2010 Sport Upgrades Make it More Like a Real Range Rover

2010 Range Rover to get 5 litre 510 HP Engine
Picture at right: 2010 Range Rover. (Official Press Photo).

2009 Sees Cosmetic Updates for Range Rover and Sport

Range Rover Sport wins Northwest SUV of the Year Competition

Range Rover III Front Diff & Driveshaft Replacement Program

Jaguar Land Rover Happy Under New Management

Land Rover Sale to Tata Becomes Official

Land Rover sold to Tata Motors?

Land Rover Sales at Record High Amid Sale Speculation

2008 Range Rover Updates

Range Rover Tuner Peter Cameron Dies

Range Rover Sport Scores Highly in Owner Satisfaction

NHTSA Begins Investigation of Range Rover Front Diff Failures

Range Rover and LR3 Rated "Least Reliable Luxury Cars"

2007 Range Rover Facelift Preview

June 14, 2009
2010 Range Rover Sport Upgrades make it more like a Real Range Rover

The Range Rover Sport will get the same new 5 liter V8 engines, upgraded transmission, and improvements to Terrain Response, nav system and portable audio interface as the 2010 Range Rover (see below). It will alspo include the new Surround Camera, Tow Assist, and High Beam Assist technology. But not all the other Range Rover mechanical and electrical upgrades will carry over to the Sport. Instead of the Range Rovers new 12 inch TFT insturment cluster display, for example, the Sport will get a 5 inch display that replaces part of the cluster.

On the exterior, cosmetic appearance adjustements make the 2010 Sport look more like a real Range Rover (see official press photo at right). The interior has been comprehensively refurbished with more leather and soft-touch surfaces to meet more appropriate Range Rover standards and finally get rid of the cheap looking plastic Discovery/LR3 type trim that adorned the original Sport models.

Overall, the new Sport will be more like a real Range Rover, while retaining its more sporty personality!

June 4, 2009
2010 Range Rover to get New 5 litre V8 Engines!

Rangerovers.net has learned that the 2010 model year Range Rovers will be geting a new and much more powerful 5 litre engine. There wil also be other new technologies, such as the 12" TFT instrument cluster.  "The 2010 Range Rover remains the benchmark and continues to set the pace in its segment,” says Phil Popham, Land Rover Managing Director.

The 2010 Range Rover has two brand new 5.0-liter LR-V8  engines – the top of the range 510 bhp supercharged unit, and the 375 bhp naturally aspirated version.  Both engines were developed in-house by the Jaguar Land Rover powertrain team, with the requirements of the Range Rover in mind from day one.  The standard naturally aspoirated form will make 375 HP and the Supercharged models will make 510 HP. This will finally give the Range Rover the power edge over the lesser models that it has long needed. The new standard engine matches the performance of the existing Supercharged, while the new Supercharged model will  now have a 0-60 time oin the 5.9 second range. Hopefully, no compromises have been made to off road performance in order to achieve these figures, but time will tell.

Aside from the new engines, 2010 enhancements to the Range Rover will include the following:

• Re-tuned transmission with Intelligent Sport mode that senses and adapts to driving patterns
  
• Subtle exterior design changes to the headlights, grille and front bumper (see photo) plus LED-stripe side indicators
  
• Replacement of the physical instrument cluster by a 12 inch TFT screen with virtual dials and information displays
• Adaptive  Dynamics technology with electronically adjustable shocks (standard on supercharged, optional on standard model)
  
• New brakes
• Updated Terrain Response including sand launch control, prevention of digging in to sand, and faster response times preventing freewheeling on rocks.
  
• Improved Dynamic Stability Control including rollover prevention
• Trailer Stability Assist" to prevent fishtailing when towing
  
• Adaptive cruise control, emergency brake assist, optional automatic high bean assist that dips the headlights automatically for oncoming traffic
• Blind spot monitoring system using radar sensors, and optional suround camera system
• Updated touch screen and voice control systems
  
• Enhanced sound system with optional HD radio and Portable Audio Interface
  
• New nav system with hard drive for faster response......
  

Stay tuned!!

December 15, 2008

Range Rover Sport wins Northwest SUV of the Year Competition

December 2008
2009 Sees Cosmetic Updates for Range Rover and Sport Models

This month the updates for the 2009 model year have been announced and displayed at the Los Angeles Motor Show.

For the full-sized Range Rover, the updates are minor and cosmetic. New softer dash leather, improved door seals, a modified color palette, and new wheel designs were the main changes to the standard models. Also, a new Autobiography Package for the Supercharged edition was introduced in the US. Named after the Autobiography edition long available on Range Rovers in the UK since the earliest models, this was a US-style pre-ordained luxury option package rather than a customized set of features, trim items and colors that could be uniquely chosen by the owner as in the UK Autobiography Edition. The package included special leather and wood trim, the 4-zone climate control and insulating glass options (introduced in 2008), the rear-seat entertainment packge, a new wheel design, and an Autobiography tailgate badge. For an in-depth look at the various changes, see the 2009 Model Year Details Page. Full technical specifications for 2009 are provided on the 2009 Technical Specs Page.

Photo at Right: 2009 Range Rover Sport in a mud puddle. (Official Press Photo).

For the Range Rover Sport, a more major facelift has been in the rumor mill, including a 5 litre engine and different headlight treatments. However we suspect these updates will be reserved for the 2010 model to be introduced later in 2009. Meanwhile, the 2009 model year introduction at the Los Angeles Motor Show in December 2008 was limited to minor cosmetic upgrades including cosmetic interior enhancements, new wheel options and a cosmetically refreshed rear exterior. All models continued to include the Terrain Response, and the Supercharged continued to add the Dynamic Response technology, otherwise known as automatic roll stability control. Full details of the upgrades are provided on the 2009 Range Rover Sport Model Year Details Page.

Sept 5, 2008
Range Rover III Front Diff Replacement Program

Land Rover has instituted a free replacement program for the notorious front diff problem on the BMW-engined RR III models manufactured from 2002-2005. Beginning in May in the UK and Europe, the program spread to the US in July. A phased program was evidently needed due to the wait for the necessary parts to be produced in sufficient quantity.

As documented by many Rangerovers.net forum members and readers, the diff failure problem often happened suddenly, resulting in a loss of power and the vehicle becoming totally immobilized. The front driveshaft/diff design, derived from the BMW X5, relied on very accurate alignment of the diff input shaft with the front prop shaft/drive shaft. When alignment drifted away from perfection, the splines at this connection would be subject to excessive wear and eventually disintegrate. Several service campaigns to realign the diff did not seem to solve the problem permanently, and reccurences kept being reported. When the 2006 models came out, using the Jaguar engines, the front driveshaft design was changed to eliminate this reliance on accurate alignment. 

The new front diff replacement program replaces the front diff and prop shaft (drive shaft) with new components that eliminate the stress that used to cause failure of the drive shaft splines where they connected with the differential.  The new drive shaft has the same flexible joint at the transfer case end but also has a new CV joint at the front end where it connects with the diff.  The new design eliminates the need for the front diff to be aligned so accurately. According to Rangerovers.net readers and forum members who have had the job done so far, Land Rover is also offering a $150 credit towards other work on the vehicle.

In our view, Land Rover's original design was perfectly reasonable from an engineering point of view, since the engine and transmission were all bolted together as one unit and theoretically would not need provision for flexiblity in the drive shaft. Once the failures started to happen, it took a long time for Land Rover to admit there was a problem and implement a permanent solution. During this time aftermarket driveshafts with the necessary flexible joints at both ends were produced by third party manufacturers. Now that Land Rover has made an official solution available, we applaud the company for this action which should close the door on the whole episode and help enhance Land Rover's reputation for reliability. 

For full details and photos of the  recall solution, please see the Front Diff Recall Page.

August 21, 2008
Jaguar Land Rover Happy Under New Management

Tata Motors officially took over Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) in early June, paying Ford $2 billion for its British brands. Unfortunately high prices for gasoline have since caused large vehicles to fall out of favor at least temporarily, and Land Rover’s sales in the US have fallen by 31% in the year to July. But rising demand in Russia and China have compensated so that worldwide sales are only 2.7% down on 2007. During the second half of 2008 Land Rover’s production is being scaled back by 25-40% in anticipation of lower sales. 

In spite of this oil-based gloom, JLR is in an upbeat mood, emphasizing the advantages of the agility of a smaller firm in comparison to the bureaucratic ways of an ailing car giant. Tata seems willing to give JLR a lot of autonomy. Strategy is now set by a board consisting only of David Smith (JLR's CEO), Mr Smith, Mr Tata and Ravi Kant, the head of Tata’s automotive business. Mr Smith’s strategy has three main elements; customer service, being the best in its chosen field, and reducing emissions. A new small Land Rover, based on the LRX concept-car, is likely to go ahead. Both marques are likely to go even further upmarket.

With regard to emissions, Mr Smith expects a 25% improvement in fuel efficiency over the next few years just by refining existing engines. But JLR is also investing $1.5 billion in hybrids which will appear around 2012. Land Rover’s “e-terrain” technology, a diesel-electric hybrid powertrain with an electric rear-axle drive system, are touted to give future Land Rovers even greater off-road ability while cutting emissions by 30%.

The sale was expected to close by the end of June and was subject to regulatory approvals. Tata Motors was to pay about US $2.3 billion in cash, but would get a bout $600 million from Ford as contributions to the Jaguar Land Rover pension plans, makomg the net price about $1.7 billion. 

Ford apparently wanted to use the sale to rasie some cash and concentrate on its core Ford  brands. As part of the transaction, Ford will continue to supply Jaguar Land Rover for differing periods with powertrains, stampings and other vehicle components, in addition to a variety of technologies, such as environmental and platform technologies.  Ford also has committed to provide engineering support, including research and development, plus information technology, accounting and other services. In addition, Ford Motor Credit Company will provide financing for Jaguar and Land Rover dealers and customers during a transitional period, which can vary by market, of up to 12 months.

Speaking on behalf of Jaguar Land Rover, Geoff Polites, chief executive officer, said:  "Jaguar Land Rover’s management team is very pleased that Ford and Tata Motors have come to an agreement today.  Our team has been consulted extensively on the deal content and feels confident that it provides for the business needs of both our brands going forward. We have also had the opportunity to meet senior executives from Tata Motors and the Tata group," Polites continued.  "They have expressed confidence in the team that has delivered significant improvements in Jaguar Land Rover’s business performance.  We feel confident that we can forge a strong working relationship with our new parent company, and we look forward to a bright and successful future for Jaguar Land Rover."

January 9, 2008
Land Rover Sold to Tata Motors?

Rumors and press reports abound that Tata Motors of India is to be the new owner of Land Rover and Jaguar, sold by Ford as part of their ongoing restructuring plan. India is becoming an increasingly major player in the global automotive scene, and among other things is said to have helped GM overcome its quality problems.

Although Land Rover does not publish separate financial figures, it is rumored to be making a profit of $1 billion a year. It appears that Ford needs to sell this profitable and successful division in order to shore up its shrinking and money-losing operations in the US.

Land Rover is accustomed to changing owners about every 5 years, and the present change repeats the pattern of recent history which has seen the company successively owned by British Leyland, British Aerospace, BMW and Ford. If the rumors are true, the new owners are extremely savy operators and are likely to propel the Land Rover name to further success.

October 19, 2007
Land Rover Global Sales at Record High Amid Sale Speculation

With rumors afoot about Land Rover's troubled parent (Ford) trying to sell off its "Premium Brands" including Jaguar and Land Rover, Land Rover itself is enjoying consderable sales success. Land Rover sold 26,000 vehicles around the world in September, an increase of 34% over the same month last year. For the year to date, sales are up more than 15% over 2006, and sales of Range Rovers are up even more. Whether or not the Land Rover division of Ford is profitable may be another matter, but its sales records at least provide a few bright spots in Ford's bleak overall outlook.

Speculation about the sale of Land Rover is coupled to that of Jaguar, since the two brands share powertrains. However, Jaguar is said to be definitely unprofitable, greatly reducing the attractiveness of the combined package to potential buyers.

Whatever happens is unlilely to bring about earth-shaking changes at Land Rover, if past history is any guide. Being bought and sold at regular intervals is a familiar experience for the company, which in recent years has been owned successively by British Leyland, British Aerospace, BMW and Ford. Ford has kept the company for an average amount of time and it is past time, based on recent history, for a new owner to come along. None of the owners has managed to lift Land Rover above the bottom of the vehicle reliability rankings, but all have improved the brand in their own way, and have certainly added to its sales success. We await with interest the arrival of the next foster parent!

October 2007
2008 Range Rover Model Year Updates Summary

Announced as early as June this year, the changes to the 2008 model year Range Rover are minor compared to the past couple of years of major updates. This time the enhancements are confined to some additional luxury features.

Right: 2008 interior (Official Land Rover Press Photo)

Four-zone air conditioning enables rear seat passengers to control their individual heating and ventilation. Special 'climate control' windscreen and side glass is now available in conjunction with automatic rain and headlight sensing. The special glass cuts infrared heat transmission into the vehicle, reducing heat build up when the vehicle is parked in the sun, allowing the air conditioning to function faster on startup. 

A redesigned rear seat armrest provides extra stowage space (including a dedicated location for an optional rear seat entertainment remote control), and there is additional leather trim on the heating and ventilation unit and centre console.

There are now a total of seven real wood veneers to choose from, all sourced from sustainable forests, and additional wood veneer elements have been applied to the rear of the centre console. A matching wooden gear knob has also been introduced on some models.

Other trim details include new tread-plates and revised graphics on the touch-screen and instruments. A new interior colour is available, called Storm, as well as two new exterior colours, Alaska White and Lucerne Green, and a fresh set of "designers' choices" for recommended interior and exterior combinations. There is also a new, highly polished 20" alloy wheel design.

The Range Rover has been achieving sales records worldwide, especially since the introduction of the acclaimed TDV8 diesel engine (not available in North America). Sales in the first four months of 2007 were already 19% up worldwide over 2006.

For more details and pictures see the Model Year Details pages here on Rangerovers.net.

May 6, 2007
Range Rover Tuner Peter Cameron Dies

We are saddened to learn that Peter Cameron, founder and owner of Cameron Concepts (more recently known as Special Vehicle Concepts) passed away suddenly on Sunday April 29, 2007. His company was famous among Range Rover Owners for its high-powered supercharged versions of the vehicle.

Peter was the beloved son of Gwen, and the late Teddy of New Zealand. Survived by his wife, Marie; daughters, Ashleigh and Brittany; and young son, Teddy. Also survived by his sisters, Julia (Rex), Lauree (Ken), and Briar (Michael); and his nieces and nephews. He was an energetic entrepreneur, with a gregarious personality and zest for life -an instant friend to all that met him.

Sadly, just before his death his business (Special Vehicle Concepts) had gone through extremely hard times and had to close. As a consequence, upon his death his family lost everything and now has no financial resources, or even a home. A memorial fund has been set up for their support. Contributions may be made to the Peter Cameron Memorial Fund, Wells Fargo Bank, P.O. Box 3488, Portland, OR 97208, for the care and education of his children. For more details on his passing, his family and how to help, see this link.

May 4, 2007
Range Rover Sport Scores Highly in Owner Satisfaction

In the 2007 Consumer Reports ratings, the Range Rover Sport kept up Land Rover traditions by scoring very poorly in predicted reliability but very well in customer satisfaction. In the midsize SUV category, the RR Sport came 12th in Owner Satisfaction in a field of about 65 contenders. 76 percent of respondents said they would buy one again. This compared with 82% for the top scoring Lexus RX330 fwd, and 43% for the Volkswagen Touareg. The median score was 64%. Interestingly, all 11 vehicles ahead of the RR Sport were made by Toyota (including Lexus) or Honda (including Acura). The only other non-Japanese contender to finish in the top 25 was the BMW X5 in 24th place.

This is a considerable achievement and goes far to explain the popularity of the Range Rover Sport, which has outsold even the Discovery 3/LR3 to become Land Rover's best selling model. While the Sport is now being surpassed by its competitors in on-road performance, it os still formidable in this category and no other vehicle offers such superb pavement ability combined with the Sport's established superiority in off road performance. This is a winning combination that encourages customers to overlook higher than average reliability problems to enjoy the unique capabilities of Land Rover vehicles.

April 2007
NHTSA Begins Investigation of Range Rover Front Diff Failures

The NHTSA has begun an investigation of the epidemic of front diff failures that have occured on 2003 and up Range Rovers. It is common knowledge that many if not most of the Range Rovers produced in 2002-2004 have had to have their front driveshafts and diffs replaced due to excessive wear, or in some cases catastrophic failure. (See the common problems and fixes page of Rangerovers.net for many owner reports of the problem). Due to the small number of owners who have taken the trouble to report the problem to the authorities, it has only recently come to the attention of the US government body charged with investigating such problems.

The problem appears to be caused by the lack of a flexible joint on the front end of the front driveshaft. The splines become excessively worn and stripped on the front end of the driveshaft, eventually resulting in catastrophic failure, immobilizing the vehicle and usually requiring replacement of both the driveshaft and the front diff. (For more details of the mechanics of the problem, see the Rangerovers.net RR III Front Diff Problems & Solutions page). In 2006 Land Rover changed the design to include such a joint, apparently eliminating the problem. However on the 2003-2005 models no such cure has yet been implemented, except by an aftermarket source, Rover3 Drivelines, who have stepped into the vacuum and made available a redesigned driveshaft for these earlier models.

Rangerovers.net began learning of the front driveshaft and diff problems soon after the new model was introduced. Aside from the numerous reports on the common problems and fixes page, an informal poll of forum members with Mk III Range Rovers indicated that about 40% had experienced the problem. Discussions with dealer service personnel indicate the problem is even more pervasive. In an effort to cure the problem, Land Rover implemented a succession of solutions based on realignment of the front diff, implementing service campaigns to inspect and realign them under warranty. These campaigns apparently sufficed to carry most of the affected vehicles through the end of the warranty period, but recurrences continued and many owners are now on their second, third or fourth diffs. And, for those whose warranty has expired, Land Rover seems to have ceased paying for the necessary repairs.

If you have more information about the NHTSA investigation, please email me. Meanwhile, if you have experienced the front diff failure problem, you can report it to the NHTSA at this link.

August 6, 2006

Range Rover and LR3 Rated "Least Reliable" Luxury Vehicles

A new "top ten" compilation by Forbes Magazine, using data from both Consumer Reports and J. D. Power, rates the LR3 and the latest 2006 Range Rover as the least reliable luxury vehicles sold in the US. This will come as no surprise to many owners of the new Jaguar-engined Range Rover which seems to be plagued by significantly more problems than its BMW-engined predecessor. Consumer Reports usually refers to models with the lowest reliability scores as "less reliable than average," but in October 2005 it described the LR3 and Range Rover as flat-out "unreliable." J.D. Power gives the 2006 Range Rover below average ratings for all its manufacturing quality categories -- mechanical manufacturing quality, body and interior manufacturing quality, and feature and accessory manufacturing quality.

Most problem reports we have received at Rangerovers.net are not disabling, but are quite annoying to owners who have paid somewhere between $70,000 and $100,000 for a new Range Rover and expect it to be reliable transportation. The frequent problems are also rather embarrassing in a vehicle that is supposed to be suitable for expeditions in the remote backcountry. Systems such as the air suspension, which are most likely to disable the vehicle off road, are among the least field-repairable of any vehicle, since even if a failed spring is replaced the vehicle remains on its bump stops as its computer cannot be reset without a trip to the dealer. Good luck getting a flatbed truck to take you to the nearest dealer when you are halfway up the Rubicon Trail!

Land Rover is undoubtedly aware of its longstanding quality image problem, and keeps saying it is striving to overcome it. Although its record has improved somewhat in the years since the Ford takeover, its competitors have improved more, leaving it stuck at the bottom of the heap. The latest substantially new Land Rover vehicle, the new Freelander, is to be produced at the Jaguar factory rather than the traditional quality-plagued Land Rover one in Solihull, so it will be interesting to see if this ploy serves to improve reliability. With overhanging issues like the continuing unresolved premature front differential failures on 2003-2005 Range Rovers, and the new spate of problems with the new Jaguar-derived drivetrains in the 2006 models, the Rover reputation will unfortunately persist for some years to come even if it miraculously starts producing reliable vehicles today.

Meanwhile, if you purchase or own a Land Rover product, whether new or used, make sure you get the longest possible Extended Warranty!

May 24, 2006
2007 Range Rover Facelift Preview

(Pictures: Official Land Rover press photos)

Land Rover has just released some press photos of the 2007 Range Rovef facelift. The big news is the all-new TDV8 Diesel, developing nearly as much power (272 bhp) and much more torque (472 ft lb) than the petrol/gasoline V8s. The new diesel does 0-60 mph in about 8 seconds (quicker than the 2003-2005 petrol V8) while maintaining the same fuel economy as the outgoing diesel (25.1 mpg combined average).  Top Speed is limited to 124mph.

The new 90 degree V8 is 3630cc with 32 valves, twin turbos, twin camshafts and is rated as one of the world's quietest and smoothest diesels. It will probably be available everywhere except the US, where emissions regulations are too strict.

A redesigned dash and cabin trim are part of the package, even though the original RR III interior was an award winner. The new dash looks slightly more cluttered, with the ignition switch moved up on to the dash, the loudspeaker on the top of the dash replaced by air vents, and more switches. A nice Range Rover logo also graces the passenger side of the dash, with twoi gloveboxes controlled by electric switches.

The air conditioning system is said to be improved (it certainly has more vents), and there is an option of cooled front seats. The center console is modified with the gearshifter moved slightly to the left, making room for a new storage container to its right.  Wood trim is added to the sides of the console. Also new are the controls for the "Terrain Response" system that is handed down from theDisco 3 / LR3.

Other hand-me-downs from the existing Disco3/LR3 and Sport models include the electrically locking rear diff.

Exterior (see official Land Rover press photo at right) appearance remains the same.