Sept. 22, 2006
 
ON THE ROAD: Range Rover Supercharged for Competition
 
By Richard Williamson
Scripps Howard News Service
 

Land Rover announced that the Range Rover gains extra technology and interior features for the 2007 model. (SHNS photo courtesy Ford) Click to Enlarge

As Land Rover notches its 20th year in North America, the original luxury sport utility vehicle finds itself surrounded by competition.
 
To keep pretenders at bay, Land Rover has driven further up-market with models such as the Range Rover Supercharged that commands a base price of $92,035.
 
Crafted in the town of Solihull, England, whose Anglo-Saxon name means, appropriately, muddy or "soily" hill, the Range Rover remains true to its roots, despite its ownership by Ford Motor Co. and its previous entanglement with BMW.
 
While rivals such as the BMW X5, Infiniti QX 56 and Porsche Cayenne have tapered their rooflines to appeal to sports-car aficionados, the Range Rover retains its stateliness, even after a significant styling update in the 2006 model year.
 
But don't assume that the current version exhibits the tweedy hauteur of yesteryear. Visually, the 2007 Range Rover is a stunner, with jewellike head and tail lamps that reflect daylight with a dazzling prismatic effect. The skin is sleek and taut, tucked into tight curves around the corners. Indeed, I've never been approached by an inquiring passerby while driving a Range Rover until this year. A security guard followed me into an electronics store and asked for details about the 2007 model, lavishing praise on its appearance while calculating his odds of ever actually owning one.
 
"I'm getting my real estate license," he explained. "Maybe someday I can afford it."
 
Ah, yes, the economy. For those whose moat prevents intrusion from the harsher realities of macro-economic swings, higher gas prices and stratospheric window stickers won't really create a detour on the road to the Land Rover store. The reality-based community, on the other hand, will surely note the Range Rover's rate of consumption, which puts a year's worth of premium unleaded at $2,201.
 
But, my, what a nice reward you get for those 13 miles per gallon in the city.
 
With an output of 400 horsepower, the 4.2-liter, supercharged V8 engine from Ford's other luxury import brand, Jaguar, seems to reciprocate in adrenaline what it requires from the pump.
 
Introduced in the 2006 model, the new supercharged V8 is 35 percent more powerful than the previous engine and has over 25 percent more torque, reducing 0-60 mph times by 1.5 seconds.
 
Minus the supercharger, the power falls to 305 horses and the price drops to $75,750.
 
Enhancing the performance for 2007 is something called the Terrain Response system that allows the driver five settings of the power train, suspension and electronics for varied off-road driving conditions. An electronic rear differential is now standard on the supercharged model and available as an option on the naturally aspirated V8.
 
Terrain Response's five settings include general driving, grass/gravel/snow, sand, mud and ruts and rock crawl.
 
If you've ever taken a Range Rover on a challenging off-road course, you've no doubt observed the vehicle's ability to intuit the safest way to ascend and descend a hill with very little need to ride the brake on the way down.
 
The Range Rover uses disc brakes with an anti-lock system and electronic brake distribution to any wheel that needs to be slowed for optimal control.
 
An electronic park brake replaces the space-consuming conventional hand-brake lever in the center console area. It is engaged by a simple pull of a switch. It is automatically disengaged when the vehicle moves off, or can be released manually.
 
While the Range Rover is truly a rugged off-road vehicle, it indulges its driver with abundant comfort on urban byways. The independent suspension rides on adjustable air springs that generously cushion the passengers from potholes and speed bumps without sacrificing any sense of control.
 
As you would expect, creature comforts abound in the Range Rover, especially in the front seats. The new design created twin glove boxes, new cup holders and an improved center console. The new dash, dressed in wood and metal trim, is positioned for intuitive ergonomics. The new climate-control system is quieter and more efficient. Cooled-air ventilated front seats are standard on the Supercharged trim level and optional on the naturally aspirated version.
 
Safety features include side airbags that have been relocated to the seat backs, a redesigned passenger-side front airbag and a new driver's knee airbag.
 
"These revised models offer the finest blend of performance and refinement ever offered on a Land Rover vehicle," says Richard Beattie, Land Rover North America's executive vice president for sales and marketing. "They are more technologically advanced, more comfortable and more capable than any previous Range Rover, underlining the car's reputation as the world's most complete luxury SUV."
 
WHAT'S NEW: Redesigned cabin, Terrain Response standard on all models.
 
PLUSES: Comfort, versatility, styling, safety.
 
MINUSES: Price, fuel economy.
 
BOTTOM LINE: King of the hill.
 
Richard Williamson writes about automobiles for Scripps Howard News Service.