Range Rover 2010: The best got better

In keeping with the Range Rover brand's multi-faceted personality, which combines luxury with an intrepid spirit, the unveiling of the 2010 model began at one of Barcelona's boutique hotels. Chic, very chic. Soon, thankfully, it was time to depart for the rough and tumble dirt tracks and rocky escarpments of the Spanish countryside. That's more like it.

I trundled into my Rangey, abuzz with anticipation for the day's driving around Les Comes Estate - a tangle of rolling hills and winding fire roads located some 90km outside the cosmopolitan borders of Barcelona. The 1,280-acre estate's rich natural beauty is paralleled by a heavyweight off road pedigree, with the site becoming an official Land Rover Experience Centre in 2008. Replete with a ropes course, trophy room, and what can only be described as an automotive seesaw, the Les Comes Estate straddles the gap between off-road testing facility and pure automotive playground.

Some things never change

Upon first entering the 2010 Range Rover's cabin, one is immediately struck by the careful attention to detail that has been invested in its stunning interior - so, no surprises there.
Combining classic styling with the latest technology, the 2010 model elevates the tenuous intersection between driver focus and passenger entertainment to a new level with its ground-breaking dual view infotainment display. This first-in-class technology utilises a layered screen so that, dependent on viewing angle, the front passenger can watch a DVD while the driver monitors the sat-nav. Clever that.

With new technologies come new limitations and the centre rear seat passenger is advised to concentrate on the rear, headrest-mounted LCD monitors, as their vantage point of the dual layer monitor is the single position from which the two image layers can be viewed simultaneously, with distorted results. In truth though, this particular 'limitation' is actually a great conversation piece.

The 2010 model's interior features just enough elegant refinement to make 2009 model owners jealous, and offers a welcoming, luxurious ride to any one of the five seating positions.

Also new to the 2010 display system is the replacement of the conventional instrument cluster with a fully configurable TFT screen with virtual dials that adjust and reconfigure based on the user-selectable driving modes. While the factory-programmed display changes are expertly defined to highlight those measurements that are most pertinent to the driving conditions at hand, the technology also seems ripe for aftermarket customisation, opening new avenues for the UAE's bespoke Range Rover enthusiasts.

On the road

Once underway, the 2010 Rover is equally at home on the highway and in the village and mountain roads leading to Les Comes. The normally aspirated 5.0-litre V8 delivers its 370 horses smoothly and provides more than enough mid-gear punch (thanks to 510Nm) to overtake slower cars on the winding two lane roads. Despite the hike in displacement, power and torque, this engine reduces fuel thirst over the old car by 6.9 per cent, at 20.2mpg. In its supercharged iteration, the redesigned LR-V8 produces 503bhp and 625Nm, yet improves economy by 7.3 per cent to 19mpg.

Behind the wheel, I was struck by the Range Rover's extremely fluid ride, which is somewhat unexpected in a vehicle of this size. Range Rover's excellent Stability Control Systems (SCS) and state-of-the-art adaptive dynamics ensure this smoothness, yet from the driver's perspective the assistance is seamless.

In 2010 form, the SCS "helps automatically slow the vehicle if taking a bend too fast, thus enhancing driver control."

Additionally, the car's Understeer Control system interfaces with the brake modulator and powertrain control module, so if "the speed is too great for engine torque reduction to control the vehicle, automatic braking intervenes to reduce the speed, with braking pressure applied according to the severity of the situation." If deceleration reaches a minimum level, the car's brake lights are automatically activated to warn following traffic.

The 2010 Range Rover also features a new Roll Stability Control system, which intervenes in case a possible rollover is detected. In such situations, the system is designed to take over and perform very rapid, wheel specific braking to help reduce speed and marginally widen the cornering radius. This, then, is a vehicle that pro-actively looks after its passengers in a way not many 4x4s can equal.

One minor functionality note: I was entrusted with one of Spain's road toll transponders but found that, due to the UV coating on the windshield, placement of the transponder device was extremely sensitive, leading to a few wasted minutes at the toll booth waiting for help to arrive. UAE owners might face similar challenges with their Salik tag, and are advised to place the ubiquitous black and orange device behind the blue tinted glass area near the rear-view mirror for best results. I ended up having to hold the transponder up each time I passed through a tollbooth.

Off the road

Upon arriving at Les Comes, I got my first taste of the estate's rutted, rock encrusted roads, making my way to the final point in the pre-programmed navigation system. As a relative newbie to navigation systems in general, I must admit that I sometimes find the level of detail provided by such systems a bit overwhelming (for instance, "enter the roundabout and take the second exit", is often the same as saying, "go straight through the roundabout"). What I find redeeming though about these modern oracles of geography is that when we do manage to have a misunderstanding, the system always adapts the directions instantaneously to get me back on track. In my experience, this phenomenon is pervasive to all navigation systems, so I don't mean to pick on Range Rover.

After meeting up with the Land Rover Experience blokes, I was led around a challenging section of the estate's 60km off-road course. The trail led me up and down impossibly steep gullies and across cavernous ruts. Throughout the experience, the car itself was the star of the show. In particular, I was impressed with the Hill Descent Control system, which is enhanced on the latest model with the addition of Gradient Release Control. This feature, according to Range Rover, "inhibits the initial rate of acceleration when descending very steep inclines, to increase control and reduce the alarming lurch, which can occur when braking is released at extreme angles."

In practice, Hill Descent Control brought the vehicle safely down a number of improbably steep and rutted trails, with incredible results. Hills that would have given me pause in my mountain biking days, proved no problem for the hulking SUV, as it made its way slowly down to safety. In Hill Descent mode, the driver cedes braking duties to the vehicle, which uses ABS to maintain the best possible traction while descending at a fixed rate of around 5kph. As the driver in this situation, I fought the impulse to brake, allowing the car to bring us safely to the bottom of the slope as I focused on steering around the sharper rocks. Here again, the car does a better job of looking after its passengers than the driver could on his own.

Also new to the 2010 model, and of particular note to our region, is the inclusion of Range Rover's new 'sand launch control', which keeps the wheels from digging in when starting off from soft sand.

The best got better

Overall, the 2010 Range Rover combines James Bond-worthy aesthetics with Spiderman-like performance. The car is capable of incredible off-road dexterity, and provides a pleasurable driving experience across a variety of conditions.

With the advent of so many new and improved features, greater fuel efficiency and an almost unparalleled level of brand loyalty in the Middle East, we can expect 2010 Range Rovers to be a major presence on UAE roads. Here's hoping one of those 2010 Rangeys ends up on our long-term test fleet, as this author is already keen to take another spin.

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