Range Rover 2019 News

Land Rover’s SVO (Special Vehicles Operations) unit has just revealed the special edition Range Rover Astronaut Edition, which is available exclusively for travellers signed up to participate in the first Virgin Galactic space flights. Boasting unique interior and exterior styling treatments, the Range Rover Astronaut Edition is painted in a unique ‘Zero Gravity Blue’ colour which was reportedly inspired by the “depth and intensity of the night sky.” Other bespoke touches include spaceship motifs dotted around the cabin, B-pillar and puddle lamps, as well as Astronaut Edition badging at the rear. The interior also features a crafted piece of the spaceship’s front landing skid plate that served on the Virgin Galactic Unity’s first flight in December 2018.700 people have paid around US$250,000 to participate in the space flights, which take around two and a half hours and allow passengers to experence weightlessness for around 15 minutes.Based on the Range Rover Autobiography spec, the Astronaut Edition comes with the company’s P400e drivetrain with a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain that’s good for a 42km all-electric range.A 5.0-litre supercharged V8 petrol engine is also available.

Not long after appearing in the Jaguar range, Land Rover has installed its new ‘Ingenium’ six-cylinder petrol engine into the Range Rover line.Delivering 294kW of power and 550Nm of torque, the Range Rover is capable of a 6.3-second 0-100km/h sprint, yet thanks to its 48-volt mild-hybrid system, combined fuel economy is rated at 9.3L/100km and emissions claimed at 212g/km.According to Land Rover the mild-hybrid system collects energy harvested under braking and stores it in a 48V battery, which is then deployed through torque-assist, which reduces CO2 emissions and work load on the engine.Featuring both an electric supercharger and a twin-scroll turbocharger, the 3.0-litre petrol six-cylinder is the latest step taken by Land Rover in offering an electrified drivetrain option on all future models. Elsewhere on the 2019 Range Rover are trim updates such as new colours, new alloy wheel options up to 22-inches in size, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring as standard. The car’s headlights now include ‘Sign Post Dimming’ which identifies road signs and dims the individual LEDs used to illuminate the sign to limit glare for the driver. Pricing and specifications for the 2019 Range Rover are due to be announced later this month, with the first deliveries commencing from October 2019. 

Created by Jaguar Land Rover’s skunkworks department, Special Vehicles Operations (SVO), the Land Rover Discovery SVX and Range Rover SV Coupe have been cancelled.Due to a lack of resources within the SVO company and multi-$billion losses in the fourth quarter of 2018, both super niche products have been canned, leaving those dreaming of a high performance off-road Discovery and super luxurious coupe Range Rover disappointed.Revealed at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Discovery SVX was due to be on sale in Australia by late 2018.It was powered by a 386kW/625Nm supercharged petrol 5.0-litre V8 engine, and featured many off-road aids, including larger wheels with off-road tyres, a suspension lift kit, active hydraulic roll control and active centre and electronic rear locking differentials.On the other hand, the Range Rover SV Coupe was a super luxurious version of the Range Rover due to cost upwards of $500,000 in Australia and only a small number of units were destined to arrive locally.Featuring a redesigned body with three doors instead of the usual five, as well as a four-seat layout with second row captain’s chairs, the SV Coupe was to be positioned as the most luxurious Range Rover ever produced.Speaking about the decision to cut the Range Rover SV Coupe from production, the company said: “We have taken the difficult decision to inform our customers that the Range Rover SV Coupé will not proceed into production. Instead, Land Rover is focusing its resources and investment on the next generation of world-class products.“With exciting plans for electrification, enhanced craftsmanship, innovation and technology we are working to ensure that we continue to offer our customers a choice of world leading SUVs.Jaguar Land Rover posted a AUD$6.2 billion loss for the fourth quarter of 2018, thanks to lower demand for diesel engines and sluggish sales in China. The company plans to slash around 10 percent of its workforce, as well as slash products such as the Discovery SVX and Range Rover SV Coupe, to help stem the cash loss. Both SVO-developed products were set to be on sale in Australia by now, with pricing expected to start at around $200,000 for the Discovery SVX and $500,000 for the Range Rover SV Coupe.