All-new Range Rover launched in India

New Delhi, Nov 30 (IBNS)

Automobile giant Land Rover has announced the launch of the all-new Range Rover in India, the world's most refined and capable SUV.

The fourth generation of the iconic Range Rover line, the new model has been developed from the ground up to provide the ultimate luxury SUV, following the innovative spirit of the original design from over 40 years ago.

The world's first SUV with a lightweight all-aluminium body, the new Range Rover takes the capabilities of the marque's flagship to a new level, with even greater luxury and refinement, enhanced performance and handling on all terrains, and significant advances in sustainability, said the company.

Rohit Suri, Vice President, Jaguar and Land Rover India, said: "The new Range Rover offers an unparalleled special blend of luxury, performance and unmatched all-terrain capability.

"It's clever design and revolutionary lightweight construction will give Indian customers a product that will cope with the most difficult of terrains and provide a step change in comfort, refinement and handling."

At just under 5m long, the new Range Rover has a very similar footprint to the outgoing model, but with a smoother and more streamlines profile - the most aerodynamic Range Rover ever, with a drag coefficient starting from 0.34 - the roofline sits 20mm lower in access mode.

The All New Range Rover Launch

The new Range Rover's unmatched breadth of capability is also reflected in its strong structure with enhanced body geometry for all-terrain conditions, wading depth which has improved by 200mm to 900mm, and its position as the best towing vehicle in its class with a 3,500kg trailer capability.

Customers will have a choice of the 5.0-litre 510PS LR-V8 Supercharged petrol engine or the 4.4-litre 339PS SDV8 diesel engine, both which are now paired with a smooth and responsive eight-speed automatic transmission.

The all-new Range Rover features a revolutionary all-aluminium monocoque body structure which is 39 per cent lighter than the steel body in the outgoing model.

This weight saving heightens the characteristic Range Rover sensation of effortless performance, but also improves efficiency. For example, the 510PS LR-V8 Supercharged model can now accelerate from 0-100 kmph in just 5.4 seconds.

--IBNS

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Mini to expand Goodwood trim across model range

Tasteful application or shameless marketing ploy – say what you will about the Goodwood edition Mini, but it's here to stay. According to reports, the retro hatchback trimmed out by Rolls-Royce craftsmen is just the first of many.

Although the special-edition "Mini Inspired by Goodwood" – borrowing its handle from the ancestral home of the Spirit of Ecstasy – will initially be produced in a limited run of 1000 examples, word has it that the name will be applied to an entire range of top-of-the-line offerings. In that way, the Goodwood range will parallel the performance-oriented John Cooper Works trim level as the luxury-oriented pinnacle model for Mini.

So should we be expecting Goodwood editions of the Convertible, Clubman, Countryman and the various other Mini body styles in the pipeline? It would seem that way. But while their interiors may be festooned with plush cornsilk leather and glossy burlwood veneers, don't go looking for a V12 under the hood.

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2014 Range Rover Mule has Jaguar Dial Shifter—and Possible Diesel-Electric Hybrid Powertrain

With us since the 2006 model year, Land Rover’s current Range Rover flagship is palatial and iconic and capable. But we expect its replacement within a couple of years, likely with simple evolutionary styling changes covering a slew of new technologies—including some intended to help it slurp less fuel. This particular Range Rover–bodied mule, snapped at a facility of a technology partner, contains at least a few of those technologies, the most obvious of which is the dial-type electronic shifter like that used by its sister brand, Jaguar. It certainly isn’t the sportiest shift device in the world, but it is rather in keeping with the Range Rover’s wafty personality.

It’s clear that much more has changed beneath that current-gen Range Rover body, and there are a few possibilities as to what this vehicle might actually be. Among them is a new, super-high-performance version of the Range Rover, a swan-song model with a unique front clip for, say, the 2013 model year. More likely is that this is a powertrain/chassis mule for the next-gen Range Rover, due for 2014, with the fender flares hinting at increases in front and rear track width. Though we can’t see any of it here, a more aerodynamic body likely will need to be adopted if Land Rover hopes to raise fuel economy from “atrocious” to “just plain awful.” Also telling are the twin outboard bumper intakes, which show off what appear to be grilles for twin intercoolers, suggesting that a turbocharged engine—likely a diesel-powered V-6 or V-8— sits up front.

A close look at a mysterious box located between the mufflers suggests one further exposition: that this mule is testing Land Rover’s new “Range_e” plug-in diesel-electric hybrid system announced at this year’s Geneva auto show, with the box presumably containing some of the battery components. Intended for Land Rover’s larger vehicles, Range_e was shown installed in the Range Rover Sport and combines electric power with a 3.0-liter diesel V-6 and an eight-speed automatic. It surely will work in the larger Range Rover, too, although we shudder to think of the curb weight of a Rangie with a heavy diesel engine and a battery pack containing enough energy capacity to propel it 20 miles on a single charge.

Land Rover has said in the past that a diesel hybrid will be ready by 2012 and on sale by calendar-year 2013—just in time to debut in the 2014 Range Rover.

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Electric BMW i3 to Start at $35K, Have 150 HP and 99-Mile Range

May 16, 2011 at 5:27pm by Marco Marelli

You’ve no doubt by now heard about BMW’s i3 electric city car. The tiny runabout, which will have a rear-mounted electric motor and batteries located under the floor, has been somewhat of a hot topic among both greenies and fans of the roundel. To the conversation we now add pricing and power information, thanks to a deep inside source in München. The base sticker will be around $35,000 and the car will boast 150 fully electric hp.

Those looking to add an i3 to their stable also can expect a 99-mile range, as well as a 100-mph top speed. Luggage room is said to be an unusually capacious 14.1 cubic feet, split between the space behind the rear seats and the “frunk” under the hood.

BMW plans on cranking out 40,000 units per year from the new Leipzig line built just for “i” vehicles, a big number considering the large amount of carbon fiber that is planned for the i3: The car’s passenger cell will be made from the stuff. A possible wrench in BMW’s plans is the relatively recent eight-percent ownership taken in SGL—BMW’s partners in developing its carbon-fiber tech—by none other than Volkswagen Group. Talk about awkward.

More details: The technique for mounting the floor-located pancake battery has been borrowed from the Rolls-Royce 102EX (read our first drive of that all-electric behemoth here), which says a lot for the cooperation among BMW Group brands. In conjunction with the whole “i” sub-brand and BMW’s urban-planning initiatives, the Bavarians are working hot and heavy with Siemens on the advanced stages of a 3.6-kWh wireless recharging network to be rolled out this upcoming June starting in Berlin. It will then spread worldwide to whichever markets aren’t too scared about recharging things via voodoo magic, er, wireless electricity.

Rendering by Christian Schulte

Correction: The original version of this article reported that the i3 would have a range of 160 miles. It has been updated to reflect the correct range estimate of 99 miles, or 160 kilometers.

Tags: BMW, BMW i3, electric |

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Mini to expand Goodwood trim across model range

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) on May 2nd 2011 at 1:29PM

Mini Inspired by Goodwood – Click above for high-res image gallery
Tasteful application or shameless marketing ploy – say what you will about the Goodwood edition Mini, but it's here to stay. According to reports, the retro hatchback trimmed out by Rolls-Royce craftsmen is just the first of many.

Although the special-edition "Mini Inspired by Goodwood" – borrowing its handle from the ancestral home of the Spirit of Ecstasy – will initially be produced in a limited run of 1000 examples, word has it that the name will be applied to an entire range of top-of-the-line offerings. In that way, the Goodwood range will parallel the performance-oriented John Cooper Works trim level as the luxury-oriented pinnacle model for Mini.

So should we be expecting Goodwood editions of the Convertible, Clubman, Countryman and the various other Mini body styles in the pipeline? It would seem that way. But while their interiors may be festooned with plush cornsilk leather and glossy burlwood veneers, don't go looking for a V12 under the hood.

View the original article here