Range Rover TDV8 Vogue SE

Some cars just get better with age – and the latest Range Rover is definitely one of them. Even though it’s now into its seventh year of production, the flagship remains the luxury off-roader to beat.

Its trademark looks haven’t dated, and its classy cabin is so luxurious that some prestige saloons feel second-rate by comparison. And when it comes to all-round talent, the Range Rover is seriously capable. Its commanding driving position makes it relatively easy to thread through town, despite its gargantuan proportions, while refinement when travelling at high speeds is superb. It can also waft you along in serene comfort off-road, where it can wade and climb with the class’s best.

Exactly how luxurious is the Range Rover inside? The standard heated steering wheel is a perfect indication of how pampered this car can make you feel – it’s worth noting, for example, that the Series I Land Rover doesn’t even have a heater!

Don’t be fooled by the acres of wood and leather, though, because today’s Range Rover is a proper four-wheel-drive vehicle. It will go everywhere the workmanlike Defender can, and all with the minimum of fuss.

If anything, that is one of the few complaints we’ve got about Land Rover’s flagship – it is so talented that from behind the wheel you feel more like a passenger than a driver. Its automatic transmission, terrain response and hill descent control mean it doesn’t engage you in the same way as the rough-and-ready Defender.

There are no complaints about the TDV8 diesel engine, though. The 3.6-litre twin-turbo oil-burner produces 271bhp and a massive 640Nm of torque, which is enough to propel the enormous 4x4 from 0-62mph in 8.6 seconds. In-gear performance is even more impressive, because once you’re on the move the powerplant responds enthusiastically to every press of the throttle.

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of cruising along a motorway in a Range Rover. Other road users get out of your way before you even catch up with them, while your view out isn’t obstructed by roadside verges and fences – so passengers get a great view of the countryside.

The £69,000 model’s superb ride and high-quality cabin also combine to provide a sense of occasion that few cars at any price can match. That’s why the Range Rover is still the undisputed king of the off-road hill – although whether that will make it the best Land Rover of all-time remains to be seen...