First Drive: 2016 Land Rover LR4
"Why would anybody buy a four-wheel drive sport utility ... particularly when most of them are bought right here in the big city?"
That was the question Jim Kenzie posed back in 1992 as he climbed out of a then-new Range Rover, and he followed it up with a straight-to-the-point answer:
- Also: First Look at the 2017 Land Rover Discovery
- Also: A New, More Refined Land Rover Discovery in Paris
"The reason people buy vehicles like this is for image."
(An interesting side note: The sticker price on the Range Rover that appeared on the show in 1992 was about $65,000, which, adjusting for inflation, is about $98,000 in today's dollars—only about $2,000 less than the starting price of a 2015 Range Rover.)
Jim's words were stuck in my head as I cruised around in that vehicle's modern-day cousin, the 2016 Land Rover LR4, a sport utility that, despite it's rugged demeanor and off-road chops, will likely never leave the asphalt.
And it's too bad.
Okay, let me back this up.
The LR4—née Discovery—is no Jeep Wrangler; it's loaded with all the creature comforts that have made the Land Rover brand so popular with the British Royal Family over the years.
There is leather galore, plenty of real wood grain trim to go around, and a phenomenal stereo system that includes a whopping 17 speakers if you step up to the HSE Luxury trim.
It's comfortable and cozy and feels more like a living room on wheels—particularly if you opt for the $2,000 rear seat entertainment package that adds a pair of eight-inch video screens to the front headrests for your family's movie-watching pleasure.
Land Rover's rugged roots aren't lost on the LR4, though.
Fitted with electronic air suspension and a five-mode Terrain Response system—as well as an available Heavy Duty package that adds a locking rear differential and two-speed transfer case—the LR4 is a Land Rover through and through.
And with 310 millimetres of ground clearance and the ability to ford 700 millimetres of water, the LR4 is decked out with the go-anywhere ability to match its go-anywhere attitude.
Even if 'anywhere' is, to paraphrase Brad Diamond, no further than the local garden centre.
The LR4's engine screams off-road-ready, too, with a supercharged 3.0-litre V6 making 340 horsepower and 332 lb.-ft. of torque, more than enough power to get in and out of sticky situations both on and off the trail.
For all its bells and whistles and available accessories, one item I'd love to see added to the LR4's options list is a jerrycan mount, something that would definitely come in handy, particularly on the trails, thanks to the sport utility's relatively poor fuel economy.
Numbers provided by Land Rover show 16.2 L/100 KM in the city and 12.1 L/100 KM on the highway, both worse, albeit slightly, than the larger, V8-powered 2015 GMC Yukon.
I know, I know; there's always the argument that buyers in this price point aren't terribly concerned about the price at the pumps, but I beg to differ, particularly when the LR4 calls for premium gas to feed its thirsty V6.
What I'd like to see, and I'm sure plenty of Land Rover fans in North America are with me, is the the 3.0-litre V6 diesel and its claimed combined fuel economy of 6.4 L/100 KM made available this side of the Atlantic.
For all the LR4's luxury traits, there are a few absentees of note.
The burly sport ute goes without cooled front seats, and there is no power tailgate, something that doesn't bother me personally, but is expected from a vehicle with a sticker price upwards of $60,000—or $75,000, as is the case with our HSE Luxury tester.
The LR4 is also plagued by the same finicky infotainment interface as the 2016 Jaguar F-Type S Convertible we drove recently.
Couple that with the funny angle the system's touchscreen sits on atop the centre stack, and it's more of a distraction than a driving aide, forcing drivers to crane their necks to avoid glares and scroll through a funky setup to find a radio station.
One area the LR4's infotainment system shines, however, is its multiple camera views, including what Land Rover calls "junction view," which provides live looks from each corner of the front bumper.
This would be as handy on the trail as it is in a parking lot, allowing the driver to avoid obstacles safely.
Driving the LR4, Jim Kenzie's words about SUVs and image floating around in my head, I couldn't help but feel bad for this stalwart in the Land Rover lineup.
With so much capability, it's a shame that the majority of LR4s on the road will never fulfill their tremendous potential.
Then again, maybe that's all just part of the image.
Base price: $59,990
As tested: $81,055 (freight included)
