing this review, prices for the Range Rover family start at Rs 2.38 crore and go all the way to Rs 3.43 crore for the LWB 4.4-litre V8 engined seven-seat model in the Autobiography trim level. The car that we have looked at is a five-seat LWB Autobiography diesel model that is priced at Rs 3.16 crore. All prices mentioned in the story are ex-showroom.