Range Rover exterior styling appears mildly tweaked with most of the effort devoted to improving fuel economy.
Land Rover has released the first photos of what it says is an all-new 2013 Range Rover. The fourth generation version drops its steel body for an all-aluminum monocoque design that is somewhat lighter. The upshot is vehicle weight savings of about 700 pounds on what will remain about a 5,000 pound (or more) SUV in its two V8-powered U.S. versions.
Currently the $80,000-$100,000 sport ute is rated by the EPA at 12 mpg city, 18 highway and 14 mpg combined, which is at the lower end of the class and requires a 28-gallon tank of premium fuel to provide a decent range.
The new Range Rover was designed at Land Rover’s development centers in the United Kingdom and will be produced at a new manufacturing facility at Solihull, United Kingdom, which is said to use the latest aluminum construction technologies. Exterior styling appears mildly tweaked, with most of the effort apparently devoted to improving fuel economy.
Along with the aluminum body, new aluminum front and rear chassis sub-frames have been developed and paired with a re-tuned air suspension. The plush ride has been retained it’s claimed, while the vehicle’s handling and agility have been increased.
The new Range Rover will be available in over 160 markets worldwide, with North American customer deliveries scheduled to start in December 2012. Year-to-date Land Rover has sold 24,000 SUVs in the U.S. most of them smaller more efficient models.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
