2022 Land Rover Range Rover Debuts With Three Rows, Upcoming PHEV and EV

Plug-in hybrid models arrive for 2023; full-electric model comes one year later.

Here it is, officially. Land Rover has taken the wraps off the fifth-generation Range Rover, the British luxury brand’s high-rolling icon. Don’t let the evolutionary design fool you: there’s a lot of change going on under the skin, from a whole new engine lineup, four-wheel steering, predictive air suspension, and other high-tech goodies.

Let’s tackle that new wrapper, shall we? The nouveau Rangie adopts an even cleaner design language than before, with large expanses of smooth sheet metal. It’s bigger in every direction, though the huge wheels keep the proportions in check. A new glazing process results in crisp contrast between body and glass, and flush-fitting handles emphasize the clean surfaces.Land Rover has stuck to the “floating roof” look as well, utilizing black pillars.

The one major change happens out back, with a gloss black, sideways C-shape serving as both trim and taillights. Land Rover says this is the first instance of taillights that are hidden until needed, and that’s technically true: Hyundai has been doing it with headlights, after all.

Back to the chassis. The 2022 Range Rover now rides on JLR’s MLA-Flex architexture. This mixed-metal platform allows for a variety of advanced technology, including mild and plug-in hybrid models. The latter will arrive for the 2023 model year, and a year later, we’ll see the all-electric Range Rover. Every model also comes with rear-wheel steering, which can steer the rear axle up to seven degrees either with or in contrast to the front axle. This gives the RR a turning circle of 36 feet (12 meters); the tightest of any production Land Rover.

Also part of the tech suite is an adaptive air suspension that reads the road ahead, pre-emptively adjusting for any upcoming bumps and other nastiness. Land Rover calls this eHorizon Navigation. The fully independent suspension now includes the brand’s first five-link rear axle. Of course, this being a Land Rover, there’s the requisite Terrain Response 2 system, with six different drive modes to tackle all manner of off-road situations. Drivers also have the option to manually adjust settings for a custom setup.

Once again the Range Rover comes in both short- and long-wheelbase lengths. The latter now offers the option of a third row, while a five-seat setup is standard. The five-seat model also includes a new power-folding cargo cover in the rear, which allows access to the space without opening the lower portion of the split tailgate. Feeling especially fancy? The SV Signature Suite setup swaps in a swanky four-seat setup.

Who are we kidding? this is a Range Rover; they’re all swanky. The interior is awash with leather and open-pore wood. Range Rover also offers a wider variety of alternative fabrics, including animal-free products. A curved, 13.1-inch screen houses the latest version of Land Rover’s Pivi Pro system, including wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and native Alexa functionality. It also features haptic feedback. A 13.7-inch digital instrument panel sits ahead of the driver, and is fully customizable. An optional second-row entertainment setup adds a pair of 11.4-inch touchscreens.

Land Rover says the new platform has resulted in a 24-percent improvement in NVH. Helping achieve that is an available 35-speaker Meridian sound system with third-generation active noise cancellation. The system uses in-headrest speakers to pump an opposing signal through, cancelling any pesky road, tire, and wind noise.

Under the hood are two choices of engines at launch. Jaguar’s mild-hybrid inline-six is standard, pumping out the same 395 horsepower and 406 lb-ft it does elsewhere. A V8 is still optional, but this one is a BMW-sourced 4.4-liter eight-pot. It spits out 523 hp and 553 lb-ft.

Starting next year, a plug-in hybrid Range Rover will also be available, augmenting the six-cylinder with a larger battery and electric motor. The important figures are 434 hp and an electric-only range of 62 miles (100 km). 2023 will also bring the high-end Range Rover SV, an SVO-fettled range-topper boasting unique design themes. In 2024, Land Rover will release a fully-electric Range Rover.

The 2022 Land Rover Range Rover is now available to order in Canada and the US. American pricing starts at $105,350 for the six-cylinder SE, including destination. A V8 model starts from $120,050. Graduating to a LWB SE tacks another $6,000 onto the bottom line. Meanwhile the high-end Autobiography and First Editions start over $150,000. Canadian pricing begins at $126,400 CAD before destination, and runs all the way up to a $182,000 short-wheelbase First Edition.

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