Range Rover Buying Guide
First unveiled in 1970, the original Range Rover created a new sector in the SUV market with a more refined and luxurious way to travel both on road and off. Over the past 50 years, the Range Rover has evolved to become a status symbol that all other luxury vehicles are compared to. The brand name has become such a success that it has spurned additional models such as the Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Velar and Range Rover Evoque. Now that Autumn is firmly underway with the weather turning colder and seemingly more stormy each day, demand for SUV’s increases dramatically at this time of year. With a new model of Range Rover and Range Rover Sport launched last year, that has seen some facelift engine and trim level options already, as well as facelifts to the Velar and Evoque models within the past 12 months, we thought it was a good time to produce a Range Rover buying guide for those looking to experience the iconic brand for the first time, or perhaps looking for your next Range Rover purchase.
Range Rover
The Range Rover line up, like most other vehicles, is categorised into both trim levels and engine sizes, with many interchangeable iterations depending upon your level of power requirements mixed with trim levels and luxuriousness. In the current range these start at the SE level of trim, then HSE, Autobiography and the SV model sitting at the top of the sumptuousness scale. For extra luxuriousness, the Autobiography and SV (for Special Vehicles) models are also available in both standard wheelbase and the limousine-like long wheelbase version. This simplifies the previous generation variations which ranged from Vogue, Vogue SE, Westminster, Autobiography, SVAutobiography Dynamic and SV Autobiography LWB.
Being the pinnacle of the Land Rover line up, the latest Range Rover offers a plethora of standard features, even on base trim models, and an extensive amount of optional features to specify your vehicle with everything you’d ever need, and some you probably never even imagined. Vehicles from the SE upwards are equipped with soft close doors, 3D surround camera, Adaptive cruise control, Lane keep assist, Pixel LED headlights, Panoramic sunroof, 20-way heated electric seats and much more. Opt for the range-topping SV long wheelbase model and you can choose options such as the SV signature suite with executive class comfort plus seating and leather Club tables, Tailgate event suite with leather cushions, SV bespoke ultra-metallic satin-finish paintwork, 23” forged wheel options, a ‘curated choice’ of SV veneers and finishes and much more.
Engine Choices
To make things simpler still when choosing the power for your Range Rover, engines across the Land Rover and Range Rover (and Jaguar for that matter) are now distinguishable by a P for petrol or a D for Diesel and if a Hybrid variant will also have a lower case ‘e’ at the end. They also handily signify the power output of the car in BHP, with Petrol offerings being the P400, P530 and the new P615, Diesel engines being available in a D300 and D350 and the Hybrid models as a P460e (up from 440bhp) and P550e (up from 510bhp).
Obviously the higher the number the more power and the larger the engine in the vehicle, however some of the performance statistics are fairly surprising considering the size and mass of the vehicles. Models equipped with the P615 benefit from a 4.4 litre twin-turbo petrol engine that accelerates the car from 0-62mph in a brisk 4.5 seconds, considerable performance for such a large car. However, even more surprising may be the figures for the P550e petrol-hybrid engine. In Autobiography trim the 3.0 litre 550bhp hybrid petrol engine manages to accelerate the car from 0-62mph in just 5.0 seconds, yet even more astonishing is the manufacturer claimed figures of up to 367mpg.
In any trim, the Range Rover is the pinnacle of the Land Rover line-up and a vehicle that has long been the yardstick that other luxury SUVs are compared to. The new model has raised the game in terms of both grandeur and design and continues to ensure that the Range Rover brand remains at the very top of the tree for luxury motoring, and one that is still capable of conquering any terrain you may come across.
Price
As you would expect, the ‘full size’ Range Rover isn’t cheap, but then again if you’re looking for the ultimate in luxury, refinement and off-road capability you wouldn’t expect it to be either. The least expensive model, an SE specification car with the D300 engine and no options selected starts at £103,720, and currently has an expected wait of 12-18 months for the car to arrive. At the other end of the range, the SV specification starts at £161,500 for the P550e petrol-hybrid and rises to £191,860 for the long wheelbase P615 flagship model. As you would expect at this price, many of the extensive options are already included, however if you are looking to include things such as Icy White satin finish paint, an alternative option of 23″ forged wheels, a curated SV Intrepid interior scheme with the rear picnic tables, event seating to the boot area and a few more additional luxuries, you could see that rise to almost £240,000. All that before you’ve spoken to Range Rover’s in-house SV department to see what truly bespoke options you can include.
Range Rover Sport
The Range Rover Sport, like its Range Rover sibling, has recently undergone an overhaul, bringing new levels of dynamism and sporting luxuriousness to the popular variation of the brand. Like its sibling, the Range Rover Sport features cleaner lines and a more modern appearance, coupled with the muscular stance and driver focussed interior that the sportiest model in the range provides.
Model choices in the line up follow a similar more simplified system to the Range Rover with the latest model being available as an SE, Dynamic SE or Autobiography trim, as well as the newly introduced Range Rover Sport SV which is currently only available in Edition One specification. The flagship SV replaces the previous SVR and starts at a not inconsiderable £185,360 before you’ve had a play with the options list. The previous generation line up included the HSE, HSE Dynamic, Autobiography Dynamic, HST and then the SVR variant.
Engine Choices
Engine choices are the same as the Range Rover with the petrol P400, Diesel engines being available in a D300 and D350 and the Hybrid models as a P460e and P550e. The addition of the flagship SV model has also brought a P635 4.4-litre V8 engine to the line up. For those looking for economy, the D300 offers up to 37mpg while those performance minded will enjoy the P635 with its 0-62mph time of an incredible 3.6 seconds. For the best of both, the P460e offers a 0-62mph time of just 5.3 seconds yet returns a very impressive maximum range of 380mpg, while the P550e gives similar figures of 4.7 seconds and 378mpg respectively. The previous generation Range Rover sport came with either a 3.0 V6 diesel engine with 306bhp or a 4.4 V8 with 339bhp, a 2.0 petrol with 300bhp, 5.0 V8 with 525bhp or in the SVR 575bhp, or a 2.0 petrol hybrid model with 400bhp.
As with the Range Rover, the Sport is available in the same array of sumptuous leather interiors, multi-layer satin or ultra-metallic paint finishes or finest wood interior veneers, however being the Sport it also offers options such as forged carbon fibre interior finishers, 23” SV Bespoke wheels with carbon fibre inserts an configurable on-road and off-road dynamic and terrain response systems.
Price
The Range Rover Sport has always been slightly less expensive than the ‘full-size’ Range Rover, representing a more dynamic alternative yet with similar levels of luxury and refinement to the interior. The cheapest model in the line up is the Range Rover Sport SE with the D300 diesel engine, the only engine available with this trim level, and starts at £83,620. As a comparison, the flagship SV model in Edition One specification starts at £185,360, however this includes as standard the satin finish ultra-metallic paint, carbon ceramic brakes, carbon fibre duo-tone 23″ wheels, twill carbon fibre satin exterior trim and more at a cost of almost £14,000 for the full package. Keep this pack and choose some additional options such as deployable side steps, a deployable tow bar, a remote garage door opener and even a personal customer handover experience and you will be very close to £200,000. The SV Edition One has currently had so much interest that the whole allocation has been spoken for, so potential buyers of the flagship SV will have to wait for an alternative version to become available to market.
Range Rover Velar
The Velar sits between the Range Rover/Range Rover Sport models and the Evoque (see below) and offers a stylish alternative for those looking for the perfect lifestyle Range Rover variant. Originally rumoured to have had style input from Victoria Beckham, the Velar was launched as the ‘avant-garde’ Range Rover combining the looks of the Range Rover and the athleticism of the Range Rover Sport with an elegant appearance and a more designer style inside and out.
The Velar has had a mid-life facelift and as such has had an overhaul of the available range. Gone is the confusion between standard and sportier R-Dynamic options each having their own sub-options, now replaced with a much simpler choice of Velar S, Dynamic SE, Dynamic HSE and the flagship Autobiography. Previous models included the Velar, Velar S, and Velar SE, and the sportier R-Dynamic range including the R-Dynamic S, R-Dynamic SE and R-Dynamic HSE. Then there was the ‘Editions’ range which consisted of the ‘Velar Edition’ with Black Pack exterior styling, roof, wheels and more included as standard, and the HST version which Range Rover said was ‘all about high performance’.
Earlier versions also included the range-topping SV Autobiography Dynamic Edition combining the 5.0 supercharged V8 petrol engine taken from the Range Rover Sport SVR with enhanced levels of comfort, luxury and standard equipment usually found in the most expensive of full-size Range Rovers. With less than 250 sold in the UK, this rare vehicle is not a common sight on the roads, however it may offer the perfect blend of style and performance without the attention that a Range Rover or Range Rover Sport SVR may attract.
Engine Choices
Engine choices follow the simpler naming hierarchy as the rest of the Range Rover variants, with the petrol choices coming as a P250 or P400, the diesel as D200 or D300 and the hybrid engine as a P400e. This line up seemingly has something for everyone, with the frugal D200 offering up to 44mpg, the powerful P400 accelerating from 0-62mph in just 5.2 seconds and the impressive P400e hybrid providing the best of both worlds with a 0-62mph time of just 5.1 seconds and a possible 152mpg on offer.
Price
The Velar sits in the middle of the range in terms of price with the Velar S available with the D200 diesel engine from £54,105. At the top of the range sits the Autobiography which starts at £76,560 for the D300 engine specification and rises to £80,030 for the P400 petrol version. However, if you get ‘click happy’ with the options list and with optional extras such as premium palette paint, configurable dynamics, the extreme cold climate pack, towing pack and extended activity pack, and you will find your Velar rising to in excess of £94,000. Velar waiting times have come down quite a bit and you are currently looking at a 3-6 month wait for the petrol or diesel engines, or up to 12 months for the P400e hybrid model.
Range Rover Evoque
The ‘baby’ of the Range Rover line up and the cheapest way to get yourself into the Range Rover brand with prices starting at just over £34,000. Despite being the smallest Range Rover, there is no compromise with the promise of the famous Land Rover off-road capability as well as on-road performance and refinement. In a world of generic looking SUVs flooding the market mostly to spend their days in the city or trips to the shops, its nice to know that Range Rover did not sell their soul when it came to their idea of a compact SUV.
As with the Velar, the Evoque comes with the same four models to the range, with the S, Dynamic SE, Dynamic HSE and Autobiography replacing the much more confusing previous line up. Before the recent facelift the Evoque range consisted of two main ranges, the ‘standard’ variants and the sportier R-Dynamic models. Standard versions include the Evoque and the Evoque S, while the R-Dynamic models include the R-Dynamic, R-Dynamic S, R-Dynamic SE and R-Dynamic HSE. As with the Velar there was also the ‘Editions’ range of models to include the Evoque Edition (based on the Evoque S but with sportier touches), Evoque HST (the high-performance version) and the Evoque Autobiography (based on the R-Dynamic HSE but with enhanced luxuriousness both inside and out).
Engine Choices
The engine line up follows the P and D prefix for the petrol and diesel engines and are available as a P200 or P250 petrol engine variant, a D165 and D200 diesel variant or as a P300e petrol-electric hybrid. Figures range from up to 43mpg with the D165 for those focussed on economy, to a 0-62mph time of 7.0 seconds in the P250 for those looking for performance. As usual the hybrid P300e offers the best of both worlds with a 0-62mph time of just 6.1 seconds and up to 193mpg as well as an all-electric range of up to 38 miles.
Price
The cheapest model in the Range Rover line up starts at £40,080 for the Evoque S with the D165 diesel engine, and interestingly also comes with a manual gearbox, the only Range Rover model you can buy with one fitted. The range-topping Evoque Autobiography starts at £57,570 with the D200 diesel engine and rises to £60,440 if you require the P300e petrol plug-in hybrid model. With the addition of premium palette paintwork, a Black exterior pack, or Bronze painted roof (yes really), the towing pack, comfort pack, extended pet pack and also upgrading your sound system, the Evoque can come in at just under £70,000.
Range Rover Finance
At Oracle Car Finance we finance more Range Rovers than any other vehicle. If you are looking at purchasing any of the above vehicles, our expert team have over 18 years’ experience in sourcing tailored car finance products, including these models mentioned above. Whatever type of car you’re looking for, you can get in touch with us either by calling 0800 012 6666 or clicking here.
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