1989 Range Rover Model Year Details
Introduction
1989 Model Year Statistics
Powertrain Changes
Chassis & Suspension Changes
Exterior Changes
Interior Changes
Special Editions
Other
Used Range Rover Listings & Buying
Info
Photo: Bjorn & Beatrice Hori's
1989 Range Rover. Note this example has the hidden front door
hinges and wider plastic rocker trim strip, placing it in the later
part of 1989 production. It has the optional sunroof but not
body-colored wheel centers, indicating it is the base model rather than
the County model.
Introduction
1989 was a year of major upgrades in the US Range Rover model. Land
Rover was applying experience to date in the US market to provide a
number of iomprovements demanded by American customers, including more
power and various refinements in trim.
1989 Model Year Statistics
Number built 4,372 U.S.
(25,674 Worldwide)
First 1989 built September
30, 1988
Last 8 digits of first 1989 U.S.
Spec. Range Rover VIN KA351876
7th digit of the VIN now a 2 representing the
3.9L V8 (1987-1988 had a 1 representing the 3.5L V8)
Base Price $36,350 (increase of $2,400 from 1988)
Curb Weight 4,372 lbs. (increase of 69 lbs. from 1988)
Gross Vehicle Weight 5997 lbs.
Powertrain Changes:
The engine displacement was increased to 3.9L
(3947cc),
3.7"bore (up from 3.5” last year) x 2.8" stroke with 8.13:1
compression ratio now put out 178 hp @ 4750 rpm, 220 lb-ft torque @
3250
rpm. New Lucas 14CU Multiport L-Jetronic
Electronic Fuel Injection. The 1989 is
almost 3 seconds quicker than the 1988 to 60 mph. Top
speed is now over 100 to 107 mph. A
Bigger radiator with an oil cooler (in addition to the external oil
cooler that
the Range Rover has had in front of the radiator since 1987) was added,
and the
electric cooling fans would now stay on to cool the engine after
shutdown if
necessary. Land Rover recommended using
premium unladed fuel in the 3.9L Engine.
Borg-Warner 13-61-004 2 speed transfer case with
viscous
coupling unit (VCU) provided full time four wheel drive, and now had an
automatic progressive center differential lock-up (1.206 high, 3.243
low)
rather than the manual lock up in 1987 and 1988. It
was chain (vs. gear) driven to reduce
noise, and still had the built in parking brake. California
models no longer had the vacuum advance delay valve that improved
emissions. The third catalyst was
eliminated.
EPA 12 mpg city, 15 mpg highway
Chassis and Suspension Changes:
Tires were now Michelin XM+S 244 205 R16 radials,
on the
same 7x16 inch three spoke alloy wheels.
Wheel centers were painted body color on the Hunter and County
models.
Exterior Changes:
Available Paint Colors: Alaskan Blue Metallic (393), Chamonix
White (354), Colorado
Silver
Metallic (391), Eastnor Green (419), Portofino
Red (390), and Savannah
Beige
Metallic (365)
Available County Model
Paint Colors: Beluga Black (Clear Coat) (416), Cairngorm Brown (408),
Trocadero
Red Micatallic (467)
All Hunter Models had Cypress Green (367) paint
The lower edge of the front spoiler had four slots added to
it and a plastic panel (part #BTR3510) added to the base of it under
the engine
to help engine bay cooling.
The muffler and tailpipe of the new exhaust system are
different and the tailpipe now points down
Front window washer jets heated this year, and sqirters on
the hood were bigger.
Exposed door hinges were hidden in the first half of the
model year (after VIN KA374641)
The hinges were still exposed on 1989's built 1/89 (VIN
KA370371) but hidden on 1989's built 2/89
All models with hidden hinges have deeper black plastic
under body sills.
Models with hidden hinges have different fenders/wings (part
#MXC1408&9) cowl panel (part #MXC8057).
The rear doors also got different hinges.
The black rub strips on the front doors and front fenders
are also different on 1989s with the hidden hinges.
The electric grid on the heated rear window was changed to
cover more area and improve radio reception (the grid was also the
radio
antenna)
Front windscreen was now electrically heated.
Side window glass thickness was reduced from 5mm to 4mm to
make the glass lighter so the power windows would go up faster with the
same
motors. The fixed load space glass was
also reduced from 5mm to 4mm.
Land Rover had some problems with the thinner front window
glass getting sucked outward at freeway speeds and designed a small
plastic
guide to push it in to the track at the top.
It is not clear if Land Rover ever put them on any 1989s. I have seen the guides (Part #ALR6498) on
some 1989s, but they may have been added by the owners (They didn’t
cost much
and were easy to install so I put them on the 1989 Range Rover I owned).
The Land Rover badge on the grill was now green with gold
letters
|
Kevin Kelly's early 89 Range
Rover behind Alexander Cooper's late white
'89. Note the visible door hinges on the earlier model. Alexander has
removed his front spoiler for better approach angle off road and his
Range Rover had dealer painted body color wheel centers. On Kevin's
Range Rover you can see the factory spoiler still in place and the
optional front mud flaps.
Alexander's later model has the wider
plastic rocker trim panels that were introduced along with hidden
hinges in mid-1989. Kevin has added these wider panels to his. Kevin
has
also added the two tone euro style front turn signals and euro fender
(wing)
flashers in place of the original NAS reflectors that can be seen on
Alexander's RR. Kevin's RR also has the silver 1994-1995 LWB "Cyclone"
wheels with the newer style lug nuts and the newer style rocker panel.
The mag mount CB antenna on the roof is stuck to the steel sunroof (the
rest of the roof is of course aluminum). |
Interior Changes:
Available Interior Colors: Brogue Brown Cloth, Highland Gray
Cloth, Winchester (dark
brownish)
Gray Connolly Leather, Sorrell (light tan) Brown Connolly Leather.
Dash and console were changed from Boltura also called
Bokhara (blueish) gray
to Winchester (dark
brownish)
gray. A smaller two position shifter for
the new automatic locking
transfer case
The light to remind the driver that the center differential
was locked was no longer on the dash to the right side of the radio.
(this was
not necessary with the automatic locking transfer case)
Door panels were revised and now had a thin strip of
lacquered American walnut rather than the door cappings in 1987-1988.
The new door panels had two more speakers to bring the total
to six, bigger storage pockets, and different interior door locks.
The central locking was extended to the tailgate, the lock
actuator was hidden with a black plastic cover.
New Clarion AM/FM anti theft stereo cassette
Power seats now 8 way, most 1989’s had leather seats
Heated windshield switch was added to the dash next to the
heated rear window switch
New windshield wiper switch with variable delay lever
The rear wiper had more complex wash wipe features
Ignition override of head lamps, turned head lamps off with
ignition, the headlights on audible warning was deleted, however the
parking
lights still stayed on with the ignition off
Single touch down driver's power window switch was added.
The rear view mirror was now glued to the front window,
rather than bolted to the top of the window.
A higher capacity evaporator was added to the air
conditioning system that improved output by 20% and fresh air to the
passenger
area was enhanced with a new vent control system.
Passenger grab handles above the doors were changed from
black to off white to better blend in with the headliner.
The black plastic tabs on the center of the tailgate now say
lift and hold in white (these can be replaced with the shorter tabs
from the
outer side of the tailgate after they snap off).
Push buttons replaced the pull tabs to release the rear seat
backs
The VIN And GVW information on the drivers door was now on a
sticker, (it was on a metal plate in 1987, 1988).
1989 Model
Year Range
Rover Special Editions:
Hunter:
There was a very limited edition of 120 Hunter
models sold
in 1989 they cost $2,000 more than the base model (see 1991 section for
other
Hunter model). The brochure that came
with all Hunters said “Range Rover has long had a close association
with
equestrian activities worldwide. This
association is marked by the Range Rover Hunter.” All
the 1989 Hunters had “the same comprehensive
specifications as other Range Rover vehicles, plus the following
features
standard”: Cypress Green metallic paint,
with Cypress Green painted three spoke wheel centers and silver rims,
Electric
tilt and slide sunroof, Electronic auto-dimming rear view mirror (the
same the
anti-glare control rear view mirror as the County), Brogue Brown cloth
interior
(leather was not available on the Hunter).
American Walnut was on the doors (like other Non-County 1989s),
but an
additional piece of American Walnut was also around the shifter on the
center
console (but not on the dash or around the power window switches like
the
County). The Hunter had a sticker on the
tailgate of a person riding English style on a horse jumping over the
letter H
in Hunter. The word Hunter was in the
same script as the word County on the back of the 1989-1992 County
models. The 1991 Hunter model had the same
sticker on
the tailgate but was a very different model (see below).
County:
The County model was introduced mid-way through
the 1989
model year (The earliest one I have seen had a January 1989 build date)
and
cost $7,300 more than the base model.
All County models came standard with the electric slide and tilt
sunroof, Connolly leather seats, and front mud-flaps that were optional
on the
base Range Rover, they also came with polished Burl walnut on doors,
dash and
center console (base models had American
walnut on the doors only). Chrome
bumpers replaced the black bumpers, the wheel centers were painted body
color
and a pinstripe was added to the body.
The County model also had anti-glare (or auto dim) control rear
view
mirror with a photo diode that senses light and dims the rear view. A premium Pioneer sound system with CD
changer and subwoofer is listed on some spec. sheets as optional, but
all the
County’s I have seen had the sound system and CD changer.
The County had emblems in script on the dash,
tailgate and all four wheel centers. The
passenger grab handle was leather wrapped.
Many County’s had dealer installed front brush guards and rear
light
guards. Photo:
Leon MacCorkle's late 1989 County model with body-colored wheel centers.
Other:
Range Rover was #1 in the J.D. Powers national
survey of
customer satisfaction at the end of 1989.
Four Wheeler magazine named the Range Rover “Four
Wheeler of
the year”
Automobile Magazine calls the Range Rover a “Top
Choice”
among all sport Utility Vehicles and calls it “One of the World’s 10
Best Cars”
Range Rover wins the Motorweek award for best
multipurpose
vehicle in the U.S.
Honda Motor Company purchased a 20% interest in
the Rover
Group this year.
Range Rover wins a gold medal for coach work at
the
Birmingham International Motor Show.
Land Rover Discovery 2 door is launched in
September at the
Frankfurt Auto Show based on the Range Rover chassis and powertrain.
After the launch of the Discovery the code name
for the new
Range Rover was changed from Discovery to Pegasus, and later 38A (38A
is the
number of the design building at the Solihull
factory
site)
Many 1989 (and a small # of other model year)
Range Rovers
had a small round Great Divide Medallion added to the left side (some
were
added to the right side) of the tailgate by dealers to commemorate the
Great
Divide Expedition held in August of 1989 These are not Great Divide
Edition
Range Rovers (see 1990 and 1991 model sections below for more
information on
the Great Divide Expedition and Great Divide Edition Range Rovers). The
medallion was just over two inches in diameter and said Range Rover at
the top
and Tread Lightly at the bottom, with Great Divide Expedition in the
middle.
European Range Rovers did not have the 3.9L V8 option until the 1990 model
year. The Euro 3.9L put out 7hp more if
catalytic converters were not ordered (they were optional in Europe)
Links to Range Rover Buying
Information
General
Buying a new or used Range Rover
Introduction to Range Rovers
SUV Comparisons
Custom Range Rovers
One Owner's Experiences
Ownership Experiences of Others
Range Rover Lifestyle Accessories
Rovers
North page on choosing a used Range Rover, by Mick Patten
North
American Information Sources:
Used
Range Rovers for Sale:
Listings right here on Rangerovers.net
Range
Rovers Wanted page:
If
you are looking for a specific model, advertise here.
Automotive.com
: New & Used Range
Rover
discount price quotes, 60-second auto loan quote, information, reviews,
you name it!
Cars.com
Buy, Sell & Research New & Used Range Rovers (Seems to have the
largest selection of used RRs)
Edmunds
Used
Range Rover Price Guide Page
eBay
Used Range Rover Listings Direct Link to eBay Used Range
Rover Listings
eBay.ca
eBay Canada Used Car Listings (Buy or Sell)
Extended
Warranty
Information for Used Range Rovers up to 20 years old
Land Rover
Farmington Valley -- direct link to used "Certified" inventory of
the best dealer in the New York area.
LeaseTrader.com
Save by taking over someone else's Range Rover lease
Sherman
Oaks Exclusive Auto -- Southern California independent supplier of
used Range Rovers, all rigorously inspected.
Range
Rover New &
Used
Financing Page
Special
Vehicle Concepts:
Customized Range Rovers (uprated power, interior & exterior
upgrades)
UK
Information:
Carwatch
UK
:
Provides complete vehicle history data for Used Range Rovers in the UK.
eBay
Motors
eBay UK Listings
new-car-discount.com lowest UK prices for both new
and used Range Rovers. Save the time and stress of trawling round car
dealerships and receiving poor service from pushy salespeople.
