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You're just going to have to take my word for it: The new 2010 LR4 is significantly improved over the previous LR3. You certainly can't tell from the external view since the only cue to the upgrade is the kind of headlight/grille/bumper modification Ford used to trot out for the Crown Victoria's supposed full model grade. Oh, sure, the fenders are now body-coloured and the grille is completely new, not to mention that there's new LED driving lights and tail lights à la Audi. But none of that warrants an upgrade of the Land Rover's alphanumeric digit. It's certainly not the complete external remake the LR3 boasted over the old Discovery.
What does merit the upgrade in the LR4's pretensions, says Land Rover, is what's under the hood, essentially the same 5.0-litre V8 that powers the very latest Jaguars. Land Rover's press material for the new AJ-V8 notes all manner of esoteric improvements such as dry-fill lubricant coated oil pump bits, light viscosity 5W-20 synthetic lubricant and a reverse-direction cooling system that warms the engine more quickly, all improvements made in the name of better fuel economy and reduced emissions.
None of this matters a whit, of course. When considering a $59,990 luxury sport-ute, details such as "class-leading, low-friction design features" are simply a cure for post-recession insomnia. Flooring the throttle, however, on the new LR4's 375 horsepower is much more exciting. Further fortified with 375 pound-feet of torque (up 19% from the LR3, while horsepower is up 25%), the LR4 is all but as quick off the mark as last year's top-of-the-range supercharged Range Rover Sport. Land Rover claims a zero-to-100-kilometres-an-hour acceleration time of 7.9 seconds, not a number that threatens the Lamborghini Gallardos of the world, but it's sprightly considering the LR4 weighs in at a very Cadillac Escalade-like 2,646 kilograms.
An eight-second naught-to-100 time may not impress Porsche 911 or even Cayenne Turbo owners, but the sophistication of the new jointly
developed powertrain certainly will. Setting new standards for smoothness and civility in this segment, the 5.0L is smooth enough to waft a Jaguar along, which means it's more than civil enough for an off-roading brute such as the LR4. Indeed, the big V8's complete lack of
vibration or harshness is equal to that of many a luxury sedan.
All that extra torque is part of the reason for the new-found calm of the cabin. Torquier engines require less rpm for decent acceleration and fewer revs mean less commotion, so the LR4 never sounds harried even when it's in a hurry. One would be silly to buy the LR4 just for its 7.9-second zero-to-100-km/h acceleration time, but that quickness does mean the big V8 has a massive reserve of power and never really has to work very hard in everyday driving. Passing, for instance, barely sees the big V8 draw a deep breath.
Exemplary as it may be, the addition of a new engine doesn't alone deserve a new model designation. But the complete remodelling of the LR4's interior does. The interior, especially the dashboard design, materials and gauges were the LR3's Achilles heel; it lacked the distinction and upper crust appearance that makes its sister ship, the Range Rover, such a standout.
The LR4's centre dashboard, for instance, is not nearly as industrial as the LR3's. Gone is the plasticky air conditioning/radio control housing, replaced by leather and a touch of wood. The dash is no longer slab-sided with a bit more shape to its upper dashboard. It's worth noting as well that the Land Rover's switchgear is uncomplicated, despite having the multi-mode Terrain Response system on board. Compared with the ergonomic nightmare that was the Discovery, the LR4 is quite pleasant indeed.
There's also, à la Nissan, a surround camera system that offers a 360-degree view around the vehicle provided by five lenses (one in each side mirror, two in the front bumper and one facing rearward). It's a comprehensive system that has a built-in guide for reversing that includes, as a first, a system that guides you while backing up with a trailer, even displaying the proposed trajectory for both car and trailer. Very cool.
The other neat thing about the LR4's interior is that it is one of the few SUVs to offer true seven-passenger seating. I won't say that ingress and egress are as good as a minivan's, but at least bigger adults can sit in the third row without threat of amputation. Credit the LR4's boxy shape with allowing enough headroom while making the legroom passable.
The other thing that might surprise is how good the LR4 feels on the road. One of the few body-on-frame designs that can rival the chassis rigidity of the more modern unibody designs, the LR4 has excellent road manners for something so determinedly off-roadish. Land Rover has rejigged the suspension damping, the rubber jounce dampers and, most especially, says Land Rover, the vehicle's roll centre for less body roll and a better ride. The variable steering system is also far superior to the old and, thanks to a reduction in unsprung wheel weight, there's precious little wheel hop compared with the outgoing model.
The downside to that phenomenal chassis rigidity is the LR4's 2,646-kg curb weight. While some 30 kilos lighter than the outgoing LR3, it's still heavier than the aforementioned Cadillac. That weight, for instance, is the reason the LR4's U.S. EPA rating of 12/17 city/highway miles per gallon isn't better than the LR3's. Had the company managed to contain all that avoirdupois, Land Rover would have been in the enviable position of being able to boast increased power and fuel economy.
Land Rover's last remaining challenge is to retain all of the LR4's many attributes while simultaneously putting it on a green-friendly diet.
