Vogue tools up for 2011

February 2011

A new, class-leading V8 diesel engine, new 8-speed transmission, two significant Terrain Response® upgrades and subtle external styling all combine to ensure the 2011 Range Rover Vogue retains its crown as king of the luxury SUV segment.

The Range Rover TDV8 4.4-litre motor with parallel sequential turbo charging replaces the 3.6-litre V8 and is unique to the Range Rover Vogue. This all-new 'super-diesel', TDV8 combines superior power and massive torque with unparalleled levels of refinement.

The combined cycle fuel consumption of the new TDV8 4.4-litre is just 9.4 litres/100km, making this the first Range Rover Vogue ever to better 10 litres/100km.

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With 230kW and 700Nm torque, the Range Rover Vogue's new powertrain matches power with conscience, reducing CO2 emissions by an impressive 14 percent. The new diesel engine is helped in this respect by its marriage to an impressive new, electronically controlled, ZF 8HP70, 8-speed automatic gearbox.

Tuned by Land Rover engineers to combine silky smooth shifting with exceptionally rapid response and outstanding fuel economy this daunting combination is enough to catapult the Range Rover Vogue from rest to 100kph in a mere 7.8 seconds and complete the 80kph-120kph dash in just 5.1 seconds.

The 4.4-litre TDV8 models also have the same Brembo-based braking system fitted to the 5.0-litre V8 supercharged model.

Providing the immense stopping power required for only the highest performing vehicles, the system comprises 380mm ventilated front discs with unique, lightweight aluminium six-piston opposed action monoblock callipers. 365mm ventilated discs with single piston sliding callipers are fitted at the rear.

For 2011, the Range Rover Vogue retains the same class-leading 5.0-litre supercharged V8 petrol engine married to the ZF HP28 6-speed automatic transmission introduced in 2010. Developing 375kW and 625Nm torque the Supercharged V8 will take the Range Rover Vogue from 0-100km/h in 6.2 seconds.

Inside the cabin there are optional illuminated tread plates for the front doors, new transmission controls for the diesel model, and improvements to the entertainment system. Detail improvements to the exterior include new 'Jupiter' grilles and side vents for the diesel models.

A new Exterior Design Pack option gives customers the chance to give their Range Rover Vogue a more individual look and new colours and wheels have been added to the range.

The new ZF 8HP70 8-speed transmission is tuned to take advantage of the TDV8's low end torque with torque converter lock-up being selected as early as possible to reduce slip and energy loss. The wider ratio spread, tall overdriven top gear and the fact that no more than two internal clutches are open at any one time all contribute to improved fuel economy and emissions.

In cold conditions, the transmission selects a lower gear to promote fast warm up and get the engine up to its efficient operating temperature as soon as possible.

The Range Rover Vogue's Intelligent Power Management System ensures the alternator is charging the battery (and drawing energy from the engine) at the most efficient times, such as when the vehicle is coasting rather than accelerating.

Power and torque have soared, from 200kW and 640Nm, to 230kW at 3,750rpm and a staggering 700Nm torque at just 2,000rpm. More important is the way the power and torque interact with one another for impressive overall performance. Maximum torque is available from 1,500rpm to 3,000rpm but then maximum power kicks in from 3,250rpm to 4,000rpm producing a wall of performance from idle onwards.

Key to the new engine's performance and efficiency is the Parallel Sequential turbocharger system which is almost identical in concept to that of the, 2010 3.0-litre TDV6 introduced on the Land Rover Discovery 4. During normal driving, a medium-sized, variable-geometry turbocharger works alone, optimising efficiency. When the engine revs climb beyond 2,400rpm, valves in the exhaust manifold open and a smaller, secondary turbo seamlessly accelerates to full speed in just 20 milliseconds, full bi-turbo operation being achieved in only 180ms with no lag or power step.

The third generation common rail fuel injection system mirrors that of the 3.0-litre TDV6 operating at a pressure of up to 2,000bar.

The 4.4-litre TDV8 has been designed for 'top-down' servicing and doesn't need to be lifted on a ramp, even for oil changes. The oil filter unit, mounted on the EGR unit in the 'V', is first loosened to allow the oil to drain into the sump and then unscrewed and replaced with no fuss. Under normal circumstances, oil is not drained from the sump in the conventional way, but extracted from the top of the engine by a special service pump at the dealer. Service intervals are 24,000km or 12 months.

There's no dipstick, the oil level is monitored electronically by means of an ultrasonic sensor, informing the driver of both the oil level and the amount of oil that needs adding.

The eight speed automatic 8HP70 is packed with energy saving features. The 8HP70 has brains too. In hot conditions it selects a lower gear to run the engine and air conditioning pump faster to cool down the cabin quickly. In cold conditions it runs the engine faster to reduce warm-up time and emissions.

The 8HP70 does not have to change to a lower gear sequentially and can skip up to six ratios if necessary, for much faster response when preparing to overtake.

Driver controls include steering wheel-mounted paddle-shift as standard enabling the driver to take control of gear shifting manually. On the new TDV8 the CommandShift lever is replaced by a rotary knob for selecting park, reverse, neutral, drive or sport modes. The selector knob is flush with the centre console when the ignition is switched off, rising up when it is switched on. To avoid confusion, the Terrain Response® Rotary Switch is replaced by a new Terrain Response® Optimisation Switch.

The Supercharged LR-V8 retains the outstanding ZF 6HP28 automatic gearbox, integrated and calibrated by Land Rover engineers especially to match the characteristics of the new engine. For 2011, paddle-shift is standard on the 5.0-litre Supercharged.

For 2011, there are two further enhancements to the Terrain Response® system, Hill Start Assist and Gradient Acceleration Control. Hill Start Assist retains the initial driver-generated brake pressure, long enough for the foot to move from brake pedal to throttle without the car rolling backwards. The brake is released after a sufficient time has elapsed or when the engine is supplying enough torque to move the car up the hill. Hill Start Assist is always available, not selectable and neither is its operation indicated to the driver.

Gradient Acceleration Control is designed to provide safety cover on severe gradients when the driver does not have Hill Descent Control engaged. By pressurising the brake system, GAC slows the car to a limit determined by the throttle position when the car is descending the slope in the driver's intended direction of travel. This includes descending the slope forwards in drive, or rearwards in reverse.

For 2011, Range Rover Vogue customers can choose the optional Exterior Design Pack available in a choice of eight colours. The Exterior Design Pack comprises a revised front bumper with fog lamp surrounds, front grille and side vents in Titan finish, revised side sills, rear bumper and stainless steel exhaust finishers.

From early 2011, optional illuminated tread plates will become available on front doors only, with the Range Rover Vogue name backlit by LED lights.

The Range Rover Vogue can be optionally equipped with a radar blind spot monitoring system to warn of vehicles and objects in the blind spot area. A Surround Camera system makes life much easier in car parks, as well as for towing and off-road manoeuvring and the patented 'reverse tow assist' provides screen-based guidelines to help with those difficult reversing-while-towing manoeuvres. Emergency Brake Assist and optional Adaptive Cruise Control complete the Range Rover Vogue's package of active safety features.

The Range Rover's European leather trim for headlining and door casings combined with sumptuous leather seat trim and upgraded waterfall lighting, cosset the occupants in luxury. The 12-inch TFT instrument display provides greater versatility than conventional instruments while the 8-inch Dual View infotainment screen displays a different image to driver and passenger. This means, for example, the driver can view the navigation display while the passenger watches television.

The portable Audio Interface supports connection to a wide range of audio storage devices including USB sticks and MP3 players. There's also a dedicated iPodTM connector port developed exclusively by Land Rover to prevent the iPod coming loose over the roughest terrain.

With chauffeur-driven passengers in mind, the already incomparable level of exclusivity for rear seat passenger was further improved by the addition of optional, electronically-controlled, reclining rear seats. Operated by the passenger, the seats have internal heating and cooling functions as well as airline-style winged head restraints and four-way adjustable lumbar support.

The rear seat controls also include a facility for moving the front passenger seat forward to gain extended legroom when the front seat is unoccupied. The luxurious rear-seat passenger environment becomes even more opulent with the addition of laminated rear-door privacy glass which has the added benefit of reducing interior noise levels.

These exceptional levels of comfort are further enhanced when customers choose the option of a Logic 7, 1200W Harman Kardon High Dynamics Audio System. Widely acknowledged as one of the finest in-car audio systems in the world, the Logic 7 has 15 independent channels driving 19 premium quality speakers.

The first Range Rover Vogue models are being delivered to customers now with pricing starting from $194,990.

ENDS

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