(Pictures:
Official Land Rover press photos)
After the introduction of the new Jaguar-derived engines and
tansmissions for the 2006 model year, it would have been reasonable to
expect no major changes for a while. But for the 2007 model year, the
Range Rover underwent another fairly significant facelift. For most of
the world, the big news was the introduction of a new V8 diesel that
for the first time gave similar performance to the gasoline/petrol V8s.
That was not all however -- all markets saw substantial revisions to
the interior, with the instrument panel,
climate control system,
airbag layout, trim fittings, switchgear, and storage facilities
redesigned. Finally, there was the introduction of Land Rover's
Terrain Response system and electrically activated center and rear
differentials, aimed at improving the Range Rover's already awesome off
road capability while making off road driving even more effortless.
No
significant exterior
changes were more made. Engines:
The big news was the all-new TDV8 Diesel, developing
nearly as much power (272 bhp) and much more torque (472 ft lb) than
the petrol/gasoline V8s -- over 50% more power than the formerly used
BMW diesel. The
new 90
degree V8 was 3630cc with 32 valves,
twin
turbos, twin camshafts and was rated as one of the world's quietest and
smoothest diesels. The new diesel
version 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 diesel version was
not, at leat initially, available in the US.
Drivetrain:
An electronically controlled infinitely variable locking rear
differential was new for 2007. Standard on the Supercharged Range Rover
and optional on the HSE, this device aids traction and handling on- and
off-road. The 2006 infinitely variable
locking electronic center differential was continued as standard on
both models.
The Terrain Response™
system, first introduced on the Range Rover Sport, was added to the
full size Range Rover in 2007 as standard equipment. A control dial
positioned on the center console can be set to any one of five
available modes to handle different terrain situations from normal
dry-pavement driving to snow, mud, sand, and
extreme rock crawling. Depending on the setting, the vehicle's
electronics adjust the settings of the throttle response, automatic
transmission operation,
electronic differentials, anti-lock brakes, air suspension,
traction control, and Hill Descent Control systems to optimize
performance in the given conditions. The five
available Terrain Response™ settings are:
A new electronically controlled parking brake system replaced the
earlier mechanical setup.
 |
 |
| Terrain Response dial with
settings for (clockwise from left) normal, grass/snow, mud & ruts,
sand, rocks. Also note revised controls behind knob (lower part of picture) for air suspension settings (left), Hill Descent Control (center) and transfer case high/low range (right). |
View from above the console --
note electronic handbrake lever behind the Terrain Response controls in
lower part of image. Offical Land Rover Press Photos. |
The 4-year, 50,000 mile warranty with complimentary scheduled
service was continued as before.
Chassis & Suspension
Design: Unchanged from 2006.
Exterior
colors were expanded to nine options: Chawton White, Java
Black, Giverny Green, Tonga Green, Buckingham Blue (new), Rimini Red
(almost burnt orange, a slightly lighter version of the formerly
available Alveston Red), Stornoway
Gray, Zermatt Silver.
Wheels:
The HSE models come standard with the 7-spoke 19x8 inch aluminum
alloy wheels and 255/55R19 tires in all markets, with the more sensible
18 inch wheels seemingly going the way of the dodo bird. The
supercharged models came
with 9-spoke 20x8.5 inch wheels and 255/50R20 tires.
Although the foregoing was the official
situation, in practice most of the early production 2007
HSE models also came with the 20 inch wheels, possibly due to a
shortage of the 19 inch tires because of a strike at the Goodyear
factory causing them to be on backorder.
The most obvious change was to the dash area, wihere the ignition key was moved from its former loaction on the center console to a new spot on the driver's side of the face vents on the dash. Balancing this on the other side of the vents are two switches controlling the two gloveboxes. On top of the dash are extra air vents.
Twin
glove boxes -- one stacked atop the other and opened by an electric
release button to the right of the air vents on the dash -- make
convenient use of the passenger side of the
instrument panel. Redesigned
front seats had a new active head restraint design to help guard
against whiplash
injury during a rear-end collision, and were claimed be more
comfortable.
A new option was dedicated air-conditioning units that
circulate cool air through center trim perforations in both the cushion
and backrest areas (standard on the Supercharged model). Separate
controls were provided for the driver and the front passenger.
Photo at left: revised door trim. Official Land Rover press photo.
Side-impact airbags were relocated form
the
doors to the seatbacks, allowing a new door panel design
with more wood trim. A knee airbag
was added for the driver, increasing the number of airbags to nine,
while the passenger-side airbag was reengineered for enhanced
deployment.
A new acoustic windshield was
laminated with a triple-layer polymer
capable of reducing the transmission of exterior noise by up to six
decibels.
The air-conditioning
system was upgraded to offer improved cooling, better airflow
distribution, lower noise and greater comfort levels. A new 9 kW
evaporator replaced the existing 7.8 kW version, giving about a 15%
increase in cooling power. The new center top vents helped
improve ventilation for front-seat occupants, and yielded a reduction
in airflow noise at high fan speeds. Three zone (driver,
passenger and rear) controls for the climate control were provided on
all models.
Photo at right:
Close-up of revised controls on dash. Note new positions for ignition
key (top left) and glovebox switches (top right). Also knobs at lower
left and right for seat heating and cooling controls. From Official
Land Rover press photo.
|
Luxury Interior Package (HSE only / Std. on S/C) |
$5,000 |
Individual Options
|
$4,000 |
|
$2,500 |
|
$500 |
The Supercharged model was effectively a special edition, but beyind this no others were offered on the US market. In the UK the Autobiography version continued as usual.
