In some of the most demanding driving conditions for years, Land Rover launched its new Range Rover at the legendary Eastnor estate, and it gave WGMW members an opportunity to reflect on the car, conditions and capability of drivers. Here is what they had to say about a truly memorable experience.
Ian Adcock
Car of The Year awards are fickle beasts at the best of times, but having spent a day in the latest Range Rover I am even more at a loss to understand how What Car’s ? coveted award could be given to the, admittedly, good Audi A3 Sportback.
The latest Range Rover bristles with innovative technology, from its lightweight aluminium structure to automatic terrain response and ‘Queen Mary’ breathing funnels that give the luxury SUV a near metre wading depth. One word sums up this latest offering from Solihull: brilliant.
Leigh Robinson
While Honda is struggling to sell its middle of the road cars in Europe, Range Rover are having no problems in the luxury market
The new fourth generation Range Rover has just been launched with a starting price of £70,000 and they are selling like hotcakes. Around 25 per cent of the production is going to China with the UK and USA picking up around 20 per cent of the rest.
Honda are having to sack 800 workers from the Swindon plant while Jaguar-Land Rover is recruiting almost the same number to boost the luxury market. It’s a funny upside down old world.
John Kendall
“It was my lucky day, driving the new Range Rover when snow was lying thick on the ground. Cue one of the most challenging pieces of off-road driving I’ve ever encountered, at Eastnor Castle. Solihull’s finest hasn’t gone soft on us. Mud, snow, ice, water, ruts – all despatched with style, while on-road poise impresses. An automotive tour de force.”
David Miles
In 1970 some of us attended the press launch of the original Range Rover, then a two door costing £1,998, in sunny Devon followed a short time later with off road driving at Eastnor Castle.
Now 43 years later some of us have just experienced the fourth generation all aluminium Range Rover priced from £71,295 again at Eastnor Castle over the same Press Route where the weather was less sunny, snowy and partly in the dark. It is a world-beater in terms of luxury and off-road performance and it’s British designed and built.
Robin Roberts
The new Range Rover is brimming with advanced technology, pity many owners or drivers will not have a clue how to use it.
Even when it’s presented to them on an in-fascia screen some drivers cannot follow the track, literally, and get stuck. A week before the Eastnor Experience I watched some big 4×4 drivers terrified of driving on wintry roads who were crawling along and holding up two-wheel-drive cars.
Surprised the DVLA isn’t latching onto the next money-spinner with compulsory 4×4 ability test for drivers. Snow joke.
