[14000rpm]

The Itch that caused it all

Folk that have read my thread and/or my signature know that my 2016 KIA Sorento (linked below) is already out and has been replaced by a 2019 Range Rover Sport but let me walk you through the journey.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-...-2-4l-awd.html

When it was clear to me that I had to keep the Sorento till it died of natural causes, all I thought about was to give it a 2nd life with :-

• Install Tow Hook
• Upgrade Audio System. Total Upheaval.
• Upgrade wheels with Vossen CVT
• LED light bar in Bumper.

Kept a 6,000 € budget as this would have to keep me from thinking about selling the car for some years to come.

Fooled around the configurator a bit more with Vossen CVTs and I started to like the look.





In the meantime, I was helping my neighbor wrench his LR3 and make it trail-ready.



Exposure to his car and a few trail rides later, I started looking for used LR Discovery's and Land Cruisers in between Teams meetings. Tried looking for Mercedes GL (now GLS) too but finding versions that came with locking differentials like the G Wagen are super rare. Even configured a new Discovery too but the high purchase price and no PHEV option put me off. I don't buy Diesels. Ever. Didn't bother to look for used Land Cruiser coz they were all diesels. Stuck a note to self - "Stay away from Car sites.. new or old".

Many months went by and a LC300 with a 4.0L Petrol showed up at a common friends place. Turns out it was for sale !
I remembered a nice conversation with our very own @tsk1979 about off-roading in a Toyota/Lexus and this one piqued my interest. LC300's are not sold in Finland. Only the Prado's are sold making this LC300 a unique piece. Quick chat with friends friend and I pulled out my Barge pole and distanced myself from it. No it was not a drug mule or anything remotely close. It was imported from Dubai and was a GCC spec car and couldn't be registered in Finland as-is. Needed some work before it became ok to register. There are many such converted LCs. I wasn't going for it. Phew. close call.

Some more time goes by and I bumped into Doug De Muro's video on the 2023 Range Rover Sport. The symptoms showed up again and the same pattern emerged. I was soon configuring a 2023 Range Rover Sport PHEV. With all the options I configured, I was soon looking at a 1,66,000 € price.









My bank account said-



Curiosity got the better of me and I quickly switched over to my friends used car company site to see what a similarly spec'd used RRS goes for these day and Voila!

Found this guy - a 2019 Range Rover Sport P400e Autobiography. It was in the exact spec as the one I had configured !




As I was browsing the site, wife turned up and immediately said " that car looks awesome. Which one is it? How much? Lets go see it tomorrow". I checked her temperature, normal..no bumps on head. Something was not right. I had to fight hard for my 6k € budget to 2nd life the Sorento and here she approved way more than that. That's when I heard my inner voice say " Don't jinx it by asking again".

Spent the rest of the day justifying to myself if I was indeed trapping myself with a Range Rover that has a dubious rapport for quality. If I was going to be sensible in my choice of car, it would have been a Volvo XC90 PHEV. spent much more time comparing XC90 and RRS all day long.


The Sin
Woke up the next morning and checked with wife if we were still on plan while checking again for any head bumps. None found. Pinched myself. It was real. we were indeed driving over to my friends dealership. Couldn't believe this was happening.

30 mins of driving later, we reached the place and went straight to the car we had chosen. There were other examples too but this one caught our attention and locked us in. Did this car choose me like the Sorento chose me? This can't be happening again. It didn't go very well last time around.

Much like in the case of the Sorento, wife and daughter were super thrilled and emotionally connected with this car much before I did all the necessary due diligences. Eventually we took the car out for a drive. The sheer opulence, comfortable effortless drive, silent cabin etc. was enough to get back to the showroom and make conditional acceptance. Conditional since the Sorento had to be traded in and my loan negotiations had to be concluded. While I started talking to my bank, the sales rep checked out the Sorento and sent out the details to his team to make me an offer which was to come by the following day.

And just like that, we drove in to 'see' a car and drove out with a firm plan to replace the Sorento with a Range Rover Sport. I was just not prepared for an expense of this scale. I was living with a zero EMI car since it was fully paid for and suddenly I was to have a very big EMI.

I believe the deal was already made the moment we left the browser and drove to the showroom.

To buy or not to Buy
The 1 day we got till we received quote for Trade-in was a good time to re-evaluate what we were getting into. I mean, it was all so spontaneous. This spontaneity was ok when buying a relatively cheap Sorento. Not for a car at this price. Negotiated a good deal for a loan and told my wife that I was ready to call off the deal if the dealer gave a ridiculously low value for the Sorento. I made some elementary comparisons and set myself a threshold.

Turns out, the sales rep had read Mario Puzo a few times over and thought...



It was indeed an offer I could not refuse. Heck, I didn't have a horse whose head I'd find in my bed. The offer was genuinely way more than my threshold. In fact selling price around what was quoted in what I had imagined even before the Sorento was shipped out of US. Near Zero Depreciation for the 5 yrs and 75k kms of usage.

With that, the deal was made: Sorento Out | Range Rover Sport P400e Autobiography In.

[14000rpm]

This was one of the fastest Car buying experiences I've ever had. Handed over the 2016 Sorento with full set of Summer + Winter tires/Rims and took hand over of the 2019 Range Rover Sport P400e Autobiography...hereon called - The Brit Bloke.





So, what did I get?

For the uninitiated, The Range Rover Sport (RRS) is a model in the Range Rover line-up that sits 1 notch below the Full Size Range Rover (RR) and gets practically all the engine choices and options that the Full size comes in.

The Design- RRS is designed with generally sporty design language and hence there is slightly lower roofline, more raked windscreen and a noticeably dropping roofline towards the rear. Therefore, although length wise the RRS is very close to the RR, visually it looks smaller.
Mine came in Fuji White metallic and Black Pack appearance package which adds black badging all over.
as for wheels, below is what came with the car:

• 1 Set of 21'' AEZ Panama Rims with Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3 265/40 R21 Studless Friction tires for Winter driving.
  1 Set of 21'' MAK Köln Rims with Pirelli Scorpion Verde 275/45 R21 Mud and Snow tires for all season driving.

The Powertrain- the one I got is the P400e which is RR speak for a 404 bhp powertrain comprising a 295 Bhp, 2L Turbocharged engine and a 109 Bhp Electric motor that is driven by a 13 KWh battery that resides where the spare wheel is supposed to be or 3rd row seats for those opting for it.
Yupp. I got myself a Plug-in Hybrid. I wasn't and still am not ready for a BEV. The king of the hill Powertrain in RRS is the SVR which comes with a BMW V8 good for 500 bhp. Having driven one that was tuned to 650 bhp, I'd have loved to have it. However, sense prevailed. Plug-in was the way to go.

The Trim- Having seen Range Rovers a plenty, I knew the Autobiography is the top trim with plenty of luxury finishes, better leather which can be seen in practically all touch-zones and an array of standard features that are options on the HSE Trim. This one was spec'd in the Autobiography trim and ticked my boxes.
To be honest, I am yet to figure out what all are actually different in the Autobiography but I haven't been able to do that yet. Listing below some of them while I keep discovering more-

• Two-tone Premium Aniline leather upholstery in Black/Night Blue shades with the integrated British flag design. Aniline leather uses soluble dyes that soak into the hide. This lends the surface a softer, more natural finish, and reveals the natural grain of the leather more prominently.
• Grand Piano Black interior moldings
• Suede headliner
• Panoramic fixed Glass roof.
• Winged headrests – These soft, pillow-like headrests are electrically adjustable, and can wrap around the back of your head for the ultimate in squishy splendor.
• Deep Pile Carpeting
• Four zone climate control – allows each passenger to individually adjust the temperature settings.
• On-board WiFi
• Remote pack heat with timed climate
• Rear seat entertainment – Includes two 10.2-inch screens mounted to the back of the front seats, two pairs of headphones, a remote control and additional 12V and USB ports.
• Acoustically laminated glasses
• Rear window tinting

The Suspension- The car comes with fully independent Air Suspension which is height adjustable - Access (Lowest), Normal (Street/highway) and high (Off-Road).
It also comes with Adaptive Dynamics - adaptive shock absorption and suspension dynamics ensuring a sporty firm ride when needed and soft cushy ride in regular day-day usage.


The Technology- This car is loaded to the gills with technology and it still overwhelms me. Listed below is a non-exhaustive list.

• 22-way adjustable front seats.
• Memory seats for both driver and passenger.
• Fuel-powered auxiliary heater with remote control
• Head Up Display windshield display
• Front seat massage functions
• Air-conditioned and heated front and rear seats
• Rear Seat Entertainment rear screen package 10.2" touch screens
• HDMI Ports for rear screen entertainment
• Matrix LED headlights and signature spotlights
• Onboard Telematics
• Sim Card slot for in-car internet and connectivity services.
• Secure Tracker
• Here Maps based Navigation Pro navigation system
• 21 speaker 1700W Meridian Signature Reference system
• Touch Pro Duo (10.2" double touch color screens)
• Fully Digital and fully customizable Gauge Cluster
• Electronic tailgate opening and closing function
• Reversing camera along the control lines
• Parking distance indicator front and rear PDC
• 360° Parking distance indicator
• Auto-parking
• Keyless opening function
• Refrigerator in Center console.
• Automatic 4-zone air conditioning
• Terrain Response 2.
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
• Electrically folding exterior mirrors
• Automatically dimming rearview mirror
• Electronic height and distance adjustment of the steering wheel
• Customizable interior mood lighting and much much more...

Safety-

• Drive Pro equipment package - adaptive cruise control, active lane departure warning, active lane change assist, intersection assist, emergency brake assist
• Low traction launch control
• Driving stability control system DSC
• Hill Descent control HDC
• Gradient Release Control GRC
• Torque Vectoring - dynamic cornering management system
• Cornering Braking Control CBC
• Trailer Stability Assist TSA
• Rollover protection system RSC

Empathy-

While some of my neighbor's walk by and ask ''is your Land Rover still working?''. I also get a lot of -
- ''do you have all the tools you need at home?''
- ''do you know the closest Land Rover workshop? Should I recommend?''
- ''Have you signed up to all the Land Rover Forums?''
within this short window of ownership, I have become a member of the Land Rover Empathy Club.
Show me one such ''Mercedes or BMW or Audi Empathy Club''.. I dare you. lol.

As you can imagine, there is seriously a lot to unpack in subsequent posts. Read on.

[14000rpm]

As the common expression goes - ''If you don't turn around, look back at your car, and smile after you park it (and probably take a few pics), you bought the wrong car!''

In my case, I've been sitting on a camping chair in my parking lot staring at this beast and taking pictures wherever I park and after every car wash. Guess I took the expression a notch up.

Land Rover really knocked it out of the park when they designed the 2nd Gen RRS; it successfully manages to come across as luxurious and sporting while working with only simple straight lines for it's graphics.

Sleek headlights and a surprisingly small front grille give the Sport a relatively menacing appearance, especially when paired with the gloss black trim of HSE Dynamic models. The rest of the design does without any fussy details and helps disguise the car’s bulk very well, particularly given its width relative to rival cars.

The 2018 refresh brought more modern LED matrix headlights, tidied up the rear and redesigned the bumpers thereby modernizing the overall design.









































PS:

Eagle eyes may have noticed 2 very different wheels on the car. the Silver 21'' rims don winter tires whereas the Black 21'' rims are for summer tires.

[14000rpm]

At some point in the JLR board room, the main agenda was ''how do we increase sales?'' and that, I believe, is how a Plug-in version came about to be.



The Plug-in has clearly attracted a lot more buyers. Folk that buy it in the name of businesses etc. seem to have found the most allure as some reports suggest.

As for me, as mentioned in an earlier post, I was looking for the Plug-in version which, for the 2018 RRS, is called P400e. It comprises a 295 Bhp, 2L Turbocharged petrol engine and a 109 Bhp Electric motor that is driven by a 13 KWh battery making a total of around 404 BHP mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission.



While marketing material says the Pure EV range is 48 kms (30 miles) it purely depends on the weather condition. I have seen 38 kms in winter which has, with warmer weather, gone up to 49kms.



I travel 3-4 days a week outside Finland and WFH on the days I don't travel. Hence, my daily commute to daughters school + Gym is not more than 15 kms in total. 38 or 49kms, EV range is plenty for the school runs. Weekends do get to see a bit longer commutes and in this instances, I try to locate a charger wherever possible and keep my commute to EV as much as possible.

Having said that, I have to admit, I do feel like the P400e is a bit like an old iPhone searching for a charger wherever it goes compared to the BMW and Volvo Plug-in's which have longer range. Not Complaining.





To select electric power, there’s a button marked EV, which is clearly visible near the gear selector. If EV mode is not selected, then the car will be in Hybrid mode, when it decides when to use the petrol engine or the electric motor. By my 2 months of experience, The Brit Bloke usually starts off in electric mode, ensuring that the comfort and refinement is enhanced by the ability to make progress in near-silence. The effortless process of pulling away in EV mode is everything you expect from a Range Rover and more, building on the level of luxury so often associated with the famous nameplate. There’s just enough zip for it to feel quick around town; gliding effortlessly between traffic lights before allowing to park in complete silence.



However, if I am not careful and I mash the throttle, the petrol engine does start up and give the full 404 bhp which is punchy and feels quick on the road.

Thanks to the torque generated from the electric motors, the RRS P400e is much faster than one would expect an SUV of this bulk to be. It is absolutely rapid as soon as you put your foot down. There is a noticeable drop in power once the electric is used up though what with the car suddenly losing 105 Bhp. the P400e is quite a bit heavier than the petrol version because of the batteries, but it’s still impressively agile and holds the road well through the corners.

It’s never short of power, and can accelerate from 0-60mph in 6.5 seconds and keep going to a top speed of 137mph.

I've left the Brit Bloke in Hybrid mode when on long highway drives where it uses EV mode wherever it finds doable and switches to Hybrid mode on other occasions while constantly regenerating and replenishing the battery little-by-little which is good enough to kick-in during low-speed driving.



Must admit- I am still learning the nuances and am yet to find the best practice to maximize my EV usage.

Net-net: In my personal opinion, there are several more driver-focused SUVs out there, but few get the balance of speed and comfort right quite like the Range Rover Sport does.

[14000rpm]

The 2018 refresh introduced Land Rover's Touch Pro Duo system to the Range Rover Sport. This is essentially 2 displays stacked one above the other. there is some amount of inter-operability between the 2 10" dual high-definition Touchscreens but is limited to Phone and Music only in that I can control on either of the screens. Otherwise the 2 screens have their own dedicated functions.

The touchscreens allows one to view required information whilst simultaneously being able to interact with additional features. For example, it allows you to interact with our advanced navigation system on the upper screen whilst controlling your phone calls on the lower.

The two central displays can be customized heavily. One immediate change was the ability to change the black background to white so it blends in with the plush white interior of our Velar.

The top screen is a 10-inch display that tilts forward when the car is powered on

The maps and navigation are powered by HERE, which is a very good thing. Their mapping is excellent and allows satellite views which are of a high quality and will also overlay live traffic. Navigation is naturally viewable on the main display or on the instrument cluster.

My home page -



Quick Navigate 3 panel page for Navigation, Media & phone.



Features on Pg3...



..and some more on Pg4.



of Special mention is this feature to schedule departures. The car then gets pre-conditioned to be at 21 Deg C inside the car regardless of outside temperature.



The bottom screen, another 10-inch display, together with the Dynamic Dials controls is mainly focused on adjusting your air conditioning and drive mode.
The two new versatile Dynamic Dials adapt to the feature in use, providing the instinctiveness and convenience of rotary control to multiple features such as cabin temperature and Terrain Response.



Phone and Media can also be controlled from the bottom screen.





The seats in the Brit Bloke are heated and cooled and has massaging for the driver and passenger of various kinds which are all controlled with this bottom screen.







The 4 zone climate control can also be managed from this screen.



Digital Instrument cluster.
The instrument cluster is a third display, with it's capacitive touch based controls on the steering wheel. The fully configurable instrument cluster provides different level's of details based on the choices.

Standard display with 2 dials and a configurable info panel which I have set to show trip summary. There are several other options that can be selected for this panel.



The same 2 dial layout can also be changed to give detailed Hybrid view. I like the view that show's % of power left ala Rolls Royce. I used it briefly but not anymore. I seldom leave the eco-zone of the dial anyway when in the city.



Full Map view with other mandatory information such as speed pushed to a line display in the bottom.



Another layout is a 1 dial Layout with configurable right screen which is currently showing Maps. However, the left screen can't be changed.




Heads-up Display

This newly enhanced Head-up Display is presented in high resolution graphics and full colour to optimise use. It presents key vehicle data such as your speed, gear position and navigation directions on the windscreen.





The content on the HUD also changes based on the drive mode selected. Will do another detailed post on the same in the future.

The steering wheel controls have a nice layout, and are well presented. The controls actually change depending on what you were doing. If you’re in the menus the left side allows you to navigate the settings, once back into your music you’ll see volume and track controls again.

There’s also a diamond key which can be assigned a frequently used task. It does have Voice controls but I always find them gimmicky and I never touch them.

smartphone integration.
Wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto both look great on the display. One can have CarPlay on one screen showing Google Maps, while controlling music on the lower screen. Smartphone integration doesn’t seem like an afterthought, it fits in nicely. It’s a handy way to access your music and podcasts.

[14000rpm]

I enjoy music. More so while driving. Having seen a plethora of audio builds personally and read countless articles by Audiophiles, having a good balanced setup was something I yearned for.

I've also had the opportunity to talk to Sound Engineers at Harmon-Kardon and Klipsch some of whom have worked on fine-tuning setups on the Rolls Royce Phantom, S Class and XC90 and I appreciated good sound staging.

The best sound staging I've ever heard was in the Rolls-Royce phantom a long time ago and the song Breathe by Bliss (part of Buddha bar VII Album) left me with a lasting memory.

https://youtu.be/n9Wmr89I0mM

Ever since then, I've been using the lossless version of this track to compare music systems.

The Meridian 1,700W Signature Reference System that The Brit Bloke came with, was created specifically for the Range Rover and was the world’s first 3D in-car audio system. Coupled with Meridian’s unique Trifield 3D processing technology, it deliver an authentic musical experience for both driver and passengers.



This signature reference system is part of the 'Autobiography' package that my Brit Bloke was configured in.

With 21 Speakers dotted around the interior, the Signature Reference System has you surrounded. In the front there’s a 25mm tweeter positioned in each A pillar and a 10cm midrange driver and 16.5cm bass driver in each door. Further, there are perforated grilles next to each sun visor. They’re not just for show – behind each one is a 6cm speaker which acts as a height channel. The same units are also used in the roof lining, so passengers in the rear don’t miss out on the audio experience.

The rear uses the same tweeter/bass combination in the doors, but the midrange drivers are 2cm smaller.

A coaxial unit, combining midrange driver and tweeter, plays the part of centre speaker and can be found on top of the dashboard in the middle.

The Technology-

Key to this system is the use of Meridian’s Trifield sound-processing technology. This number-crunching tech takes a stereo signal and blends it into the centre and surround channels of a car for a more immersive and consistent sound.

Because this set-up features height speakers, the RR Sport uses a tweaked version of that tech, called Trifield 3D. Meridian claims the extra speakers, combined with the processing, allow vocals and instruments to be delivered with a more accurate sense of scale and location, giving a more realistic sound.

The system also comes equipped with DTS Neo X and Dolby Pro Logic II processing. DTS appears to emphasize the height channels more, while the Dolby mode shrinks the soundfield and moves it further away from the listener, towards the windscreen.

Meridian Cabin Correction technology optimizes the audio system by measuring the acoustic time domain of the cabin and correcting the low frequency response preserving the timing and natural rhythm of a musical performance ensuring that bass notes to be reproduced cleanly.

Meridian Digital Dither Shaping is based upon psychoacoustic research to arrive at critically calculated noise shaping filters which provides an incredibly silent background to the recordings improving dynamic range and maximizing musical detail.

The Experience -

The Rolls Royce sound experience still lingering in my memory, I naturally went for my favorite track to compare- Breath by Bliss.

Having heard so much about the Gothenburg Concert Hall setting on the Bower & Wilkins, I had to see how the Meridian fared in comparison.
Compare I did and I chose tracks from the live shows that I have been to just so I could relate to the live experience.

Hans Zimmer's live Interstellar Theme performance stands out as the best all-time favorite...

https://youtu.be/kottjfEd7Zw

..followed by Metallica's Nothing Else Matters

https://youtu.be/OMguFafuqrg

..and 'Walking in the Air' by Nightwish.

https://youtu.be/6gELdUcMEm8

I must say the Aural experience was pretty close if not matching what I had for my go-to reference. Had to be. Afterall, The Brit Bloke is not the King of the Hill within Range Rover itself let alone the global competition. Heck, the 2023 RRS comes with a 28 speaker setup.
For sure it sounded better than the Bowers & Wilkins on my neighbors XC90 and another neighbors Burmeister in his E Class.

Every drive in The Brit Bloke is truly enjoyable with Lossless Music from Tidal.

I found that Meridian’s settings give the best balance and a fuller, more organised soundfield. It helps create a solid wall of sound for the listener.


A great link to read more about the sound performance of the Signature reference system-
https://www.theabsolutesound.com/art...w-range-rover/

[14000rpm]

Any Land Rover has to go off-road. It is in it's Pedigree. Simple as that. However, how the Range Rover goes about it is unbelievable. The secret sauce is it's Off-road system called Terrain Response.

Terrain Response 1 has long been a differentiator for Land Rover vehicles. The patented system allows drivers to select one of several modes that optimize performance on a variety of different surfaces. With the recent advent of Terrain Response 2, drivers now have the option of letting their vehicles sense and adjust to the appropriate combination of terrain response settings automatically. If they wish, drivers can manually override the system to lock in a specific mode. With or without “Auto” engaged, Terrain Response 2 puts an exceptional amount of Land Rover engineering in the simple twist of a dial or push of a button.

The Terrain Response 2 system is a whole lot like the original Terrain Response system. Both offer multiple traction and stability control modes, as well as braking, engine, and transmission settings for a multitude of conditions. Both can take on snow, sand, wet roads, mud, and even climbing over rocky terrain.

While the Terrain Response 1 system requires you to select the setting that meets your needs and corresponds with the existing conditions; the Terrain Response 2 system does it for you. You don’t have to dial in any settings, you don’t need to turn any knobs, and you don’t need to think about how the conditions are changing. That’s the advantage of the Terrain Response 2 system.

While the Terrain Response system 1 will no doubt be plenty of capability for most drivers—every Land Rover does come with full-time all-wheel drive capable of tackling just about anything—the Terrain Response 2 system might be good for drivers that want a vehicle that’s going to help them deal with changing conditions, multiple terrains, and lots of different surfaces, all in a single trip.

The most common guidance I have received from the Fraternity is to leave the dial in Auto and let Terrain Response 2 do all the thinking and that is what I do.



Dynamic mode is for those spirited drives. Suspensions is a bit more stiffer, gear changes swifter and Steering tighter.



Given that I am driving a PHEV, my fuel efficiency is great as it is. Never bothered to see what the ECO mode does to the drive.



For the most part, the Auto Setting leaves the car in Comfort program for all of my drives.



Grass Gravel and Snow Mode...



Selecting Mud Ruts program guides me to change to Low Range.



Sand Program..which I doubt I'll get to use.



Choosing Rock Crawl program too needs Low Range to be selected.



While the Bottom screen does all the Program changing, the Main screen pulls up more options to aid off-roading...



..Including Status of suspension and Diff Locks.



Slope Information



Compass



Long time RR users recommend leaving the dial at Auto and let Terrain Response 2 guide on the things to do based on the driving condition.



Low Traction Launch- for those times when all modes fail to unstuck the Car.



Wade Sensing for crossing water..Not sure if I'll ever use this.



Front and Side camera's to help navigate trails while giving a quick look at Diff-Lock status.



Truly impressive kit and something I have been yearning to try. But first, I had to be sure if all systems work. Eg: The Diff-locks show a open lock sign. I tried several ways to get it to lock but it just wasn't possible. I was terribly disappointed as off-roading was something I really wanted to do. Went around RR Forums seeking answers and below is the best I got.

The locking diff needs to have, like, an opportunity to lock. It rarely happens on paved roads.

How can this be? Initially I found it ridiculous. Do I just go and get stuck and then figure out if my car had Diff-Locks or not? Do I need to go with backup? where are the recovery points if I had to be Winched out?

Curiosity got the better of me and I took The Brit Bloke to a snowy patch in my neighborhood. There are rocks underneath the snow and hence I knew it would be slippering. Raised the suspension and choose Snow program and let it do the magic. The onscreen guidance asked me to change to S Mode to allow changing gears manually and also to choose Low Range.











..and Voila !! I had given the car the opportunity to lock the Diff-Locks and the Brit Bloke slowly slithered it's way up the trail. 21'' Tires did hinder though but it eventually made progress.



Satisfaction: 100%

[14000rpm]

The design is luxurious and clearly a Range Rover with the choice of materials throughout the cabin. No cheap scratchy plastics. All touch-areas are leather and not 'soft-touch' plastics. What looks like Aluminium is Aluminium. No fiddly gear boot cover. It's all Alumimium again as are the power Window switches. the Stalks have a heft to them.
the leather, especially the Aniline leather that comes standard on Autobiography, is very soft and makes for a comfortable drive whatever be the duration. This is one Grand Tourer.

Front Seats

The 22-way adjustable Memory heated and cooled front seats are truly captains chairs giving a commanding view of the road. The feeling of sitting 'On' the car rather than 'In' the car is something to experience. Words can't explain. This is further accentuated by the traditional arm rests that give a certain relaxed sitting position. The airline style Winged pillows on the front seats further augment the comfort. Even more comfort comes courtesy of the massage feature on the front seats. The Autobiography further gets an exclusive adjustable under thigh support that extends out to accentuate the comfort.

Total Bliss.









The Autobiography comes with a refrigerator in the center console. Now that summer is around, it's true purpose will now come to fore.



Rear Seats

The rear is wide enough for 3 but the way the seats are contoured, I am sure it will be best for 2 in the rear. The huge foldable arm-rest provides enough functionality with cup-holders and storage cubby's.



The Panoramic Sunroof makes the entire cabin feel very airy and the view out and ahead is truly amazing.



Rear Screen Entertainment

The Autobiography gets rear screen entertainment as standard whereas it is an option for the HSE. Or so I'm told.



It comes with Range Rover branded Headsets and can play a plethora of individual entertainment independent of the main Infotainment. The Brit Bloke comes with a HDMI port which means I can practically plug-in a PS5 and make the rear a gaming zone if not a Cartoon running TV. Except, I haven't done it. Doing my best to keep my 7 yr olds screen time in limitation. Hence, for now, she is busy watching Navigation and learning street names and artist names on Media.



Boot

When I originally set my mind on changing car, the boot space could have only been bigger than the Sorento which is why a Ford Explorer was on top of the list. After being emotionally sold-out on the RRS, we then realized that the boot space is actually smaller than the Sorento.



Let's compare. This is Bongo enjoying his sprawling living room of a boot in the Sorento. At times, he has had to share space with shopping bags and my daughters bicycle too. everything would fit.



This is Bongo wondering how he got downsized. The Sorento and the RRS are both similar in length. Guess KIA did some great Packaging which Land Rover didn't care much for. Fun fact- The Full size Range Rover is no different in boot size.



Given that the entire boot area is carpeted, I have anyway drastically reduced the times we take Bongo along with us. He hates the humming buzz of the EV electricals under the boot floor in The Brit Bloke.

Adjustable Suspension

The Brit Bloke comes with height adjustable suspension with 3 different settings.

Access Height is the lowest setting and helps getting in and out with ease. The car looks like a Low-rider. There is an option to automatically lower the car to Access Height whenever stopped. The boot can be lowered even lower for loading/unloading. Car goes to 'Normal height' after driving some distance.
Changing wheels needs the car to be in 'Access Height' at which the suspension can be locked.



Normal Height is where I'd like the car to be always. the Stance is just right.



Off-road height is used only when required. This mode too is only for the times of needs and the car drops down to 'Normal' height when driven a certain distance.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Reviews section. Thanks for sharing!

Going to our homepage today

[HappyWheels]

Good one, Avinash!

Looks like one needs a co-pilot for navigation!

What all camping gears have you purchased so far?

[14000rpm]

Originally Posted by HappyWheels

Looks like one needs a co-pilot for navigation!

Reserved for you.

Originally Posted by HappyWheels

What all camping gears have you purchased so far?

I'm still catching my breath on this big spend. Camping Gear is in the wish-list. Haven't purchased it just yet.

[benbsb29]

Congrats Avinash. I've been waiting for this thread to go live complete with all these details destined to make the rest of us go green with envy.

I've been fortunate enough to get to drive the 2018 Range Rover Sport owned by my good mate in Melbourne when i visit, and it leaves me giggling with excitement like a child every time. Truly a classy car! This one's a diesel in SE trim, so i can only imagine how much more luxurious the Autobiography trim is!



Looking forward to reading more on your ownership experience.

[14000rpm]

Originally Posted by benbsb29

Congrats Avinash. I've been waiting for this thread to go live complete with all these details destined to make the rest of us go green with envy.

lol. Excessive work travel is my go-to alibi.
Never got the time to take detailed pix.

Originally Posted by benbsb29

I've been fortunate enough to get to drive the 2018 Range Rover Sport owned by my good mate in Melbourne when i visit, and it leaves me giggling with excitement like a child every time. Truly a classy car!

Nice. Black on Black Range Rover looks the best but needs way lot of maintenance to keep it looking like that.

I'm sure you'd have loved the captain chairs and the 'sitting on the car' feeling that I've felt only in Range Rovers.

Originally Posted by benbsb29

This one's a diesel in SE trim, so i can only imagine how much more luxurious the Autobiography trim is!

The Diesel, I suspect, is the SDV6. it is a pretty torquey engine. I reckon Blackpearl's RRS (L320) is a SDV6 too.

I've not seen any SE as yet and frankly, I'm still trying to figure out what is different between HSE and Autobiography. It will remain a mystery I guess.
I do know another 2019 RRS owner in Helsinki. Should meet him and compare.

Originally Posted by benbsb29

Looking forward to reading more on your ownership experience.

Oh there is a lot more to come. It's a Range Rover. It will always have mood swings.

I've still got more to cover that I wasn't able to as yet.

[hungrybarbarian]

Excellent review. Loved reading it in your writing style. Felt like a mixture of a textbook and comic.


Kudos on the purchase and wishing you many many happy kilometres in your car!

Cheers!

[14000rpm]

Originally Posted by hungrybarbarian

Excellent review. Loved reading it in your writing style. Felt like a mixture of a textbook and comic.

Glad you liked it. Efforts paid off.

Originally Posted by hungrybarbarian

Kudos on the purchase and wishing you many many happy kilometres in your car!

Cheers!

Thanks. Need all the best wishes. this is an out of company warranty Range Rover.