Range Rover: 'roughing it' in utter luxury

Jun. 17—There's no one better at crafting luxurious sport-utility vehicles than British carmaker Land Rover. Driving that point home is the company's range-topping 2023 Range Rover.

Fully redesigned for the 2022 model year, the Range Rover rolled into the current model year largely unchanged, save for the addition of a plug-in hybrid model. The redesign's major upgrades included a choice of powerful turbocharged six- and eight-cylinder engines, four-wheel steering and the addition of a legitimate three-row long-wheelbase model to compete with the larger offerings from Cadillac, Jeep, BMW and others.

The Range Rover has come a long way from the iconic two-door that first appeared on our shores roughly a half-century ago and played a major role in creating the premium sport-ute segment. Its solid off-road abilities were accompanied by an at-times comically contrarian layout of cabin instrumentation and controls. It was funky and unique, which in an odd way added to its charms.

And while a small touch of that go-your-own-way design and engineering lives on to the current day, the new Range Rover is, from stem to stern, a thoroughly modern beast, and one that continues to set the bar for its segment.

The 2023 Range Rover is available in either a standard-wheelbase (SWB) or long-wheelbase (LWB) configuration, the latter of which can accommodate a third-row bench, thus bumping the passenger count to seven. There are three powertrains to choose from, as well: a base turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 (395 horsepower and 406 foot-pounds of torque), a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 (523 horsepower and 553 foot-pounds of torque), and a new-for-2023 plug-in hybrid system matched with the turbocharged V-6 (434 horsepower and 457 foot-pounds of torque) that reportedly will provide up to 48 miles of electric-only travel per charge.

All models come standard with Land Rover's off-roading Terrain Response 2 4X4 system and a smooth-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission.

Trim levels number three: SE, Autograph and top-of-the-line SV — with prices starting north of 100 grand for the nicely equipped SE-trimmed SWB. The long list of standard equipment includes four-wheel steering, adjustable air suspension, a hands-free rear liftgate, automatic-deploying door handles, leather upholstery, premium Meridian audio, 21-inch alloy wheels, panoramic sunroof, three-zone automatic climate control, front and second-row heated seats, a 13.1-inch infotainment touch-screen interface, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity, and a long list of safety-sensing and collision-avoidance systems.

Ascending through the Autograph and SV trim levels adds bigger wheels, seat ventilation, front-seat massage, an enhanced Meridian audio system, rear-seat entertainment, upgraded leather upholstery, a refrigerated front-console storage bin, and more.

Our SE-trimmed LWB tester's $135,000 base price included the blown eight-cylinder engine, a pair of power-reclining second-row captain's chairs, keyless entry and ignition with proximity sensing, four-zone climate control, power-folding third-row seats, Hilkl Launch Assist, electronic active differential and more.

The out-the-door price ballooned to $153,225 thanks to more than a half-dozen four-figure options, the dearest of which were a $3,500 set of SV-spec 23-inch alloy wheels, the $2,000 Technology Package (heads-up display, ClearSight rear view mirror and 110-volt household outlet), $1,950 each for a Tailgate-Event Suite with leather cushions and a lovely Batumi Gold paint job, and $1,850 each for upgraded leather trim and the Premium Upgrade Interior Package (special carpeted floormats, illuminated metal tread plates and bespoke leather upgrade).

Toss in the bigger Meridian sound system, the refrigerated storage console, some pixel-LED headlights, a heated steering wheel and delivery, and you're left with a whole lot of luxury and a large check to write.

A lot of full-size, off-road-ready sport utes claim to deliver lap-of-luxury performance, but none in my experience can match the silken, cloudlike ride and outright hustle of Land Rover's flagship vehicle. The turbo-eight engine delivers copious power in a linear fashion with a barely noticeable amount of lag. Able to pass the 60 mph mark in a reported 4.3 seconds, it's also faster than any 3-ton SUV has any right to be. The price for this, of course, is lousy fuel economy. Our observed 16.8 mpg combined fuel economy lagged the EPA's 18 mpg combined estimate.

Last year's comprehensive redo resulted in a Range Rover that outwardly bears unmistakable similarities with the previous generation, but still feels like a sophisticated exercise in Zen-like simplicity that forgoes the bulges, creases and needless extravagances of competitors. The lush interior likewise has a minimalist look and feel, with the majority of vehicle settings and infotainment controls operated via the center stack's large touch-screen interface. Only the climate controls (operated by a pair of push-pull rotary knobs that took a bit of getting used to) and terrain-management selector interrupted the spare and — again — simple dash layout.

Handling is about what one might expect in such a heavy and tallish vehicle. There's a fair amount of body roll through hard corners, amplified by the pillow-soft suspension tuning. That written, the Range Rover goes about its business in a regal and predictable manner. The four-wheel steering system also makes maneuvering in tight spots — be they grocery store parking lots or dense backwoods trails — surprisingly easy.

Front- and second-row passengers will find ample room to stretch out and watch the world outside drift silently by. The third row is on the tight side for adults, though. The long-wheelbase model's 8.7 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row might seem paltry; fold the rear two rows, though, and volume swells to nearly 93 cubic feet. Properly equipped, a V-8-powered Range Rover is rated to tow up to 7,716 pounds.

JOHN COLE reviews automobiles for The Times-Tribune. When he's not driving cars he's driving the pen behind Times-Tribune editorial cartoons. Contact him at johncoletoons@gmail.com.