2011 Land Rover Range Rover Sport Utility Vehicle Review & Performance

For the 2010 redesign, the hood, grille, fenders, lamps, air intakes, side vents, mirrors, front and rear LED lamps, and bumpers were made sleeker. So we didn't expect more changes in 2011, but the mesh in the grille and vents has been changed for 2011 to something more diamond-shaped and starry, that Range Rover calls a Jupiter pattern.

The Range Rover body is iconic, and needs no description. Its shape is distinctive in the SUV world, boxy and sleek at the same time. Totally classy.

It has the shortest possible front and rear overhangs to maintain its awesome off-road clearances, and its fender flares were widened for 2010, integrated into the steel fenders rather than tacked on.

The Range Rover interior is rich and beautiful. Premium materials are everywhere you look and touch. There's European leather on the headliner, pillars, and door casings. High quality satin black and natural wood trim adds to the sumptuous feel of the interior. The HSE offers Burr Walnut or Cherry wood trim and both are pretty. The Grand Black Lacquer looks impressive when clean, but it quickly shows dirt and we prefer the traditional woods.

A 12-inch Thin Film Transistor screen replaces the usual instrument cluster. This screen displays the tach, speedo and other instruments virtually. The driver is able to move the gauges around on the screen for more convenient off-road operation. It's bright, clear, interesting and versatile.

The front leather seats are tall and supportive in all the right places, and there is a nearly infinite amount of adjustment. The steering wheel carries buttons galore for cruise control, telephone and audio, two of which are up-down-left-right selectors for display and information functions. All the rotary switches on the instrument panel are hefty, and scalloped so they can be used with gloved hands.

The window glass in the rear doors is laminated to enhance the silent running in the back seat. Power reclining of the rear seat, in addition to heating and cooling, is available.

The 720-watt, 14-speaker harman/kardon system that comes standard produces chamber-like sound. 2011 brings an optional 1200-watt 19-speaker system. The available rear seat entertainment system includes a 6 DVD changer, separate screens in the front seatbacks, and headphones.

The Terrain Response system, controlled by a click-wheel on the console, allows the driver to select among six chassis setups, depending on the terrain being traversed. Height control allows the driver to lower the body of the Range Rover for easy entry of passengers or raise it for off-road clearance. A third control allows for locking the center and rear differentials for demanding off-road conditions or icy on-road driving. There is a separate switch for Hill Descent Control, the system that restricts downhill speed to 2 mph on any grade without touching the brakes. In any off-road mode, a set of icons is displayed on the TFT screen showing the front tire steering angle and the locked/unlocked differential positions, so the driver always knows what's what when driving off-road.

Using the height control to lower the Range Rover is a great aid when loading dogs and cargo.

All 2010 Range Rover models use the new and compact 5.0-liter V8 that powers Jaguar sedans, with the latest technology including double overhead cams, 32 valves, variable valve timing, and direct fuel injection.

The Range Rover HSE uses a normally aspirated 375 horsepower version with 375 foot-pounds of torque. It accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 7.2 seconds, a pace that's more than quick enough for safe passing. The engine sounds wonderful and feels blissfully smooth at full throttle, and is nearly soundless at cruising speeds.

The Range Rover Supercharged takes that engine and adds the latest generation of Eaton supercharger, boosting the power to 510 horsepower and 461 foot-pounds of torque. That's 28 percent more power and 12 percent more torque than the previous 4.2-liter supercharged engine, with 12 percent better fuel economy and cleaner emissions. The acceleration leaps from 0 to 60 in 5.8 seconds, which is hot rod territory, for this SUV weighing nearly three tons.

All models use a ZF 6-speed automatic transmission, which features Normal, Sport and Manual modes. We found it effortless and unrestrained, and it shifts quickly in response to throttle input. There's a two-speed locking transfer case that can be shifted on the fly.

The steering and suspension systems are nearly faultless, as long as you're not trying to treat the big SUV like it's a sports car. Lots of power-steering assist is needed for quick left-right moves at low speeds and off-road, but less is needed as speeds climb. The Range Rover is a tall, heavy vehicle, but it takes extreme maneuvers in stride. It works better to drive it in a stately manner.

We found the ride quality of the Range Rover HSE to be about perfect. The suspension uses electronically controlled air springs and shock absorbers. We found the HSE provided excellent handling and little body roll in corners, especially for a hefty truck that rides this high off the ground and has a high center of gravity. The ride is smooth and the steering response is good, if not sports-car-like. It's a wonderful mix of luxury, silence and serenity.

But it should be. Listen to all the things working for you: Dynamic systems include All-terrain Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), Enhanced Understeer Control (EUC), Electronic Rear Brake Boost (ERBB), Cornering Brake Control (CBC), Roll Stability Control (RSC), Hill Descent Control (HDC) and Gradient Release Control (GRC), Hill Start Assist (HSA) and Gradient Acceleration Control (GAC). It's a lot of alphabet soup, but it all works together both to increase capability and to make up for occasional deficiencies in the driving department.

The Terrain Response system has five settings: Highway, Grass/Gravel/Snow, Mud/Ruts, Sand, and Rock Crawl. All you have to do is look out the windshield, assess the terrain, and select the appropriate setting. The Range Rover will drive accordingly, including setting the suspension height.

We also got to test drive a Range Rover Supercharged model. Just going down the highway, it was delightful. The huge tires are very quiet, and they combine with the electronically controlled air suspension and premium Bilstein Damptronic adaptive damping shock absorbers to deliver an extremely plush luxury-car ride, sampling the roadway 500 times per second and changing shock rates accordingly, each corner acting independently of the other three.

In consideration of its 140-mph top speed, the brakes on the Supercharged are big Brembos, with six-piston calipers in front. We found them extremely powerful, and very progressive and sensitive to conditions. They are a great piece of kit.

The 2011 Range Rover HSE ($78,835) comes standard with leather upholstery, 720-watt 14-speaker harman/kardon sound system, hard-drive navigation with 7-inch touch screen, rearview camera, high-intensity discharge headlights, front and rear foglights, heated rear seats, heated steering wheel, three-zone automatic climate control, power sunroof.

Options include rear seat entertainment ($2500); adaptive cruise control with brake assist ($2000); Vision Assist package, including blind spot monitoring, adaptive headlamps, surround camera and high-beam assist ($1800); 1200-watt, 19-speaker harman/kardon sound system ($1700); 20-inch wheels ($1500); locking rear differential ($1300); power reclining rear seat ($1250); and more upgrades in interior leather and wood trim. The Luxury Interior Package ($4600) upgrades the HSE with 14-way heated and cooled front seats, premium leather, wood trim on the center console, auto-dimming exterior mirrors, and 20-inch wheels.

Range Rover Supercharged ($94,615) comes with the supercharged engine, the big Brembo brakes, Adaptive Dynamics (continuously variable suspension tuning), the 14-way adjustable front seats, more interior wood trim, stainless steel pedals, and chrome exhaust tips.

Special trim is available, including the Autobiography Package ($21,485) for the Supercharged model, which upgrades with 1200-watt 19-speaker harman/kardon 6CD, HD radio, semi-aniline leather seats, full leather trim, special headliner, vanity mirrors, 14-piece wood trim, four-zone climate control, rear seat entertainment system with 6DVD changer, adaptive cruise control with Brake Assist, diamond-turned 20-inch wheels, special trim.

Safety features that come standard include seven airbags, stability control with traction control and yaw control, anti-lock brakes, Hill Descent Control, Acceleration Gradient Control, tire pressure monitor, collapsible steering column, and rearview camera.