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2016 Range Rover Td6 Diesel Long-Term Test Intro: Embarking on 40,000 Miles of Fancy

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It may seem like a strange time to adopt a diesel-powered vehicle for a 40,000-mile test, what with Volkswagen being bent over a barrel for skirting emissions laws with its TDI cars. Yet we maintain that diesels, at least those without cheaty devices for giving the EPA the runaround, offer an excellent mix of torque and efficiency for most American drivers-particularly in larger SUVs and trucks. When Land Rover redesigned the Range Rover for 2013, we were smitten, and that emotion was joined by intrigue when a diesel option was added to the available U.S. lineup of supercharged gas engines for 2016.

Here, we figured, was the missing link in the redesigned Range Rover story. After shedding hundreds of pounds by switching to an all-aluminum unibody, the Rover was still barely more efficient than its truckier predecessors, thanks to its powerful gas engines. The diesel-dubbed “Td6” by Land Rover and offered for years overseas-on the other hand promises lofty EPA fuel economy of 22 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway. After more than 5000 miles of highway-biased driving so far, we're averaging 26 mpg.

The efficiency doesn't come at the expense of performance. While the turbocharged diesel 3.0-liter V-6 produces 254 horsepower, the smallest figure in the Range Rover stable (excluding the four-cylinder Evoque), it also stirs up 443 lb-ft of torque at just 1750 rpm. That torque figure is 18 lb-ft shy of the 461 lb-ft shoved out by the Range Rover's 510-hp 5.0-liter supercharged gasoline V-8, and it peaks at 750 fewer rpm. Land Rover pairs the diesel with the same eight-speed automatic transmission that's standard across the full-size Range Rover family, which shuttles torque to the ground via the same all-wheel-drive system with multiple terrain settings.

British Understatement
Although it can't be paired with either the long-wheelbase body style or the higher-zoot Autobiography trim level, the diesel can be had on the humbler base Range Rover or the HSE model. Our long-term test selection started with the $94,945 HSE, which comes standard with 20-inch wheels, four-corner adjustable air springs, 14-way power front seats, a power-adjustable steering column, a heated steering wheel, tri-zone automatic climate control, a panoramic sunroof, navigation, front and rear parking sensors, a power-opening split tailgate, and a 380-watt Meridian sound system.

We'd consider an un-optioned HSE to be perfectly adequate, but this is a Range Rover, and its option sheet presents too many enticing goodies to ignore. To kick things up a notch, we added the $2900 Four Zone Climate Comfort package, which separates the rear-seat climate control into left- and right-side zones, fits a massage function to the front seats and power adjustability to the rear seats, and adds a cooling system to the center-console bin. The $2500 Vision Assist package brought fog lights, bixenon headlights with automatic high-beam control, interior mood lighting, blind-spot monitoring, All Terrain Progress Control (Jaguar Land Rover's low-speed traction-control function), and an enhanced Terrain Response system. Our final large option group, the $2900 Driver Assistance package, added lane-departure warning, traffic-sign recognition, a self-parking system, a 360-degree parking camera, a head-up display, and pre-wiring for onboard Wi-Fi. Because we plan on taking advantage of our Rover's 7716-pound towing capacity, we opted for the $900 Tow package for its tow-hitch receiver, seven-pin connector, and full-size spare tire.

Since an 825-watt Meridian sound system is surely more entertaining than the standard 380-watt setup, we ordered that $1850 goody. Adaptive cruise control added $1295, “shadow walnut” wood trim added $1510 and looks great, and painting the roof a contrasting Santorini black hue cost $650. We resisted adding the optional 22-inch wheels-even though they look fantastic, we foresaw only tire-repair or -replacement bills springing from every Michigan pothole, so we stuck with the basic, and likely better riding, 20s. (Imagine that: a vehicle that can make 20-inch wheels seem small.) To ensure our Rover emits a subtle old-money luxury feel, we opted for Aintree Green paint and an Espresso and Almond interior color scheme.

Who'd Have Guessed, It's Popular!
With its fancy duds and its generous room for four-and for staffers with kids, even a middle rear seat that's habitable for medium-size youths-the Range Rover has been a popular sign-out choice since it first landed in our parking lot. Praise has been doled out for the rig's cushy ride, sumptuous leather, and obvious curb appeal. The Rover was even called upon to tow our LeMons racer to Denver, the rig's towing capacity proving more than adequate for transporting a 1988 Honda Prelude aboard a steel trailer.

Disappointingly, an electric snafu sidelined the Land Rover just days after its arrival. The instrument-cluster display announced that the urea/water fluid (which lowers the diesel's emissions to acceptable levels) was of insufficient quality, despite the fluid having been filled at the factory. This warning was accompanied by a mandated countdown: After 530 miles of driving, the computer wouldn't allow the engine to be started until the supposedly faulty fluid was replaced. We took the vehicle to the dealer, where some fluid was added and a 50-mile shakedown test performed, both of which led to the warning's disappearance at zero cost to us.

A few editors have expressed frustration at the Range Rover's confusing driver-information display in the gauge cluster, which is operated by a small button on the end of the turn-signal stalk. The unit divides information like trip mileage and fuel economy such that they can't be displayed simultaneously, forcing the driver to tap-tap-tap through individual nuggets of info until he or she finds the desired data. The diesel's lazy accelerator-pedal response has come under fire, as well, with momentary delays between inputs and the engine actually moving the Land Rover from a stop-despite the engine's torque peak hitting just off idle. (The transmission's Sport mode doesn't solve the problem, either.) Finally, the SUV's buttery-soft ride comes at the expense of body control, a particularly noticeable demerit given the driver's high seating position. Steer the Rover into a corner, and the suspension does little to quell body roll (or dive or squat when braking or accelerating)-one driver felt compelled to warn his passengers of an impending highway off-ramp with the command: “Brace yerselves, scalawags! We're a-listin'!”

We have recorded zero capsizing events so far, and the suspension's squish has had little effect on the Range Rover's forward progress, either literally or figuratively. The Rover is so popular at the sign-out board, in fact, that we needed to wrangle the keys away from vacationing staffers just to photograph the thing.

Months in Fleet: 2 months Mileage: 5,956 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 26 mpg Fuel Tank Size: 23.5 gal Fuel Range: 610 miles
Service: $0 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0

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Text Source: Car and Driver
 


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