Vehicle: 2010 Land Rover LR4 with HSE Luxury Pkg (7-seater) and Heavy Duty Pkg
Price as tested: CDN$73560

Performance: The new LR-V8 is sourced from its sister company, Jaguar’s AJ-V8, as both Jaguar and Land Rover are under the India’s Tata umberlla. That isn’t come as a surprise as sharing engine is the way of saving costs in today’s automotive world. When it comes to engine refinement, LR-V8 is not shabby compares to other major V8s in its class. While this 5.0 liter DOHC 32-valve V8 with dual variable valve timing has 375 ponies and same amount of torque, it sounds promising on paper. Even though it has a proper V8 and variable valve timing for heavy breathing, nothing beaten the law of physics when it comes to weight. Weight is the biggest enemy on vehicle performance and efficiency. The LR4 seems to be gulity on both counts. With more than 2 tones of British wood and leather-lined luxury, it makes this 375hp beats only more than adquate when pushed it off-the-line. It doesn’t have the same grunt as many of its rivals during low-end acceleration. 375 lb/ft of torque at merely 3500rpm has helped its weight somewhat but certainly far from being crisp. Throttle response is, well, sluggish. The 6-speed manumatic’s very low 1st and 2nd gear ratios have helped LR4’s porky acceleration. Thankfully, with tall 5th and 6th gear. It makes LR4 cruises more relaxing when it reaches the high speed. This engine really needs to rev in order to keep it alive. When you are revving to keep it alive, all you got is the fuel economy penalty. If you happen to buy LR4, be prepared to live near gas stations. As our test average of no less than 20 liters per 100km during the day of our test drive.

Handling: Land Rover engineers have finally sorted out its predecessor’s biggest shortcoming. The previous Discovery were known for sensitive to crosswinds, tippy through corners and unstable on highway speed. All of those were the opportunity cost when sole emphasis is on class-leading off-road capability. With the LR4, Land Rover’s off-roading prowess remains intact and legendary thanks to its Hill Descent Control with Gradiant Descent control. LR4’s air suspension and revised steering have made it a much more confident SUV when pushed through corners. While it still doesn’t have the on-road handling edge as those car-based crossover, it managers to curve a corner without scaring both driver and passengers away. When it comes to highway stability, LR4 finally is able to match its competitions. The body rolls and understeer are very well mannered. While the steering feel remains somewhat darty and vague at speed, the level of precision and responsiveness are up to the task for those who drive their LR4 primarily to the shopping mall and school driveway. The latest mid-size Land Rover continues to ride nicely. It absorbs bumps and roughness extremely well without breaking a sweat.

Brakes: Consider LR4 weights 2 tones, its 4-wheel discs and ABS have managed quite a remarkable stopping distance. Both the pedal feel and modulation are confidence without feeling any fades after a couple of hard stops. The ABS acts at the right time at the right place have seal the deal for the LR4.

Interior: When the 3rd row of seats are in place, there aren’t much cargo space left. That’s where all the fun begins. LR4’s 3rd row of seats are really awkward to fold them down, they are very heavy at th same time. On the other hand, if you need to use the 3rd row. They are tough and heavy to raise them back on.

The rest of the interior have used some nice plastic and leather materials abound. There are plenty of soft-touch plastic and leather seats simply exceptional. That’s until you get used to all those British ergonomic quirks through the controls.

Without the back-up camera and parking sensors, LR4’s slightlines are medicore especially with the 3rd row of seats in place. With both features on hand, it makes the back-up much easier.

Conclusion: The LR4 is a much improved breed over its Discovery predecessors. It also stands apart from all other SUVs which don’t have as much off-road capability with the cachet of a Land Rover. The LR4 is finally a Land Rover worthy of consider when shopping for a mid-size SUV.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2010 Land Rover LR4
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Performance: 2.5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 3.5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 3.5/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4.5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 2.25/5
Value-for-money: 3/5

Overall rating: 3/5