2006 Land Rover Range Rover Preview

Super-Potent SUV

Land Rover supercharges its stately and sumptuous Range Rover. With 400 horsepower and improved handling, it's now as fast as it is luxurious.

Back in the late 1980s, when the SUV boom was just beginning to spark, Land Rover began importing its full-size Range Rover, which was the first luxury SUV to be sold in this country. Critics marveled at its off-road prowess and praised its upscale accommodations, but questioned whether the market was ready for what was essentially a costly truck. It would, however, quickly become a status symbol and spawn many luxury SUV competitors.

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The Range Rover is only in its third generation despite having been around for more than three decades. The current platform dates back to the 2003 model year. It boasts some significant updates for 2006. A new supercharged engine makes it the most powerful Land Rover ever, while added amenities uphold its status as, arguably, the most luxurious SUV on the planet.

The top-of-the-line Range Rover Supercharged, as the name denotes, comes with a 4.2-liter supercharged V8 that generates an impressive 400 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. This makes it as potent — at least on paper — as such sports cars as the Chevrolet Corvette and Maserati GrandSport, though it trails the class-leading Porsche Cayenne Turbo SUV by 50 hp. Lighter sports cars with tighter suspensions such as the Corvette can easily outperform the Range Rover Supercharged, but it does accelerate quickly thanks to the monster motor.

For 2006, the standard Range Rover HSE's 4.4-liter V8 gets a power boost to 305 hp, up from 282 hp. Both engines offer slightly better fuel economy than did the previous V8, though they're hardly miserly at an estimated 13 miles per gallon in the city and 18 mpg on the highway for the supercharged V8 and 14 mpg city/18 mpg highway for the base V8. (See our standard equipment and specs page for more information.)

A new six-speed automatic transmission is standard and automatically adapts its shifting patterns to a motorist's driving style; it also includes a manual-shift mode. The new Range Rover has a revised height-adjustable air suspension that helps smooth out the ride no matter how harsh the trail or how deep the pothole.

Steering and braking performance have also been improved. A full range of chassis-control systems like Dynamic Stability Control and Hill Descent Control continue across the line and enhance the vehicle's performance and handling both on and off-road.

For all of the improvements over the years that have made Range Rovers more luxurious and handle better on pavement, few passenger vehicles are as capable off road. Land Rovers' prowess over rough terrain is legendary and the luxury laden Range Rover is no exception.

Exterior updates for 2006 include a restyled front grille, bumper, headlamps, tail lamps, side vents and wheels. The Supercharged model adds a mesh front grille and side vents, larger 20-inch alloy wheels and special black-on-silver badges.

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The plush interior is quieter than before, with a truck-load of standard features all swathed in lush leathers and elegant woods, the design of which was influenced by speedboats and ocean-racing yachts. Sitting inside a Range Rover, the ostentation and sheer sense of luxury is palpable. Flat-finished wood trim in the center dash is particularly pleasing and diverges from the shiny over-lacquered veneers in most luxury vehicles.

Added features for 2006 include a standard tire-pressure monitoring system and a standard rear-view video monitor, which can be especially handy for parallel parking. Sirius satellite radio and a rear-seat DVD entertainment system with dual screens — one mounted in the back of each front-seat headrest — are new options.

The supercharged model adds premium leather upholstery, upgraded front brakes by brake experts Brembo, adaptive front headlights that swivel to illuminate the road around curves, heated front and rear seats, heated steering wheel and a ski sack integrated into the rear center armrest. This version also offers two exclusive colors, Buckingham Blue and Alveston Red, along with optional Grand Black Lacquer wood trim.