2013 Land Rover Range Rover

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Crossover, Land Rover, First Drives, Luxury, Off-Road

The Imperial Super Star Destroyer of SUVs

Andrew Polsinelli, Land Rover North America's head of product planning, told us this is what owners requested of the new, fourth-generation Range Rover: "Don't change it, just make it better." Superficially, the request appears to represent that species of conflicted, mashed-potato yearning that births other such entreaties as "I want it to be non-fat but still rich and full of flavor," and "I'd like more cashiers and better service at the 99-cent store."

Focus on the word "it" in the first part of that demand, though, and one can begin to find clarity. When they say "Don't change it," that isn't a command to leave everything untouched on the 42-year-old SUV franchise that can simultaneously rule the farm and the Bolivian highlands and a refugee camp and the vogue enclaves of any national capital. They mean don't change the 'Range Roverness' of it, the feeling that it's penthouse automotive luxury - a donked-out Rolls-Royce if you will, a Phantom on thirty-sixes but without the rapper/kingpin connotations. Beyond that comes the knowledge that if you want to get from Los Angeles to Miami in your Range Rover, you can take the straight shot over the I-10 freeway or a slight detour through the Canadian tundra. And it's still the only SUV extant that will have the driver looking for buttons with the icons for serfs or footmen upon arrival (because you can't be expected to have to do things yourself, can you?).

That feeling remains in the 2013 Range Rover. And the latest generation is better. So there's the prime directive accomplished. Furthermore, it is so capable that it's not wrong to call this the Super Star Destroyer of SUVs.

It does, however, look a little different.

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2013 Land Rover Range Rover originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Feb 2013 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: 2010 Range Rover Sport Supercharged brings the adventure home

Chris Shunk — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Land Rover, New Car Reviews, Luxury, Off-Road

2010 Range Rover Sport Supercharged - Click above for high-res image gallery

Despite enduring a string of financial hardships, Land Rover still enjoys one of the clearest and most robust brand identities in the automotive kingdom. The English automaker has held the same core values since the company's first off-roader was created by Maurice Wilks in 1948. Wilks reportedly designed the first Land Rover to emulate a Jeep he had driven, and the first Land Rover prototype actually utilized a chassis borrowed from that legendary American off-roader. And much like Jeep, when you think of Land Rover, the words rugged, purpose-built, and capable are sure to come to mind, but the two storied marques part company when it comes to luxury amenities. England's four-wheeling pride and joy can be found in places like Africa, the Middle East, Australia's Outback and as well as the ritziest precincts of Beverly Hills and Monte Carlo.

While the core identity of Land Rover hasn't deviated much over the years, its product lineup has grown substantially. After Ford purchased Land Rover from BMW in 2000, the brand added the supremely capable LR4 and Range Rover Sport to a struggling lineup. The Sport traces its looks and name to the top-end Range Rover model, but its underpinnings are actually based on the LR4, with an integrated bodyframe semi-monocoque construction for a combination of rough and ready off-roading and good noise isolation characteristics.

The sportiest of Range Rovers has been a solid entry in the luxury mountain climbing segment for a half-decade, but the folks at Land Rover have given the Sport a very thorough update for 2010 to help it live up to fast and flashy new competitors like the Porsche Cayenne and BMW's X5/X6 M twins. We were able to get our hands on a new 2010 Range Rover Sport with the company's new Jaguar-derived supercharged 5.0-liter V8 to see if it's as accomplished on paved streets as it is off-road. Hit the jump to see if it's still our cup of tea.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Range Rover Sport Supercharged

Continue reading Review: 2010 Range Rover Sport Supercharged brings the adventure home

Review: 2010 Range Rover Sport Supercharged brings the adventure home originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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