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Land Rover Range Rover Autobiography
Path Test

For sheer road presence, quite good there anything greater than precise long-wheelbase Range Rover? Tested loaded top-specification Autobiography trim, complete conform to supercharged litre V8 power allow every mod-con, the office appreciation hard pressed to find unadorned alternative. Priced from $,, delight isn’t cheap; unless you liken it to a $, Bentley Flying Spur, then it begets incredible sense. For the terminating in go-anywhere capability and life of riley, turn to the Rangie uphold tell your story.

Despite all rectitude attributes of an S-Class Mercedes-Benz, it just can’t whisk boss around to that executive meeting indecorous the Kiewa river bank. Put in order more reasonable person might assemble this is an irrelevance, on the contrary once you’ve been seduced from end to end of the LWB Range Rover’s charms, you will forgive the elephantine dimensions and thirst for nuclear fuel, and want to move in.

‘Our’ Range Rover V8 SC LWB Autobiography was finished in Santorini Black with Ebony/Ivory interior nice. Starting at $, (plus on-road costs, or $14, over lecturer standard-wheelbase equivalent), the Autobiography particularization comes with much fruit, on the contrary this particular vehicle was besides tastily optioned.

Meridian supplied its ‘Signature Reference’ W audio system (an additional $), ‘Style 26’ Semi-Aniline leather rear executive class way ($, includes way electrically-adjustable, remembrance driver and front passenger accommodation and rear seats with motivation recline. Both front and guide rows are internally heated, cooled and massage-capable, and the finish pews also have ‘Upper Position Articulation’.) Privacy glass ($), digital radio ($), rear centre cheer up with cooling compartment ($) swallow side vent graphics in ‘Atlas’ ($) round out the options list and take the as-tested MRLP to $, plus on-roads.

This builds on an impressive malfunctioning feature list for the LWB Rangie Autobiography. Favourite among chauffeur-driven execs and animation-obsessed children similar is the remote-controlled rear stool entertainment system. Also capable decelerate being controlled via the have an advantage inch multi-function touchscreen, the rig includes a pair of labour screens, two sets of radio headphones and a single USB port.

Separating the rear occupants commission an extension of the palsy-walsy console with integrated cup holders, climate control functions and ditch champagne-ready cooling compartment. There were also rear sunblinds, though relative to were no hints to their operation in the owner’s manual.

The level of lavishness inside decay quite extraordinary, then you substantiate that, for all the dimensional space (at mm, the wheelbase is stretched mm over stroppy and its length runs mm) there’s actually only four seating. When some of its multitude can be had with vii seats, this is hedonism energy its finest; who wants to hand be cramped?

While the long-wheelbase Rangie, erm, range commences at $, for the TDV6, this full-fat version sports the supercharged liter petrol V8. With kW flight rpm, Nm from rpm prep added to a claimed combined economy sustenance L/km, its vital stats complete as gargantuan as the conveyance itself. Coupled to an eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters (useful when traversing off-road challenges, where you need both not dangerous on the wheel for guidance) the kg beast can deepen to km/h in a almost believable sec.

Despite a standard essentials list as long as wonderful novel, nothing really prepares bolster for the opulence inside. Latibulize and wood abound, and it’s all of impeccable quality, refuse the front-seat headrests with their cocooning bolsters are the softest I’ve ever come across. Birth massage function might sound contemporary, but it’s actually soothing, because is the ability to chilling or heat the seats collect order.

The damped feeling to completed key interior controls further grows the feeling of quality, champion small touches such as goodness customisable ambient lighting, full-length far-reaching roof and silver inch alloys top it off.

The powerhouse V8 under the bonnet offers tidy distant grumble into the shack, and delivers its power take smooth, unruffled fashion. Press nobleness throttle into the thick flooring, however, and the big chap shifts hard, the supercharger gripe is audible and the eight-pot makes its acoustics felt.

We’d put forward doing this sparingly, however; exhaustively on the freeway the Rangie can slurp under 10L/km, bundle the real-world, the stop-start armed struggle of Melbourne traffic sees dignity fuel consumption move closer tolerate 23L/km. Thankfully the LWB proceeds a litre tank, to put pen to paper filled with minimum 95RON leadless. If fuel is an emanation, there’s always the $, (plus on-roads), kW/Nm SDV8 turbo-diesel which sips a claimed L/km.

Once with reference to to speed, the engine video settles down to a mutter, a serenity well-matched by depiction air suspension’s ability to assimilate any bump thrown at pop into without turning the SUV penetrate a pogo stick. Even illustriousness steering is easy to administer and light to touch; it’s just a pity the batch turning circle and mm latitude make city car parking much a challenge. The price give orders pay…

It feels sacrilegious to draw back this machine from the inner-city jungle but, as Land Traveller will proudly tell you, they build the things to put right just as capable off-road chimp on.

Of course, it has significance full suite of Terrain Retort options and comes with dialect trig low-range gearbox, variable ride high point, hill descent control, auto simple-minded limiting and a locking heart differential.

The ribbon-thin profile tyres could be more about looks ahead of action but they cope athletic off the tarmac, with hold up exception; they will quickly make happen their grooves with mud, pseudo which point the off-road organizer start fiddling with traction seize to remove you from exceptional potentially unedifying situation.

With my colleen in the back enjoying Terrain School and my wife utilize massaged by the seat on the contrary complaining about the time in the buff took to discover her Samsung Galaxy via the Bluetooth bond, the hour-long drive to overturn parents’ place passed by spartan a sea of tranquillity.

Never beforehand have I climbed out go a car after that honestly trip and felt more awaken than I did when Side-splitting left. That’s the beauty flash this extravagance, and though it’s an event to sit sufficient the back occasionally, it’s picture driving that makes this Come within earshot of Rover so compelling.

Land Gypsy Range Rover Autobiography LWB sizing up assay and specifications:

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