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The fact that in the 40-year history of the Range Rover there have only been four generations shows just how important the new model is to Land Rover, and how important it is to get it right.
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Clearly the Land Rover crew were taking no chances with the media launch either, opting for a location that offered a balanced combination of dirt tracks, rocky terrain, desert running and mountain roads. Plus for good measure some jaw dropping scenery.
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That would be Morocco then, where stunning beaches, the Atlas Mountains, quaint rural villages and a little bit of Marrakech would combine to make sure there was little space left on my Canon. That plus the new Range Rover, the covers of which – after a very hair raising journey in a small plane from Madrid – were thrown off on the first of our three day sojourn.
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In all honesty I didn’t think much of the new Range Rover when I first saw the official pictures. The boxy, straight-edges of the ‘classic’ Range Rover (a look I feel was an indelible part of the previous model’s DNA, and not just because I happen to own one) are long gone, replaced with smooth, more elegant body lines.
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But here in the flesh underneath the Moroccan sun, I’m fast changing my mind. Yes, a certain ruggedness has been lost but the fourth gen model is still imposing, with an air of aggression about the new design and a crafted look to the headlights akin to a glare. ‘Modern’ does not necessarily mean ‘soft’.
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There are significant changes on the inside too, and I don’t just mean a new clock and elongated windscreen wiper switches. The interior is a thing of beauty. The new aluminium body has also allowed the Land Rover engineers to give more legroom in the cabin, the finish of the veneer trim and leather upholstery is incredible, and input from the marque’s sister company Jaguar mean seats front and back are now both more comfortable and adjustable than previously.
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You still sit bolt upright as part of the Range Rover’s Command Driving Position, and as such the impression of towering above other motorists has been retained. At the same time though, the seats have been set lower in the cabin, making you feel much closer to the mechanics of the drive.
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There is one thing needling me though, and that’s the rotary dial which replaces the gear lever. As an accompaniment to the new luxury cabin – which really could hold its own against the likes of Bentley – it makes a lot of sense, but I do wonder if it also lets down the ethos of Land Rover: the dial doesn’t say ‘rugged’ in the same way a hefty gear lever does.
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That’s not to say the Land Rover DNA has been swept under the rug. The new, more modern model is certainly not style over substance, as several hours dune bashing demonstrated. As well as the trusty four-wheel drive transfer case and a myriad of updated driver assistance systems, the new Range Rover comes with new Two-channel Dynamic Response, which helps control the lean of the vehicle.
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That, plus a wider stance and lower centre of gravity, make a big difference when you’re scaling sizeable inclines at a variety of different angles. Less bulk to haul around has a massive impact too.
