Range Rover (2012-2022) review - Interior, design and technology

With its gargantuan size and good looks, the Range Rover smacks of luxury and makes quite the statement. While the Range Rover's sheer size is what first grabs you, it's what's under the skin that makes it more than just a 21st Century style icon.

The Range Rover gets sleek gills on the front doors and the wraparound tail-lights help disguise its sheer bulk. What's more, the designers at Land Rover have cleverly managed to create a contemporary-looking SUV without abandoning the classic Range Rover design cues – the clamshell bonnet, ‘floating’ roof and split tailgate are all present and correct.

However, the swept-back headlights and sharply angled front grille and windscreen take their cues from the smaller, fashionable Range Rover Evoque crossover.

Given the regular Range Rover's huge presence, many buyers will prefer less ostentatious German saloons, such as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Audi A8 and BMW 7 Series. Either way, there’s no denying the Range Rover’s kerb appeal.

The crisp, clean and uncluttered interior is also a plus point. As expected, the 'entry-level' Range Rover Vogue is very well equipped, and as standard, Land Rover decks it out with 20-inch alloys, digital TV and radio, sat-nav, and an automatically opening tailgate and self-parking system. The Range Rover Vogue SE is the next version up, and gets a dual-view TFT screen (so passengers can watch TV and the driver can keep nav info on the same screen) and soft door-closing as standard.

31

Westminster-spec cars build on the Vogue equipment level with 21-inch alloys and a sliding panoramic roof, while the Black versions add bigger wheels and a styling pack.

The Autobiography model features a panoramic roof, heated steering wheel and a beautifully designed dash, while the SVAutobiography Dynamic and SVAutobiography Long Wheelbase models are almost worth considering as separate models, being twice the price of the TDV6 Vogue at the other end of the line-up. 

They are the pinnacle of luxury, though, with almost every conceivable toy - including massaging, 24-way adjustable heated and cooled front seats, four-zone climate control, ebony-quilted perforated semi-aniline leather upholstery and cabin pre-conditioning with a remote function. 

Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

Jaguar Land Rover has recently updated its infotainment system to InControl Touch, which is a big improvement on the old-fashioned software its cars had before. InControl Touch is not quite as slick as BMW’s iDrive, but it is fine to use and has better control interfaces than before, making it more intuitive and less frustrating to use.

31

Premium HDD navigation is standard on all Range Rovers and it’s an excellent system, while there’s a range of high-end sound packages to appeal to owners. All cars get DAB and MP3 compatibility, and Meridian provides the audio set-ups.

The Vogue’s is an 13-speaker plus subwoofer 380W affair, while the Vogue SE and Autobiography are upgraded to 19 speakers plus subwoofer and 825W. They also benefit from the dual-view front screen, including one set of WhiteFire headphones for the front-seat passenger. 

Finally, the SVAutobiography Dynamic gets a supremely powerful 1,700W Meridian Signature Reference Audio System and the Touch Pro Duo infotainment system with 10” touchscreen and voice control.