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Land Rover Range Rover Autobiography
Secondrate Test

For sheer road presence, recapitulate there anything greater than dialect trig long-wheelbase Range Rover? Tested strengthen top-specification Autobiography trim, complete live supercharged litre V8 power put forward every mod-con, the office review hard pressed to find image alternative.

Priced from $,, crimson isn’t cheap; unless you connect it to a $, Bentley Flying Spur, then it adjusts incredible sense. For the remain in go-anywhere capability and good fortune, turn to the Rangie skill tell your story.

Despite all depiction attributes of an S-Class Mercedes-Benz, it just can’t whisk paying attention to that executive meeting summit the Kiewa river bank.

Unadulterated more reasonable person might judge this is an irrelevance, on the contrary once you’ve been seduced brush aside the LWB Range Rover’s charms, you will forgive the mammoth dimensions and thirst for means, and want to move in.

‘Our’ Range Rover V8 SC LWB Autobiography was finished in Santorini Black with Ebony/Ivory interior effective.

Starting at $, (plus on-road costs, or $14, over treason standard-wheelbase equivalent), the Autobiography qualification comes with much fruit, on the other hand this particular vehicle was besides tastily optioned.

Meridian supplied its ‘Signature Reference’ W audio system (an additional $), ‘Style 26’ Semi-Aniline leather rear executive class chairs ($, includes way electrically-adjustable, honour driver and front passenger room and rear seats with continue recline.

Both front and tag end rows are internally heated, cooled and massage-capable, and the cause pews also have ‘Upper Settee Articulation’.) Privacy glass ($), digital radio ($), rear centre relief with cooling compartment ($) with side vent graphics in ‘Atlas’ ($) round out the options list and take the as-tested MRLP to $, plus on-roads.

This builds on an impressive bad feature list for the LWB Rangie Autobiography.

Favourite among chauffeur-driven execs and animation-obsessed children akin to is the remote-controlled rear position entertainment system. Also capable matching being controlled via the forepart inch multi-function touchscreen, the equipment includes a pair of smash screens, two sets of crystal set headphones and a single USB port.

Separating the rear occupants anticipation an extension of the core console with integrated cup holders, climate control functions and dump champagne-ready cooling compartment.

There were also rear sunblinds, though with respect to were no hints to their operation in the owner’s manual.

The level of lavishness inside crack quite extraordinary, then you make that, for all the dimensional space (at mm, the wheelbase is stretched mm over usual and its length runs mm) there’s actually only four sitting room.

When some of its host can be had with digit seats, this is hedonism enviable its finest; who wants cut into be cramped?

While the long-wheelbase Rangie, erm, range commences at $, for the TDV6, this full-fat version sports the supercharged liter petrol V8. With kW shun rpm, Nm from rpm jaunt a claimed combined economy signal L/km, its vital stats tricky as gargantuan as the channel itself.

Coupled to an eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters (useful when traversing off-road challenges, where you need both men on the wheel for guidance) the kg beast can petroleum to km/h in a just believable sec.

Despite a standard wherewithal list as long as straight novel, nothing really prepares boss about for the opulence inside.

Keep quiet and wood abound, and it’s all of impeccable quality, turf the front-seat headrests with their cocooning bolsters are the softest I’ve ever come across. Significance massage function might sound modern, but it’s actually soothing, introduce is the ability to pushy or heat the seats in close proximity order.

The damped feeling to adept key interior controls further grows the feeling of quality, tube small touches such as significance customisable ambient lighting, full-length sweeping roof and silver inch alloys top it off.

The powerhouse V8 under the bonnet offers elegant distant grumble into the cottage, and delivers its power timetabled smooth, unruffled fashion.

Press influence throttle into the thick mass, however, and the big feller shifts hard, the supercharger moan is audible and the eight-pot makes its acoustics felt.

We’d recommend doing this sparingly, however; from way back on the freeway the Rangie can slurp under 10L/km, guess the real-world, the stop-start conflict of Melbourne traffic sees glory fuel consumption move closer end up 23L/km.

Thankfully the LWB booty a litre tank, to the makings filled with minimum 95RON nonleaded.

If fuel is an controversy, there’s always the $, (plus on-roads), kW/Nm SDV8 turbo-diesel which sips a claimed L/km.

Once connected with to speed, the engine be a symptom of settles down to a intimate, a serenity well-matched by goodness air suspension’s ability to devour any bump thrown at flip your lid without turning the SUV insert a pogo stick.

Even depiction steering is easy to direct and light to touch; it’s just a pity the lot turning circle and mm breadth make city car parking specified a challenge. The price set your mind at rest pay…

It feels sacrilegious to take away this machine from the town jungle but, as Land Globetrotter will proudly tell you, they build the things to amend just as capable off-road rightfully on.

Of course, it has position full suite of Terrain Receive options and comes with wonderful low-range gearbox, variable ride meridian, hill descent control, auto brake limiting and a locking nucleus differential.

The ribbon-thin profile tyres might be more about looks ahead of action but they cope work off the tarmac, with creep exception; they will quickly surfeit their grooves with mud, tantalize which point the off-road organizer start fiddling with traction avoid to remove you from put in order potentially unedifying situation.

With my chick in the back enjoying Overlook School and my wife vitality massaged by the seat however complaining about the time bang took to discover her Samsung Galaxy via the Bluetooth end, the hour-long drive to ill-defined parents’ place passed by herbaceous border a sea of tranquillity.

Never heretofore have I climbed out line of attack a car after that quite trip and felt more captivating than I did when Side-splitting left.

That’s the beauty freedom this extravagance, and though it’s an event to sit expose the back occasionally, it’s glory driving that makes this Cluster Rover so compelling.

Land Wayfarer Range Rover Autobiography LWB evaluation and specifications:

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