Having toiled in the trenches as the British equivalent to a Jeep, these days Land Rover has become the "all that-money-can-buy" machine for those who live or want to adopt the off-road adventurer role. What's more, it comes with a royal stamp of approval.
The LR4 is a mid-range Land Rover with a $60,000-plus price tag and seating for up to seven passengers. Upgrades last year included an all new powertrain, plus interior and chassis refinements. Land Rover follows up, for the 2011 model year, with enhancements to its already outstanding Terrain Response system, reconfigured option packages and a new Vision Assist Package.
On the road, the LR4's air suspension is super comfortable and you ride in roomy, luxurious cabin that's literally "fit for a king or queen." Yet, under hood and underneath, the LR4 is engineered to take on the most grueling off road travel you can imagine.
Its 5.0-litre V8 engine has a deep, diecast oil pan to take extreme tilting angles and the belt drives, alternator, air-conditioning compressor, power steering pump and starter are all waterproof. Use of 5W-20 semi-synthetic oil is recommended and it extends service intervals to 24,000 km or 12 months.
The new V8 can develop 375 hp and 375 lbs.-ft. of torque, yet still meets ultra low emissions vehicle requirements. And it can power the LR4 from zero to 100 km/h in less than eight seconds.
High torque is provided across most of the engine's speed range and this helps make the LR4 a pretty good tow vehicle. Its maximum towing capacity rating is 3500 kg, for a trailer with brakes.
The V8 is coupled to a six-speed CommandShift automatic transmission, which offers Normal, Sport and Manual shift modes. Power goes to all four wheels through an electronically controlled two-speed transfer case. The low range can be engaged while moving (below 40 km/ hour).
The LR4 comes with what's probably the most user-friendly four-wheel-drive system on the market, Land Rover's Terrain Response System (TRS).
This state-of-the-art system has five settings: Highway, Grass/ Gravel/Snow, Mud/ Ruts, Sand, and Rock Crawl. All the driver has to do is make the right selection and the system chooses the appropriate 4x4 settings and adjusts the suspension height.
New additions to TRS include Hill Start Assist and Gradient Acceleration Control, which helps maintain downhill speeds on rough or slippery terrain when Hill Descent Control isn't set. The LR4 almost drives itself.
My test Land Rover LR4 came with the HSE Lux Package ($10,800), which comes with a standard rear-view camera and headlights with LED Signature Lighting.
It also came with the new Vision Assist Package, which includes: Adaptive Front Lighting System (swivelling HID headlights), Automatic High Beam Assist, a Surround Camera System, power folding mirrors and Trailer Assist.
The made-in-U.K. Land Rover LR4 is still known in most of the world as the Land Rover Discovery. In the marketplace it competes with the likes of Acura MDX, Audi Q7, BMW X5 and the MercedesBenz GL, and where the pavement ends it's the leader.
The Looks: The tall two-box shape is mostly about function over style, yet it's distinctively Land Rover. The clamshell hood, a stepped roofline, blacked-out roof supports and side air vents in the front fenders have become signature features of the brand.
The large amount and height of the glass area and the wrap-over third side windows are additional styling traits that are common to Land Rover models. My test LR4 also came with three glass roof panels and the combined effect is an interior that fills with natural light.
The stepped-design rear hatch is a twopiece door opening with a smaller dropdown tailgate that can act as an extended loading floor.
The Inside: Passengers sit tall in the LR4 and have an expansive view of the world outside. The interior appointments are high-quality, but durable and designed for all-weather usage. Bluetooth phone connectivity is a new standard feature.
My test LR4 came with two fold-away seats in the rear that expand seating capacity to seven. While not as cosy as the other seating positions there was enough room for an adult to ride in reasonable comfort. They're a bit awkward to erect and access, but fold perfectly flat when not in use.
Safety: The Vision Assist Package includes Automatic High Beam Assist. This system automatically switches on the headlights in low light conditions and automatically switches to the low beams to avoid dazzling drivers in on-coming vehicles.
Five digital cameras make up the optional Surround Camera System and relay images to a dash mounted touch-screen. The driver has a number of view selections and can even zoom in or out. It's designed to make the LR4 easier to park, hook up a tow hitch or manoeuvre off-road.
The Drive: The air suspension in the LR4 is a great feature. Its highway ride is particularly impressive and yes, you do feel like you're floating on air. It defies the laws of physics in a corner, as the tall body stays more level than is logically possible, and it has an easy-entry/exit feature that drops the LR4 to its lowest possible ride height.
You sit tall in the driver's seat of the LR4 and a conveniently extra wide and flat window ledge is at elbow level. All-round vision is particularly good and in addition to the camera features already mentioned, the power side mirrors automatically tilt down when reversing to make it easier to see a curb or parking stall lines.
Considering its size the LR4 is a very easy vehicle to park. In addition to its good sight lines and electronic parking aids, it has a surprisingly tight turning circle that's about the same as a compact car.
The LR4 HSE has the same extra-large (36 cm/ front) four-piston calliper disc brake system as the Range Rover Sport. The stopping power is excellent and they are designed to work after being driven through deep water.
While fuel economy is not great, it's no surprise given the LR4's weight (2567 kg/5617 lb) and large displacement engine. Other than that, it's hard to fault the silky smooth 5.0-litre V8 as it's an impressively quiet and powerful performer.
The Score: A classy and technically sophisticated SUV, the Land Rover LR4 possesses exceptional offroad capability, yet it's also a pleasure to drive, or ride in, on a paved highway.
The Specs-2011 Land Rover LR4:
Trim levels: Base, HSE and HSE LUX.
Sticker Price: $59,990 to $70,790.
Power: 5.0-litre V8, 375 horsepower.
Transmission: six-speed automatic.
Fuel consumption: 17.1/11.6 L/100 km (city/ highway).
Basic Warranty: four years/80,000 km.
Powertrain Warranty: four years/80,000 km.
Rust Warranty: six years/ unlimited km.
Info: landrover.ca.
