New spec Range Rover
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LAND ROVER has modified its luxury workhorse, the Range Rover, with significant changes to engines, transmissions and suspension, along with some cosmetic changes which make it look less utilitarian.
The most important change, because it is bound to end up in the rest of the range, is the adoption of fuel injection on the 3.5-litre V8 engine of the top-line Vogue model.
The Lucas L electronic fuel injection system increases the V8's already substantial torque of 263Nm (194 Ibit) to 280Nin (206 Mt), and takes the power up from 94kW (127hp) to 123kW (16511p).
That improves top speed by over 10 per cent to 172km/h (10 7mph) and, according to Land Rover, also reduces fuel consumption by about the same amount. With the injection set-up conies an over-run fuel cut-off for the first time.
Non-Vogue models of the Range Rover (the most important from the commercial viewpoint) retain their previous twin Stromberg carburettors, but with the refinement of a bigger-bore "pulsed-airsystem.
This draws extra air into the exhaust manifold through non-return valves to ensure complete combustion of any unburned fuel which passes the exhaust valves.
According to the company, this results in a reduction of emissions of up to 40 per cent.
Adoption of this system has allowed the static ignition nosing to he advanced by six degrees, to give a much better claimed throttle response at low speeds.
Land Rover has also discarded the Chrysler Torquake automatic transmission option in favour of a more modern ZF unit.
The ZI74 HP22 has four
speeds instead of three, and a mechanical torque-converter lock-up which operates on the very tall (0.73:1) overdrive fourth gear.
In an even more worthwhile move, first gear can now he locked in manually to give proper engine braking for steep descents.
The manual gearbox is now fitted with a short, direct-acting lever instead of the old long remote-linkage one, giving a much better quality of change to the five-speed gearbox.
Suspension changes include the replacement of the singlerate rear springs by dual-rate ones, and a stiffer anti-roll arrangement at the rear.
The cosmetic changes include — on the Vogue — a deep polyurethane spoiler under the front bumper, which is said not to affect crosscountry performance, and more substantially capped bumpers on all models.
An initial 200km drive by CM around an undemanding forest, farmland and public highway route showed the new Range Rovers to be much more refined than their predecessors.