First look at the new Range Rover in South Africa

The first unit of the new Range Rover has landed in South Africa to complete local homologation procedures before the flagship SUV goes on sale towards the third quarter of the year.

A total of 19 individual models will be introduced to the country, spanning two specification grades and three engine options.

When it goes on sale later in the year, the new Range Rover will have a starting price of R2.86 million for the standard wheelbase D350 HSE model.

South African specifications

Locally, the new Range Rover will be offered in HSE and Autobiography specifications, as well as a “First Edition” model that will be sold for the first year of production.

“The First Edition is based on the Autobiography and will be available exclusively in a Sunset Gold Satin finish, among a choice of five other exterior colours,” said Range Rover.

Both the standard-wheelbase (SWB) and long-wheelbase (LWB) models can then be optioned with four or five seats, while the LWB has an optional third row of seats available for a total of seven.

The entire range sits on the company’s “MLA-Flex” architecture, which is also designed to accommodate the fully-electric model that will come to market after 2024.

Powertrain options for the new Range Rover in South Africa comprise the D350, P530, and P510e range-extender hybrid options.

The D350-badged vehicles are fitted with a 3.0-litre, straight-six, turbo-diesel motor producing 257kW and 700Nm, sending the heavy SUV to 100km/h in 6.1 seconds.

The P530 models see a 4.4-litre, V8, turbo-petrol motor with parallel turbocharging technologies, putting out 390kW and 750Nm, which allows the SUV to reach 100km/h in 4.6 seconds when Dynamic Launch mode is engaged.

As part of the Land Rover’s “Reimagine” electrification strategy, the P510e will also be on offer, featuring a 375kW, 3.0-litre, six-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine paired with a 105kW electric motor powered by a 38.2kWh battery.

This setup gives the Range Rover 113km of “near-silent pure-electric driving”, as well as a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 5.6 seconds.

“All powertrains are driven through a smooth and responsive eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox and twin-speed transmission, which provide a set of low-range ratios essential for towing or off-road driving when more control is required,” said Range Rover.

Range Rover launch

TopAuto was invited to the unveiling of the new Range Rover and in its dark grey exterior tone, the SUV was a sight to behold.

It’s an imposing, monolithic vehicle with a modern and elegant design that looks both futuristic and timeless.

Even though this particular vehicle was a pre-production model and we were warned that a few fixtures might be out of place because of this, it was as solid and well put together as any of its production-ready predecessors.

While the exterior of the car was spectacular, the interior is where the manufacturer truly took its flagship model to the next level.

The LWB Autobiography’s seats rival the comfort of the most luxurious leather couch, with massaging, backrest tilting, heating, and electronic headrest adjustment built into every individual chair at the front and rear.

Between the rear seats, a control hub with powered tilt operation allows rear passengers control over nearly the entire cabin, while the door-integrated window controls provide additional buttons for each rear passenger to operate the side sunshades, sunroof, reading lights, cabin lights, and both rear windows.

Range Rover headsets and HDMI ports are provided, too, enhancing the plentiful connectivity and comfort options.

Intense improvements also took place in the boot of the Range Rover, which now features “Sports Arena” seating.

This sees the dual-level boot open up to form a carpet-covered bench with integrated backrests and cupholders, while the upper-boot door functions as a roof with built-in, phone-operated speakers affording two hours of playtime and additional reading lights when the SUV is turned off.

This is the perfect setup for when the vehicle’s owner wants to “sit and watch a Polo game next to the field,” said the Range Rover spokesman taking me around the SUV.

He also said the SUV features the quietest cabin in its class, thanks to an array of noise-canceling sensors, four of which are located in each individual wheel hub.

Furthermore, I was informed that the new Range Rover is equipped with an adaptive suspension system that works in conjunction with the navigation system to predictively adjust the damping rate for upcoming obstacles in the road.

If it senses a turn, steep incline, or irregularity is ahead, it will adjust the suspension system accordingly to ensure its passengers always experience maximum comfort levels.

Additionally, the premium SUV comes with adaptive LED headlights that are capable of “blacking out” up to 16 individual areas to avoid blinding oncoming traffic while still keeping the brights on and the road illuminated for the driver.