Mike Harding Landrovers Blog

by Steve Colquhoun

Land Rover and Range Rover models get a facelift, including more powerful engines.

Confidence and optimism rather than doom and gloom are the hallmarks of Land Rover’s launch of its updated range of vehicles, unveiled at the New York motor show this week.

Land Rover says it is enjoying strong sales globally of its large off-roaders and expects its revised and updated Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Discovery models to continue to paddle against the prevailing economic climate.

“The (2010) model year represents a massive level of change and investment by Land Rover,” managing director Phil Popham told journalists at a UK media briefing last week ahead of the New York reveal.

“We’ve got great plans for the future and we passionately believe that one of the best ways to get the market moving again is to excite people.”

So enthused is Land Rover that design director Gerry McGovern has coined a new word to describe what sets the trio apart from their predecessors and competitors – “premiumness”.

It crops up often as he and Mr Popham strive to explain a raft of updates across Land Rover’s three flagship models – the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and renamed Discovery 4.

The headline act is the addition of two new engines – one a supercharged 5.0-litre petrol V8, the other a twin-turbo 3.0-litre diesel V6 – that each add 29 per cent more power to the range, but also deliver 6-9 per cent better fuel economy than the engines they replace, with similar reductions in emissions.

The V8 (available on Range Rover and Range Rover Sport) uses a twin-vortex Eaton supercharger to make a startling 375kW of power and 625Nm of torque, and has been engineered by the Jaguar Land Rover’s powertrain team to meet yet-to-be-implemented EU5 emission regulations.

Land Rover claims the new TDV6 engine (available on Range Rover Sport and Discovery 4) virtually eliminates the scourge of force-fed engines, turbo lag. It will deliver 180kW and 600Nm, with 500Nm available in 500 milliseconds from idle and all 600Nm flowing at 2000rpm.

Both engines will be mated to a new ZF six-speed automatic transmission, with the Range Rover Sport getting steering wheel-mounted paddleshifters for the first time.

Land Rover claims a world-first with a ‘dual view infotainment screen’ for the flagship Range Rover. This alternately hides and reveals pixels to the right and left of the screen, allowing the driver and front-seat passenger to simultaneously use the central console screen for different purposes – while the driver is following satellite navigation instructions, the passenger can be watching a DVD on the same screen

The Range Rover also gets an innovative digital instrument cluster, which the driver can customise to highlight the most relevant information. In low-speed off-road maneuvering, for example, the speedometer can be shifted to one side to give more prominence to a display of the car’s off-road systems in action.

All three models sport sharper exterior cues, with deeper chins, new grille designs and a cleaner bumper design. The fourth generation of the Discovery badge benefits the most, with a fully rebuilt interior that includes fewer buttons and switches than before and more prominent placement of an improved version of the off-road “Terrain Response” controls.

Interior upgrades on the two Range Rover models beef up the “premiumness” with revised switchgear and higher-quality materials and finishes, Mr McGovern says.

“When we talk to our customers (about Range Rover), they tell us ‘don’t change it, just make it better’, and we have to deal with that. So that’s what we have done,” he says.

Range Rover Sport customers have also driven the push towards a more exclusive interior treatment. “Our customers told us they wanted a higher level of ‘premiumness’ on the interior – they told us to make it more Range Rover-like,” he says.

“It’s a revolution because it’s a whole new interior. Everything is new. We’ve reduced the switch count to make it more intuitive. Luxury car owners don’t want complexity.”

All three models get a 360-degree camera system, which utilises five cameras that can be individually or dually viewed on the central console screen to virtually eliminate blindspots.

Continually adjustable dampers and more powerful brakes will combine for better on-road handling characteristics, Land Rover says, while off-road assistance has also been beefed up with the introduction of gradient descent control across the range.

“The 2010 model year (range) is a bold statement of intent by Land Rover, the intent to stay at the very top of the segments in which we compete,” Mr Popham says.

Prices will be announced closer to the range’s October local release, but the refreshed range will be welcome for Land Rover Australia, which has seen sales plummet by a third compared to this time last year.

This article was taken from watoday.com.au. View the original article here: http://www.watoday.com.au/executive-style/motors/new-engines-for-land-rover-20090518-baa3.html

2009 Land Rover models are selling fast, and easiy clearing the decks for the new range of vehicles, Wallis Dumper, Managing Director of Land Rover New Zealand reports:

“Customers who decide in advance what they want can protect themselves from currency fluctuations and get a car exactly to their desired specification ordered from the factory. Whilst other manufacturers strive to clear the decks, the Land Rover customers get to factory order fresh new models.”

The new range has a redesigned interior, updated exterior, and a hold of extras and new technologies that add to the environmentally friendly and usability of the vehicles. Supercharged engines are available for those that want a 5.0 litre Sport, and touch-screen information centres are installed.

With current economic situations, exchange rates and prices fluctuating, it’s not yet cleat how much the vehicles will be sold for. With demand at its current levels however, many dealers are already taking custom pre-bookings and expect them to sell well.

The June Motorexpo will see the UK debut of the new range of Land Rovers, which were launched in New York recently at their International Auto Show. The vehicles feature some advancements over previous incarnations, with a 3.0 litre diesel engine in the 2010 Range Rover Sport and the Discovery 4 delivering over 30mpg. A 5.0 litre supercharged enging is available for the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport, and all vehicles feature improved economical fuel consumption, CO2 emission reductions, changes to exterior design and redesigned interiors.

The 2010 Range Rovers also have the new 12″ TFT infotainment touch screen system, with display virtual dials and graphical displays.

Visitors to the show will also be able to see the Freelander 2 TD4_e, which the features stop/start technology that we have previously discussed on this blog, and is the most fuel-efficient of the Land Rover vehicles so far. Test drives will be available, both on regular roads and also on the artificial off-road simulator, ‘terrapod’.

Land Rover UK’s managing director John Edwards remarked, “We are extremely pleased to be returning to the London Motorexpo this year. It is well documented that our industry is experiencing extraordinary conditions at present but we must invest in the future and continue to market vehicles that are relevant, practical and above all desirable to our customers. The 2009 London Motorexpo is a unique event which offers us an ideal opportunity for showcasing our new model line-up to the British public for the first time.”

Having supported Adolfo Cambiaso and Polo for five years, Land Rover is now sponsoring the number one polo player during his first tournament in the Middle East. Adolfo is playing for the UAE team, and the competition will be attracting a range of VIP guests and polo fans.

Land Rover Managing Director Robin Colgan commented:

“We are delighted to be associated with the Desert Palm Nations Cup inaugural polo tournament which looks set to become the highlight of the Middle East and international sporting calendar. The association with such a prestigious event reiterates Land Rover’s position as a truly global brand and stems from its conviction to promote sport and a spirit of adventure at every level.”

From the Spring, Land Rover will be shipping their manual model vehicles with the eco-friendly stop-start technology that has recently been seen on a host of new car brands. Whereas this technology is ideally suited to inner city driving where frequent stops at traffic lights are encountered, Land Rover’s are found as much in cities as in the cross-country terrain, so such a development is still highly relevant.

The tecnology has been installed with care, to ensure the smooth driving experience is maintained. Changing gears to neutral and removing your foot from the clutch shuts off the engine, doing the opposite starts the engine again, with minimal noise and with optimal speed. Automatic Land Rovers have yet to get the same treatment, due to the gear change currently being used as the catalyst for the stop-start. land Rover has assured customers, however, that stop-start will be available for automatic vehicles some time in the future, they just need some additional development time.

Built-in extras include a dashboard addition with helpful alerts and instructions (which can be turned off if they become irritating) and a safety cutout that means the system won’t cut in if the engine is too cold or there’s limited battery power. The vehicles also continue to handle excellently off-road, with the stop-start technology not interfering in any way with their smooth road handling.

Overall, Land Rover have taken excellent steps in incorporating eco-friendly technology into their vehicles, indicating they will be making the effort to adapt their Land Rovers as best they can to new environmentally friendly goals.

The Abbey Charitable Trust’s Teeside Community Partnership Group has donated a Land Rover 110 Defender to the members of the Riding for the Disabled Association Unicorn Centre. Members’ mobility will be vastly improved by the donation, allowing them to tow the horse trailers and also provide transportation for disabled riders to lessons, shows and holidays.

“Abbey is delighted to be able to support this very worthwhile charity by donating this new Land Rover,” said Janet Watkins from the Abbey. “I know it will make a huge difference to the centre and to many riders who will now be able to compete all over the country.”

Centre manager Claire Pitt said: “We are so grateful. The Land Rover is very important to the centre. We will use it to tow our horse trailer to and for the weekly riding lessons we provide for children with special needs at Priory Woods School in Middlesbrough.

“We will also use it for transporting riders taking part in our riding holidays and even more for mundane things such as collecting feed and equipment.”

Engineers at JE Engineering have supercharged a Defender to produce 460bhp of power, accommodating a Jaguar V8 engine amongst the tranmission system and new ceramic brakes to ensure the vehicle will actually stop once it’s going. The Head of Communications at JE Engineering, Colin Musgrove, commented:

“The technical ingenuity and craftsmanship of the English Midlands is legendary. For over 30 years JE have flown the flag for that heritage in Coventry, the cradle of the British Motor Industry. The “Zulu” illustrates what we can do to promote British Motor Engineering, even in the face of world recession. Yes, the Supercharged “Zulu” is outrageous! Yes, they are intended primarily as extreme fun vehicles to draw attention to the fact that JE and others like us can and will continue to keep alive the proud traditions of British engineering. However, the “Zulu” is the precursor of diesel and hybrid versions which are intended for fast-response vehicles in extreme terrain. So you see, the “Zulu” has a great deal of method in its madness!”

NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 26 /PRNewswire/ — Land Rover North America announced this weekend during its annual Retailer Breakfast Meeting at the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) convention in New Orleans, that the company reached a historic milestone recently when a Range Rover Sport Supercharged became the company’s 500,000th vehicle sold in the United States. The Range Rover Sport was sold by Land Rover Cerritos, a retailer in Southern California.

“Reaching this milestone demonstrates the strength of the Land Rover brand and is a result of a dedicated and passionate retailer network,” said Chris Marchand, Executive Vice President, Marketing and Sales, Land Rover North America. “The Land Rover model line-up has undergone a complete revitalization and reaching this achievement shows the growth we have experienced over the past four years. It took us ten years to sell the first 100,000 vehicles and we have sold the last 100,000 since July of 2006.”

Land Rover North America began retailing vehicles on March 16, 1987, importing its first Range Rover into the United States and single-handedly creating the luxury sports utility vehicle segment. The company reached its first major milestone of 100,000 vehicles sold by September 1997 and 250,000 vehicles by December 2002.

Land Rover is currently celebrating its 60th anniversary globally and offers an outstanding vehicle line-up that includes the highly acclaimed Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Land Rover LR3 and Land Rover LR2.

Since 1948 Land Rover has been manufacturing authentic 4×4s that represent true ‘breadth of capability’ across the model range. Defender, LR2 (Freelander 2), LR3 (Discovery 3), Range Rover Sport and Range Rover each define the world’s 4×4 sectors, with 78% of this model range exported to over 140 countries. Land Rover employs 8,500 people and supports a further 40,000 jobs supported in the supply chain.

Land Rover takes its responsibility to the environment seriously. Emissions have been cut with all new models and, together with Jaguar, it is investing British Pounds Sterling 700m on technology specifically aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Also, since September 2006, carbon dioxide generated by Land Rover manufacturing activities and UK customer vehicle use has been balanced through an industry leading offset program run by Climate Care.

Land Rover has approached agencies regarding its global advertising account, which is currently held by RKCR/Y&R, a WPP agency.

It is not known if the discussions will also affect below-the-line agency Wunderman, or media agency MindShare, both also under the WPP umbrella.

It is unclear whether or not Land Rover will call an official review. Mark Foster, Land Rover corporate affairs manager: ‘Our global creative account has been with Y&R since 2000 and we have no plans to put out the account for pitch, but as usual we will evaluate all agency arrangements to make sure we are getting the best quality and value for money.’

Business secretary Lord Mandelson is currently holding talks with Tata, the India-based owner of Land Rover and Jaguar about a £1bn support deal. The talks are part of wider discussion with the Treasury on a package to assist the car industry. Tata bought Land Rover and Jaguar from Ford in June of last year, spending £1.15bn.

Land Rover suffered dwindling car sales in 2008, with sales down 30% year on year. 46,552 new Land Rover models were sold in 2007 compared with 32,567 in 2008, according to the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

Taken from brandrepublic.com

Government Digby Jones passed over a Toyota for a Jaguar recently, winning the repect of motorists by showing his support for the vehicle company.
As a reward for his show of support, Lord Jones is being awarded a paid position as Corporate Ambassador for Jaguar Land Rover, although he has insisted that he will not be lobbying ministers regarding financial assistance for the company - something they have been discussing for some time.

A spokesman commented that: “Digby is a great ambassador for the car industry, for the West Midlands and for British business. We have similar arrangements with a number of sportspeople and figures from the world of showbusiness.”

Representatives for the motor industry are due to meet with the Business Secretary soon regarding securing loans to see auto companies through the economic downturn.