Goodwood Test: 2021 Range Rover D350 Review

There are some test cars that, after just minutes behind the wheel, we know we won’t want to give back at the end of a few days driving. The Range Rover is one such vehicle, not simply because of the driving experience, enhanced by the new Ingenium straight-six diesel, but because of the way it makes driver and passengers feel. Comfortable, cossetted and in control of vast capability in a way that no other SUV has ever been able to match, including offerings from Rolls-Royce and Bentley.

This fourth-generation L405 has been around for nearly a decade – a replacement is due at the end of the year – but more so incorporates design cues that, for 50 years now, have represented Range Rover. The clamshell bonnet with crenellations in the leading corners, horizontal bodylines and the floating roof, plus the all-important split tailgate still make for a handsome beast even if familiarity has blunted its impact. The deftness of touch and the accents provided by the sharp LED lights don’t do much to disguise its size, however.

The straight-six diesel powering the Range Rover is one of the Ingenium family of modular engines, which includes petrol variants, and are hybrid-capable, aided here by a 48V mild system. It replaces the old V6 and V8 diesels, trumping them for both power and economy while weighing less and being much, much more efficient. Producing 350PS (257kW) and 700Nm (516lb ft) the new engine will accelerate the 2.3-tonne Range Rover to 62mph in 7.1 seconds, close to a second quicker than the V8 while also improving consumption from the low 20s to the low 30s. 

The straight-six also offers great improvements in refinement over the SDV8, which was originally developed for use in Ford pick-up trucks and although never used in those applications always retained some of their rough and ready origins. The Ingenium engine is barely heard on start-up and when idling along in traffic – only heavy throttle application betray it as an oil burner. Shifting almost imperceptibly through the eight-speed ZF automatic, progress is unruffled at all times with road, wind and tyre noise fading to a faint whispering susurrus. The feeling is enhanced by the Range Rover’s incredible ride quality courtesy of the air suspension which simply makes most road imperceptions disappear, with just a few sharper edges getting through because of the large wheels. It is genuinely exemplary beating a Rolls-Royce Ghost we had on test a few weeks later for both ride quality and body control.

Clearly, nothing weighing that much and sitting so far off the ground is ever going to be ‘sporty’ and indeed the Sports mode actually just sets up some irritating corkscrewing while not perceptibly improving anything behind the wheel. However, the combination of the serene ride, light but accurate steering and a solid wall of torque means surprisingly swift progress can be made along any road that will accept the Range Rover’s bulk. 

The Vogue SE trim level dates back around 30 years to the end of the first-generation car, but Range Rovers first began to go truly upmarket with the P38 model which followed. It would be fair to say that Range Rover has continued that trend at an accelerating pace ever since. Now every surface is swathed in leather, timber or fingerprint grabbing piano black veneer, the metal trims feel like the real deal rather than coated plastic and the heated steering wheel has a delightfully slim rim, bucking the trend of ever meatier helms. 

Driver and passengers alike will enjoy the comfort and sense of isolation the interior provides while the vast windscreen provides a feeling of being piloted around the countryside rather than driven. In Business Class of course. There is acres of space for all and equally accommodating boot which, with the seats folded down, provided ample space to recycle every single cardboard box involved in an overseas house move.

The L405 platform is now a decade old and there are limitations to how much upgrading can be done ahead of the new car launching at the end of 2021. However, JLR has made a decent fist of keeping the Range Rover up-to-date with dual screens now gracing the centre stack. Different functions can be ‘swiped’ between the screens which is a useful feature while the lower one incorporates the HVAC controls. The temperature dials serve a dual purpose; click them in and they adjust the heating and cooling of the front seats while what appear to be simple buttons on the steering wheel are actually small screens, reconfiguring dependent on mode. 

The Vogue SE model we tested also came fitted with automated terrain response; simply put the Range Rover will detect what sort of surface is under the tyres and adjust the suspension, throttle response and locking differentials accordingly. Manual control can also be taken using either the rotary dial in the centre console or the lower touchscreen. 

It may seem odd to be testing a pure diesel off-roader when such things will be consigned to history by the end of the decade but that was partly the point; a powerful but unhurried powertrain has great appeal in such applications and adds to the feeling of unstoppability. The greater refinement of the straight-six adds a great deal to the Range Rover experience elevating it yet again to heights that mean it remains truly unrivalled. There is no denying that it is an expensive experience however. Money may not be able to buy happiness but it can provide moments of serenity, starting at £96,285 OTR.