BY: TAREK HAWCHAR
Looking instantly recognizable, the 2022 Range Rover is not a radical departure from its predecessor, at least from the front end
Over the last 50 years, Land Rover only built four generations of Range Rovers, making the all-new, fifth-generation SUV for 2022 a big step forward. With the 2022 Range Rover, the British brand reached new heights of luxury, while also offered plug-in hybrid versions and seven-seat variants for the first time.
First debuted in fall 2021, the all-new fifth-generation Range Rover offers significant upgrades over its predecessor, which has been around for almost a decade. It rides on the new Land Rover’s MLA-Flex architecture, allowing the British carmaker to equip the luxury SUV with a pure combustion-engine powertrain, plug-in hybrid tech, and fully electric propulsion—though not all these options will be available at launch. The ultimate high-end SUV sports a new design that looks into the future while maintaining a link to the past while also boasting more high-tech features and luxurious amenities than the outgoing model.
The fifth-generation Range Rover comes in three styles: Standard Wheelbase, Long Wheelbase, and Long Wheelbase with Seven Seats—offering seating for four, five, or seven.
We had the chance to climb behind the wheel of the range-topping Range Rover SV version in Los Angeles, USA, and discovered what makes the new Range Rover the ultimate luxury SUV, suitable both for off-road adventures and urban highway driving.
Exterior
Looking instantly recognizable, the 2022 Range Rover is not a radical departure from its predecessor, at least from the front end, where they refreshed the grille with a new-look pattern flanked by two digital LED headlights as standard. There’s also a rectangular lower air intake at the base of the front bumper, to complete the modern look.
New highlights on the side profile include flush door handles and revised gills at the leading edge of the front doors. The range-topping SV variant has the largest available wheels—23-inches. Land Rover made the biggest changes to the rear, particularly the slim vertically slotted taillights connected by a thick black bar running the entire length of the tailgate and bearing the 'Range Rover' logo. By avoiding cuts and creases on the exterior, the fluidic design helps to reduce the drag coefficient rating to just 0.30.
As for the top-of-the-range SV variant, they offer it in a choice of “Serenity” and “Intrepid” themes. The “Intrepid” theme features Anthracite metal-plated accents with Graphite Atlas combined with the exclusive Range Rover script, while the “Serenity” theme shines in metal-plated Atlas Silver and Corinthian Bronze.
Dimensionally speaking, the new Range Rover’s Standard Wheelbase is 5052 mm long, 2047 mm wide, and 1870 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2997 mm.
A large 13.1-inch Pivo Pro infotainment screen dominates the dashboard on the new center console, featuring haptic feedback for the first time
Interior
Taking a peep inside the 2022 Range Rover, particularly into its five-seat Standard Wheelbase SV form, reveals how the new Range Rover is a worthy rival to the likes of Bentley Bentayga, Rolls-Royce Cullinan, and other upscale, ultra-luxury off-roaders.
A large 13.1-inch Pivo Pro infotainment screen dominates the dashboard on the new center console, featuring haptic feedback for the first time. There is also a 13.7-inch digital gauge cluster. At the rear, there are two 11.4-inch entertainment touchscreens.
Other key interior highlights include Amazon Alexa voice AI, a 35-speaker, 1,600-Watt Meridian sound system, over-the-air update capability, active noise cancellation, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charger, head-up display, and four-zone climate control, to name but a few.
The interior of the SV trim level benefits from 24-way adjustable semi-aniline leather seats. With the “Intrepid” theme, we can trace exclusive veneers and a Satin Black ceramic gear selector. However, the two-tone interior of the “Serenity” theme comes with Caraway Near-Aniline leather rear seats and Perlino Semi-Aniline leather front seats.
On Long Wheelbase models, the executive-class rear seats have deployable leg rests and a hot stone massage function
On Long Wheelbase models, the executive-class rear seats have deployable leg rests and a hot stone massage function. There’s also a refrigerated cool box between the rear seatbacks and a rear-seat entertainment system with dual 11.4-inch screens and an 8-inch rear-seat touchscreen controller.
The new Range Rover’s trunk can swallow up to 818 liters of luggage. However, with the second-row backrests folded flat, the cargo space is a capacious 1841 liters on the Standard Wheelbase models. The optional Tailgate Event suite adds lighting, audio features, and leather cushions to the trunk space.
On the technology front, the British automaker installed an assortment of advanced technologies into its new luxury SUV, including the ClearSight rear-view mirror. Using a rear-mounted camera, this advanced system displays a wide-angle view of the back of the vehicle right in your rear-view mirror. There is also the ClearSight Ground View tech that gives you a virtual view of the road directly in front of your front bumper and tires. Moreover, the fifth-generation Range Rover is the first to feature Power Assisted Doors with integrated hazard detection and anti-pinch safety features, along with the high-definition Digital LED Headlights providing a beam range of up to 500m.
The meatier 4.4-liter twin-turbo mill delivers 530 hp and 750 Nm of torque, allowing the luxury SUV to go from zero to 100 km/h in about 4.6 seconds with the Dynamic Launch function
Engine and Performance
Under the fresh sheet metal, the 2022 Range Rover SV is offered with the P530 V8 engine. The meatier 4.4-liter twin-turbo mill delivers 530 hp and 750 Nm of torque, allowing the luxury SUV to go from zero to 100 km/h in about 4.6 seconds with the Dynamic Launch function before hitting 250 km/h flat out.
The standard all-wheel-drive system is not always active, as the front axle disconnects between 33 and 160 km/h except in close to freezing temperatures and when traction is limited. Active rear differential and rear-wheel steering also come as standard. The latter can provide 7 degrees of steering angle at low speeds to give the new Range Rover a turning circle of 10.95m—the smallest of any vehicle that bears the Land Rover logo.
The 2.5-ton behemoth also sports an adaptive air suspension and 48-volt electronic anti-roll bars. The advanced suspension system uses navigation data to “read” the road ahead and prepare the chassis for curves.
Our Verdict
One can say that the 2022 Range Rover is an incredible all-rounder, featuring cutting-edge onboard tech, plenty of luxurious amenities, a design that is nearly as stunning and as it is sublime, and an immersive, yet dynamic driving experience. Simply put, the new Range Rover represents the pinnacle of automotive luxury.