2010
Range Rover Sport Supercharged
A
"Grand Touring" car is one that is fast, comfortable, and
luxurious, and meant for long-distance travel at a high average
speed. The category originally applied to two-seat, or perhaps
2+2, coupes that offered performance equal to or better than the
sports cars of the day, with far greater comfort. This still may
be the purist definition, but over the years there have been a
number of sedans that could be considered for the category as
well.
And
one SUV.
With
a steel monocoque structure and an integrated chassis, the Range
Rover HSE still has the smooth handling even when towing and
hauling up to 7716 pounds with trailer brake. Furthermore, this
range rover car rental has comprehensive safety systems to
ensure it offers maximum protection even when driving in
off-road conditions. The eight airbags with front, side and head
airbags for the driver and front-seat passenger as well as head
and seat-mounted side airbags for the rear. There is also the
advanced front and rear park distance control and a rearview
colour television camera which is especially handy when backing
up. The Range Rover HSE gives you extra security protection with
deadlocks, an ultrasound sonic alarm system and a panic button
that activates locks for additional security which is always a
bonus to have when traveling in big cities such as US.
The
interior is tastefully appointed with pleasing architectural
designs, creating a light and airy atmosphere in the cabin.
Spacious and comfortable, the luscious leather seats will
cushion the passengers even on off-road excursions. The Range
Rover HSE range rover car rental is also loaded with many of the
latest technology offerings including three-zone climate
control, a 12-way power driver’s seat with three memory settings
and rain sensing windshield wiper. A state-of-the-art voice
controlled DVD based GPS navigation system is provided as well,
perfect for traveling around a big city like US. There is also
the off-road mode featuring elevation contours that will guide
you to your destination as well as tracking where you have been,
making exploration trips all the more fun and convenient. To add
to the pleasurable ride, you can enjoy your favourite tunes with
the premium Harman/Kardon digital surround-sound system with a
six-disc CD changer and 14 strategically placed speakers for
enhanced listening experience.
If
the idea of grand touring is fast, comfortable long-distance
travel, the Range Rover Sport can accommodate very well, thank
you, especially in supercharged form. And pavement is not
strictly necessary. It is a Range Rover, after all.
The
Range Rover Sport Supercharged is also a very high-tech Range
Rover, almost as far removed from the ancient Land Rovers seen
in BBC nature documentaries as an F22 is from a Spitfire. Cast
iron and solid axles are long-gone, replaced by high-strength
steels and aluminum and magnesium alloys - and a highly
sophisticated electronically-controlled active air suspension
that is the key to the Sport Supercharged's fine road manners.
There are two models of Range Rover Sport. The HSE is equipped
with a 300-horsepower 4.4-liter naturally-aspirated V8, while
the Supercharged model has a namesake 4.2 liter supercharged and
intercooled V8 with 390 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque. Both
engines are matched to a multi-mode six-speed ZF automatic
transmission and then to a full-time dual-range four-wheel drive
system, also electronically-managed.
While there is a ladder frame underneath the Sport, it is built
with hydroforming technology. And it is mated, by means of small
dampers to a monocoque body structure to give the benefits of
both body-on-frame and unibody construction. Solid axles belong
to the past - the Sport has independent double wishbones at all
four corners, with monotube dampers and
electronically-controlled air springs. The Dynamic Response
system, optional in the HSE and standard in the Supercharged,
consists of active anti-roll bars that minimize body motion
during cornering, acceleration, and braking. It is the key to
the Range Rover Sport Supercharged's impressive handling.
With
a distinctive profile, the Range Rover HSE is easily
recognizable by its smooth contour and unique detailing.
Compared to other SUVs, this range rover car rental looks like a
trim, muscular athlete that is tough yet agile. Built on a
relatively shorter wheelbase, the front of the Range Rover HSE
is capped by the Range Rover’s trademark clamshell hood and head
lighting clusters powered by bi-xenon headlamps. The futuristic
look is completed with the two round ports in the rear with the
deeply buried foglamps and taillights. The smooth exterior is
further enhanced by the high beltline and a flat expanse of
sleek metal on the side of the body. It is hard not to receive
jealous looks when cruising around town in US in this
eye-catching Range Rover HSE range rover car rental.
Under the hood, the Range Rover HSE is powered by the new Jaguar
4.4 liter V8 engine, making it more powerful and quicker than
its predecessors. With 305 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of
torque, this range rover car rental can easily gallop off from
0-60 mph in just over 9 seconds. The Range Rover HSE is also
equipped with Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), helping drivers
prevent from skidding and stay on their intended course. This
range rover car rental has the civilized sophistication with the
outback brawn, the Range Rover HSE impressive off-road prowess
set the standards for the SUVs in its class. This classy range
rover car rental will surely surpass all your expectations, so
hurry and book the Range Rover HSE for your upcoming travel to
US!
And
it is most impressive on the road, with reflexes and responses
that belie its considerable weight. I started my week with the
Sport Supercharged expecting a typical overweight,
sluggish-handling SUV. I couldn't have been more wrong. No laws
of physics are actually broken, but the Land Rover engineers
appear to have found some loopholes. There is plenty of sport
with the utility and all-surface, all-weather capability. The
Dynamic Response system keeps the big beast flat and stable,
even when driven in the spirited manner encouraged by the
supercharged engine. The interior is outfitted and equipped as
expected in a top-line luxury vehicle, with first-class comfort
and plenty of room - but it's not so large as to be unwieldy in
traffic or while parking. The Range Rover Sport Supercharged is
a fine vehicle for a long, fast journey almost anywhere.
Pavement optional.
APPEARANCE: Range
Rovers have had a readily-identifiable look since Day One, and
the Sport doesn't break the mold. It is the box - or two boxes,
really - that it came in, with only minor modifications for
styling purposes. The corners and edges are slightly rounded,
and an incised character line sweeps back on the sides from the
bottom of the hood. That line becomes the beltline, as at the
front it separates the hood from the grille, while at the rear
it tops the large rectangular taillights and then becomes the
lower edge of the rear window structure. The grille is made of
satin-finished perforated horizontal slats, flanked by multiple
headlights under plastic covers. Bumpers are car-like, with
body-colored plastic covers and foglamps are inset into the
front. Chrome trim is minimal. Where one might expect running
boards, at the bottom of the doors, are "aero kit" sill
extensions that look like they came right off a sports car, and
the lower bumper styling is also far more sports car than
sport-utility. It says "to the track!" more loudly than "to the
veldt".
COMFORT: Sport buckets
in a Range Rover? Believe it. And they are wonderfully
comfortable and supportive, too. Interior decor is wood and
leather, but in a modern style that is less opulent, more
Continental, than some older Range Rovers. The Sport is as
fully-appointed as expected from Range Rover, which invented the
luxury sport-utility in 1970. Anything that can be
power-operated is, materials and construction are first-rate,
and there is no shortage of head, leg, or shoulder room - even
in the rear seat. Commonly-used controls and systems are simple
and self-explanatory to use, even the touch-screen navigation
system - which thankfully does not integrate the audio and
climate system controls. As in other Land Rover products, the
monitor screen can also display 4x4 information, more for
passenger amusement than anything else. The rear seat folds
60/40 for cargo, and useful cabin storage spaces include a dual
glovebox.
SAFETY: Passive safety
comes from sturdy frame and body structures with hydroformed
steel frame rails for front, side, and rear protection.
Controlled-deformation crumple zones in the front and rear also
protect, as do front, front side, and side-curtain airbags. On
the active safety front, credit excellent road manners and
antilock brakes, with electronic brake-force distribution, brake
assist, dynamic stability control, and active roll mitigation.
RIDE AND HANDLING:
Competition-developed active suspension technology reaches its
peak not in a sports car but in a sport utility? Surprising, but
true. The Range Rover Sport "Integrated Body-frame" hybrid
ladder/monocoque structure provides a solid base for the
fully-independent double wishbone suspension, and combines the
ruggedness of a ladder frame with the rigidity and refinement of
a unitized body structure, for off-road use and all-around
passenger comfort and quiet. Electronically-controlled air
shocks, with three ride height adjustment levels, and monotube
shocks are standard fare in both models, but the Supercharged
gets the Dynamic Response active anti-roll bar system as
standard equipment. It controls body roll in cornering,
acceleration, and deceleration by increasing stiffness when and
where necessary. If a roll bar at one corner needs to be
stiffer, momentarily, it will be stiffer, but only for the time
necessary. Result? Flat cornering, and a smooth, comfortable
ride. The bars are relaxed in off-road mode, allowing the
necessary greater suspension travel. The Terrain Response
system, controlled by a console-mounted knob, controls the
settings of and interactions between the engine, transmission,
shocks, roll bars, differentials, stability and traction control
systems, antilock brakes, and hill descent control systems.
Modern electronics (and software) at work. Cornering behavior is
exemplary, and the ride quality is as good as any comparable
European luxury sedan. With 40-profile tires and expensive alloy
rims I'd be leery of any serious off-road work, but snow and
improved dirt and gravel should pose few difficulties.
PERFORMANCE: Under the
Sport Supercharged's hood sits 4.2 liters of supercharged and
intercooled twincam, aluminum alloy V8. 390 horsepower, 410
lb-ft of torque, instant acceleration. With torque like that, a
transmission is hardly needed, but the Sport's ZF six-speed
automatic contributes to the vehicle's prowess and civility.
With 0-60 acceleration in the low 7 second range, passing and
merging are no problem. There is a manual-shift mode, but rarely
is there the slightest necessity as torque comes in early and
strong, peaking at 3500 rpm. With its 5700-pound mass and the
available power, stopping a Range Rover Sport takes strong
brakes, and the Dynamic Response Package's are up to the task.
Four-piston Brembo calipers grip large vented discs in front,
with smaller calipers and rotors at the rear. Fuel economy? Do
the math... 5700 pounds + 390 horsepower != "economy". The laws
of physics are always obeyed, no loopholes here. At around 13
mpg overall, it's no different from most other SUVs.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
