The Range Rover is considered the top of the
Land Rover sports utility vehicle line up. The SUV is built on a box section ladder type platform that uses coil springs, permanent four-wheel drive, disc brakes, and is powered by a Rover V8 engine. The Range Rover has been popular since its introduction in every market because it was a more luxurious, upscale SUV but it was also study enough for all of the off road use that consumers would expect from a Land Rover vehicle. There have been three generations of the Range Rover and they are known as the Classic, the P38A, and the L322 more affectionately known as the new Range Rover.
The first Range Rover was made known to consumers in 1970 and was basically an improvement to the Series models providing four-wheel drive, disc brakes, and a more powerful engine. The Range Rover was first introduced to the United States market in 1987 and was an almost instant success as it came at just the right time; the beginning of the SUV craze.
The second generation started with the 1995 model year and had an updated Rover V8 engine. Consumers also had the option of choosing a 2.5-liter BMW turbo diesel engine. This second generation was even more upscale than the first generation and had an even smoother ride, more powerful engine, and a stronger chassis. This generation of the Range Rover also boasted ABS brakes, two-wheel traction control, and later there was four-wheel traction control offered.
Introduced in 2002, the Range Rover moved up market even more. The new Range Rover still offered a V8 gasoline engine, but has an improved ground clearance as well as cross linked air springs. Land Rover made the Range Rover with an Integrated Body Frame this time around, though many of the styling cues were based on the original model of the Range Rover. In 2004 Land Rover would release pictures of the Range Rover Sport, which is an entirely new model that would appeal to an even wider consumer base preparing for its release in 2005.
In 2005 Land Rover updated the Range Rover again with a 4.4 liter 245 horsepower engine, though a super charged version of the engine was shown at the Detroit Motor Show in 2005. The new engine is lighter, as it is made from aluminum and provides drive by wire throttle control and variable camshaft phasing for the best performance possible. The Range Rover was given an exterior update for the 2006 model and the previous engine was replaced with a Ford engine which is a 4.4 liter 390 horsepower or a 4.2 liter 430 horsepower supercharged engine. These engine variations should be made available by the summer of 2006.
For more information on the Range Rover, please visit RangeRovers.net.
