Land Rover North Hills

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Driving Impressions

The 2010 LR4 comes with a new engine, a 5.0-liter V8 rated at 375 horsepower and 375 foot-pounds of torque. Coupled to a six-speed ZF automatic transmission, the new V8 will accelerate the LR4 from 0 to 60 mph in only 7.5 seconds. Shared with Jaguar, the new 5.0-liter V8 yields 25-percent more power and 19-percent more torque than the engine used in the previous LR3.

The first purpose-built engine designed specifically for a Land Rover application, the new engine has been substantially improved compared to the Jaguar design to make it ready for serious off-road use. The LR4 engine uses a deeper oil pan to maintain engine lubrication at high lean angles when off-road. Every electric motor, pulley and bearing, the starter, alternator and air conditioning compressor, have been waterproofed.

The improved ZF six-speed transmission shifts very quickly and quietly, up or down.

Although still based on electronically controlled air springs and shock absorbers, the chassis under the LR4 has been given a thorough redesign that gives it much sharper handling and far less body roll in corners, sharper steering response, and even smoother on-road ride quality.

The Terrain Response system menu has a wide range of settings for highway, snow, off-road, and mountainous terrain, a system designed to tune the suspension for almost any use at the click of a knob. There is very little body roll for a hefty truck that rides this high off the ground and has a high center of gravity, and the air suspension system combines with the big tires to yield a quiet, smooth ride even in severe off-road conditions. Hill Descent Control is standard, and there are additional settings in the system for rock crawling and sand driving. Modifications to the front suspension have made the steering response crisper as well.

Brakes on the HSE have been upgraded to the Range Rover Sport's larger 14.2-inch ventilated front discs and four-piston calipers, with 13.8-inch ventilated rear discs and twin-piston calipers. The larger, quieter brakes perform very well, even when driving through water that covers them completely. The brakes are also tied into the standard dynamic stability control system and the Roll Stability Control system to keep the truck on its intended path if and when cornering speeds are too high for conditions.

The LR4 offers its driver a wide choice of driving modes at the flick of the console-mounted Terrain Response wheel, with settings for general driving; grass/gravel/snow; sand; mud and ruts; and rock crawling. The sand setting has been revised for minimal wheelspin, and the rock crawling mode has quicker responses to lost traction in the LR4. Hill Descent Control, pioneered by Land Rover, has been sharpened as well, and is controlled by a separate console button.

The LR4 is possessed of amazing off-road capabilities over every kind of terrain and can slog through almost 28 inches of water. But its new on-road behavior is a surprising and wonderful mix of luxury, quietness, and serenity. If you come upon a surprise, the chassis and brakes and those big tires will handle it. If you find a challenge in the middle of a corner, the LR4 takes it on with a minimum of fuss and very little body roll. The redesigned cockpit, display screen and instrument panel make it a completely different animal than the starker, darker LR3.

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