One of the biggest complaints I have with the British automakers is a consistently pathetic navigation interface. Land Rover, Aston Martin, Bentley, and, to a lesser extent, Jaguar are saddled with infotainment systems that really trail most American, German, and Asian infotainment systems. Thankfully the 2010 Land Rovers seem to be upgrading this. I didn't get a chance to sit inside a new Range Rover at the New York auto show, but the images of the interior show a revised display for the navigation system. That should go a long way to making the interior a nicer place to spend some time.
I don't really care for the Range Rover. Functionally, it doesn't seem much different than a Land Rover LR3 (or the new 4) and I much prefer the looks of the Range Rover Sport. All three of these beasts get an upgrade to the new 5.0-liter V-8 that makes 375 hp and 375 lb-ft of torque, thanks to direct injection. I've never been blown away with the power of this 4.4-liter V-8, but as Jen Misaros points out, the power delivery is very smooth and the SUV feels very capable.
I can't wait to sample the revised Land Rover line later this year. The new vehicles are scheduled to hit dealerships in October, and we'll probably get a chance to drive one shortly before that. Just a bit more power will be nice, and direct injection might even allow a slight increase in fuel economy.
Phil Floraday, Senior Online Editor ...next page >>