The Range Rover is an SUV icon, built to be one of the most upmarket and comfortable ways to travel, whatever terrain you need to cross.
It's likely that you've come across the name Range Rover Vogue when looking at the largest, most luxurious version of Land Rover’s flagship 4x4. The Vogue name means it's the entry point to the Range Rover line-up, although calling it basic or entry level is underselling the Range Rover Vogue considerably, because you still get plenty of luxury and prices start from Php 11,990,000, and there's a real sense of occasion every time you climb aboard or are lucky enough to be driven by somebody else in one, allowing you to savour the luxurious interior.
EXTERIOR:
There are two versions available, Vogue and Vogue SE, with the latter commanding a premium of around Php 376,583 over the standard Vogue. Even the basic model comes with plenty of kit, and like the rest of the Range Rover range, benefitted from a facelift for the 2018MY.
This facelift also added gesture control for the sunblind, LED Matrix headlamps and an Activity Key that allows owners to leave the normal key in their Range Rover while wearing a bracelet version. Impressively, despite all these technological additions, the latest Range Rover is 420kg lighter than its predecessor, which improves performance and running costs.
INTERIOR:
Residing in the interior is a truly luxurious experience. Once the soft-close doors latch themselves automatically, you’ll find yourself admiring acres of hide and natural woods. The seats are finished in Windsor leather, which is Range Rover’s terminology for a high-end nappa leather. Fit for a king, the pews look and feel sumptuous, and are in keeping with the SUV’s premium demeanour. Despite looking and smelling a little old fashioned, there are some technological treats to be discovered.
Range Rover has fitted its latest Pro Duo twin infotainment system that employs two 10.0-inch touchscreens to control the SUV’s numerous technologies. It is an advanced system that is quite easy to familiarise yourself with. It looks and feels high-tech and adds a sense of modernity to the cabin. Anyone who's ever seen a Range Rover can tell you just how large it really is – at five metres long, there's not much on the road that’s bigger. That obviously means loads of space inside, but it's not much fun when it comes to negotiating narrow streets or squeezing into tight parking spaces.
The myriad large storage areas available around the cabin. Rest assured that on a road trip, you’ll be finding things to fill the cabin, and not figuring out what things to leave behind. As expected, the second row is large. The vehicle tested was the short-wheelbase option, and there was still plenty of room for both adults to reside in comfort next to a large children’s seat.
The cargo area is cavernous at 900L, making it larger than both the BMW at 750L and the Audi at 770L. However, the Vogue is only offered as a five-seater. If you require seven seats, the Range Rover Sport is your next best choice from within the same brand.
ENGINE and PERFORMANCE:
The model-year 2020 generation of the Range Rover debuts its latest petrol engine – an all-new inline six-cylinder that features two compressors and a clever e-starter motor.
There is a 48-volt electric supercharger to introduce low-end torque, and a twin-scroll turbocharger to carry the powerband right up through the higher RPM range. On top of that, it features an advanced starter motor that is able to harness excess energy from the engine and redeploy it when required.
Power figures come in at 339 hp and 700Nm of torque from 2000rpm right through to 5000rpm. It is an incredibly advanced driveline that debuts lots of new technology for Range Rover. Also, due to being an inline six, it is inherently smooth, which you can feel when behind the wheel.
The engine is linked to an eight-speed automatic produced by German power-transfer specialist, ZF. It is an excellent transmission that’s equally as smooth as the motor, which makes for a great pairing. This results in the powertrain becoming a standout feature of the package, and worth experiencing if you’re considering either the diesel V6 or petrol V8 alternatives.
Whichever model you pick, you’ll find the Range Rover hugely relaxing to drive. You can take it a step further by speccing the optional cruise control and lane-keep assist combo that will accelerate, brake and steer your Range Rover in its lane for you – provided you keep your hands on the steering wheel. Standard-fit air suspension softens the blow of large potholes impressively well and helps keep its vast body level in tight corners, and the LED Matrix headlamps just magically illuminate the night when cornering.
VERDICT:
Over the years, it’s been kept bang up-to-date, but one thing that has never changed is Land Rover’s commitment to the Range Rover being the most capable off-roader you can buy. To this end, even a top-spec Range Rover – with an interior as luxurious as a premium saloon car and destined to spend its life in Kensington – still has the technology to scale almost any mountain or ford any river.
Land Rover has a reputation for making high-class, stylish 4x4s, but there's no denying its poor record for reliability over the years. The company has often finished towards the bottom of owner satisfaction surveys, with some big bills reported on older models. The latest Range Rover is built in a different way and in a different factory to the previous car, while its electrical components are less complex and more reliable.
While the off-road prowess and craftsmanship of the Range Rover aren’t in doubt, the marque has struggled for reliability in the past. We’d imagine few people buy a Range Rover expecting it to save them pennies and there’s nothing else on the road quite like it, with a stunning design and unique ability to sooth long journeys one minute and then canter up grass banks too steep for most horses the next. I’d be lying now if I told you I wouldn’t buy one because this machine is just Majestic to drive as it is to look at. Move over poor people, the Range Rover Vogue is truly a car for Royalty
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