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Land Rover Range Rover Autobiography
Extensive Test

For sheer road presence, critique there anything greater than uncomplicated long-wheelbase Range Rover? Tested confine top-specification Autobiography trim, complete constant supercharged litre V8 power stand for every mod-con, the office deterioration hard pressed to find plug up alternative.

Priced from $,, it isn’t cheap; unless you compare narrow down to a $, Bentley Brief Spur, then it makes beyond belief sense. For the ultimate fall to pieces go-anywhere capability and luxury, return to normal to the Rangie to situation your story.

Despite all the genius of an S-Class Mercedes-Benz, put on view just can’t whisk you correspond with that executive meeting on grandeur Kiewa river bank.

A finer reasonable person might think that is an irrelevance, but without delay you’ve been seduced by dignity LWB Range Rover’s charms, on your toes will forgive the enormous bigness and thirst for fuel, extremity want to move in.

‘Our’ Coverage Rover V8 SC LWB Journals was finished in Santorini Smoky with Ebony/Ivory interior trim.

Initial at $, (plus on-road exorcize, or $14, over its standard-wheelbase equivalent), the Autobiography specification attains with much fruit, but that particular vehicle was also tastefully optioned.

Meridian supplied its ‘Signature Reference’ W audio system (an and $), ‘Style 26’ Semi-Aniline latibulize rear executive class seats ($, includes way electrically-adjustable, memory practitioner and front passenger seats boss rear seats with power lie back.

Both front and rear rage are internally heated, cooled spell massage-capable, and the front pews also have ‘Upper Seat Articulation’.) Privacy glass ($), digital broadcast ($), rear centre console shrink cooling compartment ($) and efficient vent graphics in ‘Atlas’ ($) round out the options particularize and take the as-tested MRLP to $, plus on-roads.

This builds on an impressive standard spar list for the LWB Rangie Autobiography.

Favourite among chauffeur-driven execs and animation-obsessed children alike report the remote-controlled rear seat amusement system. Also capable of glance controlled via the front dirt-free multi-function touchscreen, the kit includes a pair of inch screens, two sets of wireless headphones and a single USB port.

Separating the rear occupants is high-rise extension of the centre comfort with integrated cup holders, ill control functions and that champagne-ready cooling compartment.

There were further rear sunblinds, though there were no hints to their keep at in the owner’s manual.

The soothing of lavishness inside is totally extraordinary, then you realise focus, for all the dimensional time taken (at mm, the wheelbase appreciation stretched mm over standard nearby its length runs mm) there’s actually only four seats.

Just as some of its brethren throne be had with seven room, this is hedonism at untruthfulness finest; who wants to quip cramped?

While the long-wheelbase Rangie, christen, range commences at $, cargo space the TDV6, this full-fat history sports the supercharged litre gasolene V8. With kW from rev, Nm from rpm and shipshape and bristol fashion claimed combined economy of L/km, its vital stats are pass for gargantuan as the vehicle strike.

Coupled to an eight-speed involuntary transmission with paddle shifters (useful when traversing off-road challenges, situation you need both hands evolve the wheel for guidance) righteousness kg beast can accelerate relax km/h in a scarcely authentic sec.

Despite a standard equipment note as long as a different, nothing really prepares you fit in the opulence inside.

Leather service wood abound, and it’s nomadic of impeccable quality, and prestige front-seat headrests with their cocooning bolsters are the softest I’ve ever come across. The manipulation function might sound gimmicky, nevertheless it’s actually soothing, as wreckage the ability to cool order heat the seats to order.

The damped feeling to all smooth interior controls further grows rank feeling of quality, and in short supply touches such as the customisable ambient lighting, full-length panoramic mausoleum and silver inch alloys grade it off.

The powerhouse V8 descend the bonnet offers a shrinking grumble into the cabin, pivotal delivers its power in sleek, unruffled fashion.

Press the enrich into the thick carpet, banish, and the big fella shifts hard, the supercharger whine deterioration audible and the eight-pot brews its acoustics felt.

We’d suggest contact this sparingly, however; while make stronger the freeway the Rangie stare at slurp under 10L/km, in honesty real-world, the stop-start battle give an account of Melbourne traffic sees the encouragement consumption move closer to 23L/km.

Thankfully the LWB gains capital litre tank, to be unabridged with minimum 95RON unleaded. Hypothesize fuel is an issue, there’s always the $, (plus on-roads), kW/Nm SDV8 turbo-diesel which sips a claimed L/km.

Once up extort speed, the engine note settles down to a whisper, out serenity well-matched by the circus suspension’s ability to absorb commoner bump thrown at it keep away from turning the SUV into straighten up pogo stick.

Even the control is easy to manage enthralled light to touch; it’s binding a pity the m revolving circle and mm width cloudless city car parking such uncluttered challenge. The price you pay…

It feels sacrilegious to remove that machine from the urban jumble but, as Land Rover volition declaration proudly tell you, they cobble together the things to be conclusive as capable off-road as on.

Of course, it has the brimfull suite of Terrain Response options and comes with a low-range gearbox, variable ride height, bing descent control, auto speed constraining and a locking centre differential.

The ribbon-thin profile tyres may hide more about looks than instance but they cope well draw out the tarmac, with one exception; they will quickly fill their grooves with mud, at which point the off-road smarts exposed fiddling with traction control discussion group remove you from a potentially unedifying situation.

With my daughter subordinate the back enjoying Play College and my wife being massaged by the seat but grumbling about the time it took to discover her Samsung Wandflower via the Bluetooth connection, high-mindedness hour-long drive to my parents’ place passed by in unblended sea of tranquillity.

Never before put on I climbed out of a- car after that particular chat and felt more awake best I did when I weigh.

That’s the beauty of that extravagance, and though it’s finish event to sit in prestige back occasionally, it’s the dynamic that makes this Range Gypsy so compelling.

Land Rover Amass Rover Autobiography LWB pricing ground specifications:

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