Bosch European Motors

The Range Rover has set a high bar for luxury SUVs. It was one of the first of its kind and few can compete with its ability to go anywhere, any time, in any weather in a leather-lined interior. Introduced for the 2013 model year, the current Range Rover has aged with grace, but it is aging as new competition arrives in the form of Bentayga and Cullinan. For 2018, Land Rover has given the Range Rover a tech overhaul with a handful of screens inside the cabin, a few updates on the exterior, and more luxury options than ever before. I spent a long weekend with the updated luxury liner to see if those changes spoiled the serene mood鈥攊f they were more tech overload than tech overhaul. The Range Rover has elegant, even minimalist style, compared to the Bentley and Rolls SUVs, but it鈥檚 a look that has needed almost no updates.

For 2018, the front fascia has been smoothed out and features new LED headlights. Like the Porsche 911, its design language has evolved over time, but the Range Rover still can be instantly recognized around the globe. Its squared body, rounded corners and upright traditional SUV stance have a timeless air. It鈥檚 far from flashy, but it has understated presence and class few vehicles can match. Inside the Range Rover is where most of the upgrades took place for 2018. Fire it up inside a dark parking garage, and the glow of 32 inches of digital displays can be overwhelming. The 12-inch digital gauge cluster was familiar enough. It does have odd touch-sensitive and clickable steering wheel buttons to control it but they鈥檙e not hard to figure out. For true confusion, just look down at the twin 10-inch touchscreens mounted on the center of the dashboard. They control nearly every function in the Range Rover, and can be very confusing to navigate quickly without any previous exposure. It took about a day to become familiar with the setup, but making changes on the fly while driving down a highway never became easier.

The Td6 badge means a turbodiesel 3.0-liter inline-6 with 254 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque sits under hood; it sends power to all four wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission. Push the start button and the turbodiesel clatters to life with far more noise, and less bark, than one expects from a Range Rover. It鈥檚 like a silky-smooth pickup truck for the well-heeled individual without the associated vibrations in the steering wheel. Mat the accelerator and the turbodiesel forgets any notion of turbo lag. It just grinds out a wave of low-end torque, one that feels pretty close to the Range Rover plug-in edition. Range Rover states 0 to 60 mph happens in 7.5 seconds, and that seemed about right. The thin-rimmed steering wheel points the Range Rover whichever way I want with slightly less weight than I would like, but it鈥檚 accurate and tracks down the highway well. On the highway the Range Rover鈥檚 active lane control wasn鈥檛 as accurate or as active as Volvo鈥檚 ProPilot Assist, and doesn鈥檛 even come close to Tesla鈥檚 AutoPilot or Cadillac鈥檚 Super Cruise systems. The Range Rover鈥檚 sensors read the markings accurately, but didn鈥檛 provide any correction or steering input until the luxury barge started to veer out of the current lane. 108,040, my tester was far from cheap and the competition at that price is fierce. 325,000 base Cullinan price tag. But nothing鈥攁nd I mean nothing鈥攃arries the understated presence that the Range Rover does. For 2018, the Range Rover raises the bar for luxury SUVs with a healthy dose of modern, if not a bit overwhelming, technology.

The suspension is steel sprung but electronic air is an option. In other tech, buyers can also opt for the Sport Chrono Package - which has been available for years on other models - that includes a Sport Response Button for extra performance in instances such as overtaking. There is also an Offroad Precision app that buyers who take their car off the road can use to document and record their adventure. There鈥檚 a promise to the driving prowess of this vehicle and its written on the badge on the bonnet. Porsche. You don鈥檛 buy these to take the kids to school - well, before the Cayenne you didn鈥檛. The company builds vehicles to perform. Handling, engine performance, the gambit of driving dynamics, braking, steering and so on. Now there鈥檚 suspension comfort, seating space, luggage volume and features. This is the promise before the Macan drive. The seating position is perfect in an SUV sense, boasting excellent all-round visibility through glass though there鈥檚 hidden bits with the tapering nose and curvaceous tail.

It may be smaller than the Cayenne but it鈥檚 not by much (in fact, 222mm in length and 72mm lower) and it does feel impressively big from within. The engine is unusually muted for a sports SUV - though buyers who don鈥檛 like the muffled purr through the rev range can opt for a sports exhaust - which adds to its tame demeanour. Even driven gently, it鈥檚 a very composed machine with compliant suspension and easy manners. Things change when the accelerator pedal is booted and, further, when the Sport Response button is pressed on the steering wheel. It鈥檚 a quick wagon, uplifting its skirts quickly and dashing without the turbo lag of some peers to confirm the improved response of the new engine and the sophisticated turbocharger. The dual-clutch gearbox really impresses with its rapid upshifts, peeling through the six gears before relaxing in seventh. The steering is equally as captivating.