Her Majesty's Rock Crawler
Sunday was good day. Why? Because I spent a good afternoon with the timeless limited edition that is the Range Rover Autobiography, Black.
You can never really go wrong with SUVs like the Range Rover. It's a metal monstrosity with the elegance of a ballet dancer. For one thing, its tall, its dark, and I don't need to complete this sentence for you to realize that it indeed is, handsome.
The car is a sight to look at. Standing almost eight feet tall it towers over the terrain. I spent a good while staring at it, trying to figure out what the British were thinking making a car this gargantuan. The Mini Cooper isn't the only British automotive icon BMW has renovated with resounding success. Land Rover was under BMW's ownership and engineering guidance when the current, third-generation Range Rover was in development.
Land Rover always brought something new to the table when it came to their headlights. While most Rovers have their badges in chrome, or gun metal, this limited edition comes in matte black, paying homage to its name. The rear taillights come with the chrome-housed LED setup. If you're ever stuck in traffic behind one of these, you'll be staring at the tails for longer than you should be.
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When you climb into the passenger seats in the back, you're welcomed with some of the finest leather money can buy. There was leather everywhere; on the seats, doors, ceiling, hand-rests, steering wheel and the custom hand-crafted dash. The ride didn't feel uncomfortable. The car didn't jerk over rough roads, and you could have a hot cuppa and never spill it, the active suspension makes sure of that. You have TV screens in the back, with Bluetooth controls. The rear has air conditioning vents. The hump folds down to give you hand rests and cup holders. But of course that's not what makes this car special.
Sit on the driver's seat and everything changes. The dials, the buttons, navigation screen are straight out of an airplane cockpit. Land Rover ensured they get the details right, with futuristic tech camouflaged behind artistically designed exteriors.
Take the old-fashioned clock on the bottom. Its smack in the middle of these two knobs. I later found out they were air conditioning controls. But why would you have two of them? Well, two different AC units for the two sides of the cabin. On the screen, navigation aside, the computer tells you mostly everything the car feels. It displays what kind of terrain you're going over, it shows you how much torque the wheels are receiving, and every pothole your wheels are going over. The computer automatically adjusts the torque ratio between wheels to gain maximum traction.
The Terrain Response System allows the driver to select among five different settings for power train, suspension, the differentials and stability/traction systems - General, Snow, Mud, Sand and Rock Crawl .For Dhaka city I'm guessing rock Crawl is your only hope. Truth be told one doesn't need an off road track to realize how good it handles. Take it down any Gulshan inner alley and you'll know how it handles through rough terrain.
What does that colossal hood hide? A supercharged 4.2 liter V8, pumping out 400 horsepower and 420 lb-ft torque. With the six speed automatic, the Range Rover goes from 0 to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds- hardly record-shattering, but that time is pretty impressive given the 5,880 pounds weight. This translates into an SUV that's quick off the line. It's astounding how quickly the car reacts when you put your foot down. Body roll is kept to a minimum. If you're going to hire a chauffeur to drive this, letting him drive it should be payment itself.
The largest turn-off would be fuel economy. Three kilometers to the liter isn't easy on the pocket. Then there's the pricing on each of these.
The good people bringing you this car is our friends over at Trends Auto. They have more luxury SUVs coming into the country, alongside luxury sedans and others. For further details, please visit their website at trendsautobd.com, or feel free to call Mr. Shoeb Rahman at 01920808080.
With Special Thanks to Mr Shoeb Rahman, Trends Auto.
SPECS
2009 Range Rover Autobiography Black
Engine: 4,197ccsupercharged V8 (400 hp @5,750 RPM, 420 lb-ft @ 3,500 RPM)
Transmission: 6 speed automatic.
Wheels and tires: 20 inch alloys with 255/50 R20 tires.
Options: Front, side, head airbags and knee airbags for driver, tire pressure monitoring system, Terrain Response system.Leather interior, sunroof, dual zone climate control air conditioning, rear vents. Bluetooth connectivity, dual screens at the back, ipod, USB, HarmannKardon stereo system.
VERDICT
If one can afford a Range Rover, there's really no other SUV anyone should buy. Sure, the gas bills are high, but owning a Range Rover should make you forget all about that. You drive this down the road, people will turn their heads to take a look at who's driving it.
With Special Thanks to Mr Shoeb Rahman, Trends Auto
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