JLR has brought some extra tech features, a more powerful variant, and even a new engine choice to the Range Rover as it transitions into the 2017 model year refresh, while keeping the current fourth-generations’ exterior cues and variant tiers largely untouched.
The flagship luxury SUV will instead be the first recipient of Jaguar Land Rover’s forays into semi-autonomous driving and connected car technologies as well as active safety features. Also new is the updated InControl Touch Pro infotainment unit with a 10-inch display - still oddly recessed like in all other JLR cars.
Previously, the Range Rover lacked some now-widespread intelligent safety features but now has caught up with autonomous emergency braking, rear park distance control, lane departure warning, cruise control and speed limited all being standard on 2017 cars. An additional ‘Drive Pack’ can also be specified, adding blind spot monitoring, intelligent speed limiter, traffic sign recognition, reverse traffic detection, and a Driver Condition Monitor.
Through the updated internals found in the InControl Touch Pro system, some new app services have been made available to Range Rover owners, allowing them to remotely control certain vehicle functions such as toggling climate control, triggering or deactivating the alarm, or starting the engine via a companion smartphone app.
A new engine has also joined the Range Rover line-up in the form of the supercharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol, delivering 253kW and 450Nm that can propel the luxury SUV to 100km/h in as little as 7.1 seconds - although this would obviously be dependent on trim level and vehicle weight altered by various optional extras.
Finally, there’s a new flagship Range Rover joining the range for 2017 called the SVAutobiography Dynamic, touted as the most powerful ever offered. Power comes from a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine as with previous top-end variants, but this time generating 410kW and 680Nm. The engine is paired to ZF’s 8-speed automatic transmission and together the SVAutobiography Dynamic is able to charge to 100km/h from rest in just 5.1 seconds.
Mark Stanton, Director of Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations, said: “The Range Rover SVAutobiography Dynamic has been specially developed by the Special Vehicle Operations team to deliver a more engaging driving experience. It delivers the ultimate combination of performance and Range Rover luxury, befitting its unique position in the portfolio.”
To differentiate the fresh variant as the new top dog, Range Rover has added a new grille, side vents, bonnet finisher, front bumper accents, graphite tailgate finisher, a choice of 21 or 22 inch wheel designs, and a three unique paint finishes.
The SVAutobiography Dynamic’s handling has been tuned by JLR’s SVO division, emerging with an 8mm lowered ride height and revised springs and dampers. Dynamic Response is also standard, working with the Adaptive Dynamics adjustable suspension to deliver a sharper drive. There’s even some rather large brakes from Brembo with some fetchingly red callipers.
For more on Range Rover vehicles, including pricing and specifications, check out our Showroom.
