2022 Range Rover First Look

We’ve had our fair share of cars being made available for a first look experience. But when a car needs a guided tour from a trained executive, you know there’s a lot to discover! That’s exactly what the new Range Rover is all about. The new design may seem evolutionary but there’s a lot you’d miss if you spend a second under 30 minutes with this mammoth.

Notorious B.I.G

Well, that’s the first thing that’ll strike you, the sheer size of this SUV. Of course, a Range Rover is bound to be plus-sized, but what amplifies the car’s presence is just how devoid it is of any cuts or creases. 

The grille isn’t obscenely large (it’s actually smaller than before), the side profile is a monumental wall of clean metal, while the taillight slits are connected with black up top and dull silver at the bottom. 

Even with the relatively mild styling changes, there’s a greater ‘old money’ vibe the luxo-barge now exudes and it’s ironic how much effort must’ve gone into making this look effortless.

While our car was riding on 22-inch wheels, you can opt to move up to 23-inch wheels as well. And yes, the tyre profile moves up with it. So, should you decide to make your new Range Rover look more gangsta, you don’t then need to tip-toe through potholes as a consequence.

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The mark of true luxury is personalization and you could spend an eternity on the configurator tweaking everything from the headliner colour, panel finishers, steering wheel and seats. What stands out now is the range of seat options  - five, seven and of course, four. 

What could be perceived as both cool and irksome is the degree of electrification. Want to raise or lower the central armrest? Press a button. Want to access the cupholders? Tap a screen menu. Want to access the third-row in the seven-seater version? That’s got buttons too, though, no one would mind that. The motorised components are cool but sometimes, it does feel like a little manual labour would keep things simpler. 

Essentially everything from the cabin lighting, seat adjustment, massage functions to the climate controls, down to the airflow rate, can be managed from the integrated screen in the rear armrest. 

The highlight being the full recline function that’ll push the front passenger seat all the way ahead, automatically-adjust the rear entertainment screen angle accordingly and turn your seat into a recliner. Combine this with the tall seating, open view ahead, the endless sense of space and it does feel quite literally like a land yacht (brand Range Rover’s name in a parallel universe?).

The exterior does thoroughly reflect the design theme seen inside - minimalist. Considering just how much you can play with inside, it’s remarkable how managing everything never feels like rocket-science.

The AC controls, for example, integrate the seat ventilation, temperature control and blower speed, into one dial per climate control zone. A simple push or pull shuffles through the settings. 

Similarly, the new PIVI Pro infotainment screen is not only uber-smooth to use, but it enables a lot of functionality in the space of two to three taps/menu shifts, be it accessing the navigation screen, off-road mode settings or music system. And there’s a party-trick (quite literally) in here too.

Executive Luggage Space

Tailgate Event Suite - it’s a trick up the Range Rover’s thick sleeves. Tap this option after switching the car off and the split tailgate opens up. The car now uses only the 2nd row and tailgate-integrated speakers for music playback, if you’d like to enjoy a tailgate party. Of course, it doesn’t end there. 

Integrated into the boot floor is a multi-purpose panel. Flip it up one way for some relaxed seating or flip it the other way to access the luggage segregator. The boot also has controls to raise/lower the rear air-suspension, drop/raise the rear seats and fold out/away the parcel tray. The load space is enormous, of course, though fitting a rear seat refrigerator will eat into that space and underneath the boot floor is a full-size spare tyre.

The Big Decision

Prices for the new Range Rover start at Rs 2.39 crore and go up to Rs 4.17 crore (ex-showroom) for the creme-de-la-creme SV grade. Of course, customisations mean these prices are more representative of a baseline. But the bottomline is this, the new Range Rover is a great balance of the latest technology, extreme comfort and almost as importantly, the ease of use to get the best out of both.