In the world of rough and tumble sport-utility vehicles, to me there is only one really excellent product that stands head and shoulders above the rest. That would be a Land Rover Range Rover.
While commonly confused with the Land Rover Range Rover Sport, the big daddy Range is the full banana. That means it's a bit larger, a bit more capable on- and off-road, and it's more luxurious. My personal favorite is the long wheelbase though I reckon the super luxurious Holland & Holland model is simply to die for.
Range Rover TD6But what if you want something with better fuel efficiency? The reality is that the Supercharged versions have trouble eeking out more than 15-17 mpg if you're lucky. We've been waiting eagerly for a solution and while they've sold diesel products overseas, the U.S. market was never lucky enough to receive them.
Until now.
There's just one problem, however. Volkswagen's Dieselgate fiasco has poisoned the well. As the VW situation is still to be determined, we cannot blame consumers for questioning diesel purchases. Rather than hark on the VW's mess and its potential impact on diesel sales though, we're going to focus on the product.
Approaching the big daddy diesel, I have to say that upon looking at its exterior you would never know this is an oil burner. Aside from the discrete TD6 badging on its ass end, this looks to be, for all intents and purposes, a non-differentiated Range Rover.
Range Rover TD6
The interior is more of the same. Leather adorns just about everything, there's a tasteful amount of wood and the seating is as supple as ever. There's no peculiar odors or anything of the like as I've noticed in some other diesel-fueled products. It's a proper Range Rover. Hell, even the infotainment system is wretched — please, Jaguar Land Rover, do something about this as soon as possible.
Clearly, not much has changed.
What has changed though is the engine. As noted previously, it is a diesel mill. Good for 254 horsepower and 440 lb.-ft. of torque, this turbocharged six-cylinder engine is a workhorse. Coupled with this powerplant is an eight-speed automatic that doesn't feel any different from the conventional gasoline-powered Ranges. Shifts happen but they're not noticeable or jarring. Comfort and luxury is the emphasis here.
After spending so much time in the Range Rover's supercharged variants, I was expecting this engine to be a bore and a snoozefest off the line. Although I know diesels do have quite a punch of torque, you have to remember that the big daddy weighs in at about 5,000 pounds. That's a lot of weight to shift around whether trying to get on a freeway or coming to a stop.
I am happy to report the engine is able to get the Range Rover moving with adequate pace. Zero to 60 happens in 7.4 seconds.
Also impressive is the amount of refinement engineered into the TD6. It's evident that the research and development staff kept noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) top of mind. While there's a bit of grogginess at the low end and a bit rumbly at idle, which is to be expected in any diesel, it's hardly noticeable once you start turning revs above 1,200 rpm.
When I picked up a family member who's in the market for a Land Rover Range Rover, they didn't even realize it was a diesel. She was more interested in the accoutrements and interior design, which she found a bit too minimalistic. Considering she's the target demographic to a "t," this was even more proof to me that the NVH is more than taken care of with this diesel engine.
Range Rover TD6
One thing that struck me as problematic though were the vehicle's brakes. In other Range Rovers I've driven I've never had such a poor experience. I had to apply a good amount of force with each stop and the brakes gave me little in return. Are they adequate, yes, but could they use some work? Absolutely. I don't expect F-Type SVR performance levels of braking here but I shouldn't feel as though every time I need to halt it's an "OMG" moment.
Aside from that, it's the typical Range Rover experience. The vehicle's steering rack feels like it's out of a Jaguar sedan, the ride comfort is excellent and it's not particularly exciting in the corners as the center of gravity is too high, which means you will feel it lean.
Now here's the kicker. As noted previously I've seen 15 mpg in the Range Rover Supercharged models in the city and up to 17 on the highway. Considering it's a 500 horsepower monster, that's actually not awful. With the Range Rover TD6 though I accomplished a healthy 25 mpg after one week of mixed city and highway driving.
I was actually surprised by that number as it is a monumental leap forward. To say I was pleased would be an understatement. I feel as though the TD6 crushed my expectations. JLR did this one a solid.
Now the question remains: Will buyers be scared off thanks to VW's mess? I hope not. They'd be missing out on a good thing.
The Good:
- NVH is kept well in check, so much so that passengers didn't even remark
- MPG is up to 25 — not bad for a large SUV weighing about 5,000 pounds
- Everything is as you'd expect in a Range Rover
The Bad:
- The TD6's brakes need improvement in feel and in stopping power — it felt like it wasn't nearly enough
- JLR's infotainment system on some vehicles is downright poor — this is one of them
- I cannot get a Range Rover LWB with the TD6 powerplant
The Lowdown:
Probably the biggest problem with a diesel-powered Land Rover Range Rover is that it has landed on our shores at, possibly, the worst time ever. Due to Volkswagen, there's no way to tell if this will hamper the TD6's sales. Aside from that, the Range Rover delivers a superior experience that bests any other competitor. Assuming, of course, you're not expecting a killer infotainment experience. Barring that, the Range Rover to me is the benchmark large luxury SUV and it proves that again. Now if JLR offered a LWB TD6, that would be the one I'd like to have in my driveway.
Range Rover TD6 
