When Land Rover slotted a new 313hp 4.4 V8 diesel engine into the Range Rover, it broke through the 30mpg barrier for the first time at 30.1mpg. The off-roader also dropped from 294g/km to 253, still comfortably in the highest BIK band but a big fall.
The increased power compared with the old 3.6-litre diesel is noticeable, and the car’s massive bulk is well hidden under acceleration. The light steering does less to hide it though, while the new eight-speed gearbox has the occasional tendency towards indecision, certainly more so than the usual excellence of Jaguar Land Rover automatics.
But the peerless refinement and class of the Range Rover is enhanced by the new cleaner and more powerful diesel, even if it’s still no nearer attainability for the masses at a whopping 171.6p per mile for the range-topping but sumptuous Autobiography model.
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