Auto Express 1701

SOMETHING very strange happened a few weeks ago. I was invited to Land Rover HQ to see the new Range Rover and there, sitting outside the design offices, was a current model – still looking as regal as it ever has. Then the new Range Rover rolled out and parked right next to the current-generation car. In an instant, the model that I had loved for so long suddenly looked old and out of date. I’d found a new love. Now, I know that when you take a look at our pictures of the new Range Rover (page 8), you’ll probably think it’s a gentle evolution. But in the metal it really is a thing of beauty, a masterful piece of design that is the living embodiment of Land Rover…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk ● New fifth-generation Range Rover on sale now ● Available with PHEV power and seven seats IN more than 50 years there have only been four generations of the Range Rover, so this all-new fifth-generation car is a significant step for Land Rover. Not least because the British brand’s iconic luxury SUV will be available as a plug-in hybrid and with seven seats for the first time. The new Range Rover is on sale now, priced from £94,400, and is the first model on the brand’s new MLA-Flex platform. Alongside a full EV coming in 2024, the new Range Rover will offer two plug-in hybrid options. The first, badged P440e, combines a 3.0-litre straight-six turbo petrol engine with a 38.2kWh (31.8kWh usable) battery and a 141bhp electric motor for…

The man behind the fifth-generation Range Rover’s new look tells us about the challenges and triumphs of the new car’s design Q There have only been four before it, so what is the big challenge when you design a new Range Rover? A “You have to develop the look, make it more modern, but not go too radical so that it puts people off. The Range Rover is a design icon, so it needs to move forward in every area including design, but we really wanted to focus on the reductionism here and making modern luxury more understated. We had many design concepts – some more evolutionary than this.” Q Tell us about these design concepts? A “We had many, but one in particular that was more evolutionary. But this…

STANDARD OR LONG WHEELBASE Basic car comes in SWB (standard wheelbase) form, and can be had with either four or five seats. New platform gives extra legroom in the rear, while LWB (long wheelbase) models add an extra 200mm to the body, offering up to one metre of legroom in the back and an ultra-luxurious four-seat cabin in the SV version. TRIM LEVELS SE, HSE and Autobiography specifications are available, along with a First Edition car from launch. All trims get an excellent level of tech and connectivity, while SV models offer bespoke touches such as ceramic detailing and different design themes. More sustainable alternatives to leather trim are available. POWERTRAINS Adopting plug-in hybrid power and packaging a battery doesn’t affect the Range Rover’s ground clearance or off-road ability. The…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy ● High-riding model with coupé styling set to replace current hatchback ● New car leads Sunderland plant’s EV research and development NISSAN has confirmed that its Leaf electric hatchback will be replaced by an all-new crossover. The model is earmarked to lead the development of the firm’s Sunderland plant as an EV hub from the middle of this decade. The Japanese manufacturer announced earlier this year that it is investing around £1billion in the site in the North East, and that a new EV would be produced to take batteries that will be produced at a new factory being built next door. Our exclusive images show what Nissan’s new Leaf-replacing crossover could look like, with the new model set to feature many design elements from the production-ready Ariya…

John_McIlroy@autovia.co.uk @johnmcilroy NISSAN is turning to Alliance partner Renault to see if it’s worth making a successor to the current Micra, it has emerged. The Japanese brand’s Ford Fiesta rival has struggled for sales in its latest fifth generation, and the costs involved in developing small combustion-engined cars for upcoming Euro 7 emissions rules look set to make them harder than ever to make money on. Nissan’s European boss Guillaume Cartier said that the firm is yet to commit to a successor, and is investigating which Alliance resources might allow it to build such a car. “One topic remains open, and this is the entry point of the line-up,” he said. “The key point is to say, ‘How can we offer something, potentially with the Alliance, that will lure people…