The world’s first SUV with an all-aluminum unibody structure.
Land Rover, the British maker of Land Rover and Range Rover sport utility vehicles, introduces the next generation of introduces the next generation of the world’s most iconic luxury SUV..
As the fourth generation of the Range Rover line, this all-new model was developed from the ground up, capturing the iconic design of the original model which changed the world of motoring when it was launched over 40 years ago.
Designed and engineered at Land Rover’s development centers in the United Kingdom, the next Range Rover will be produced at a new manufacturing facility at Solihull, United Kingdom which employs the latest low-energy aluminum body construction technologies.
The all-aluminum unibody structure is 39 percent lighter than the steel body in the outgoing model. This enables a total vehicle weight savings of up to 926lbs, depending on market and specifications. The Range Rover will continue to offer a choice of V8 engines in the North American market, enhanced by new eight-speed ZF automatic transmissions.
In addition to the rigid aluminum body, an all-new aluminum front and rear chassis architecture has been developed and paired with a with completely re-engineered four-corner air suspension. The new suspension architecture delivers flatter, more confident cornering abilities, with a natural and intuitive steering feel, says Land Rover. The rigorously optimized body structure and acoustic lamination of the windshield and side door glass have significantly reduced noise levels. The rear occupants benefit from over 4.7 inches more legroom than the outgoing model.
“Designing the next generation Range Rover, following over forty years of success, came with a huge responsibility to protect the DNA of such an icon,” said Gerry McGovern, Land Rover Design Director and Chief Creative Officer.
Amongst the innovations featured in the new Range Rover is the next-generation of Land Rover’s Terrain Response system, which analyses the current driving conditions and road surfaces through on-board sensors, and automatically selects the most suitable vehicle settings program for the terrain.
The car will be available in over 160 markets worldwide, with North American customer deliveries scheduled to start in December 2012.
