Land Rover is a true-blue British maker of rugged 4x4 vehicles that also (mostly) qualify as genuine luxury SUVs. But in yet another sign of the waning of the British automobile industry, the company is actually part of the Tata Motors Company of India, together with stablemate Jaguar. Land Rover was originally a division of Rover, and then became a separate marque in its own right.
It went through several owners before being sold to Ford in 2000, who in turn sold it to Tata motors in 2008. “Land Rover” originally referred to just one specific car model, which is today known also as the Defender or Land Rover Series III. This model is as rugged and reliable as offerings from Jeep, also a noted manufacturer of 4X4 vehicles and the inspiration for Land Rover. It is much beloved by farmers and those who need to go into the thick wilderness. Indeed most Land Rovers are real mud-plugging machines; even the majestic Range Rover, despite its luxurious demeanour, can charge into treacherous terrain much better than most of the latter-day “lifestyle SUVs”.
In New Zealand, we are lucky to have the entire Land Rover range. The lineup starts with the baby of the group- the Freelander. The latest iteration of this small off-roader borrows many interior parts from its elder siblings, which helps it bring a real touch of class into the small-SUV bracket, especially in HSE trim. Next up is the iconic Defender model, available in short-wheelbase (SWB), dual-cab, or long-wheelbase (LWB) models. Then the Discovery, a large, boxy but nevertheless attractive SUV- just a step below the full-luxury Range Rover. The Discovery is a heavy vehicle, and despite the luxury tag is able to go bundu-bashing with the best of them.
After this is the Range Rover Sport, which is targeted at that demographic desirous of the Range Rover cachet but does not really need the awesome abilities. Despite the name, the RR Sport is really built on Discovery underpinnings. Lastly is the Range Rover- a vehicle that practically invented the ‘luxury SUV’ segment long before it became cool. It truly is the granddad of chic SUV motoring, and can even properly compete against luxury sedans like the Mercedes S-Class, and the world would surely be a duller place without a symbol of excess like the Range Rover. In New Zealand the Range Rover is only sold in the highest trim level, the Vogue.
Looking at buying a Land Rover? Check the vehicle history of any Land Rover by entering its number plate in the field above.