2016 #LandRover #RangeRover Td6 Diesel

Despite advancements in technology and manufacturing, the soul of the iconic Range Rover has changed little over the decades. It’s still the ultimate symbol of go-anywhere, do-anything luxury, even as the new 2017 Bentley Bentayga has the same mission.
Yet, despite being outwardly much the same for 2016, a significant update can now be found under the hood of U.S. Rangies: a torquey V-6 turbo-diesel engine befitting the Rover’s posh yet purposeful character.

While diesel Range Rovers have been available in Europe and other markets for years, this is among the first modern Land Rover SUVs to offer a compression-ignition powerplant in America. The 2016 Range Rover Sport also can be ordered with the same Td6 turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6; it develops 254 horsepower in both models. Being a diesel, though, the V-6’s 440 lb-ft of torque serves well against this Range Rover’s 5485-pound mass, and it allows the big ute to move off smartly with the help of the quick-shifting eight-speed automatic gearbox. You can read a more in-depth look at the new engine’s tech here.



Slow and Steady Can Work
As we learned during our first drive in Europe, the Td6 is not quick yet it’s perfectly at home in day-to-day use. This is the first time we’ve piloted one on familiar roads and to our test track, and our test vehicle chugged to 60 mph in a modest 7.3 seconds and covered the quarter-mile in 15.7 at 87 mph. We’ve yet to evaluate the latest Range Rover with the standard 340-hp gasoline V-6, but a 300-pound-lighter Sport model with that engine hit those marks in a livelier 5.9 and 14.5 seconds. For reference, though, the Td6 is more than a second quicker than our long-term 2005 Land Rover LR3.

Fuel economy is a different story. Whereas most gasoline-powered SUVs of this bulk are lucky to average more than 15 mpg in our hands, we observed 22 mpg in our Td6 test truck over nearly 1000 miles of mixed driving. What’s more, the diesel’s 600-plus-mile range means that you’ll need a pit stop well before it does. Along with the greater energy density of diesel fuel, much of this efficiency is due to the Td6’s relaxed on-road demeanor, which never begs you to abuse the accelerator pedal. It has enough composure to be hustled through corners at a moderate pace—unlike that other symbol of off-road opulence, the Mercedes-Benz G-class—and still has the grunt to easily exceed any U.S. speed limit. But the Td6 is much happier cruising, the six gently thrumming away as the transmission deftly swaps gears in the background.

For the diesel critics out there, we should note that the Td6 has cleared U.S. emissions regulations, thanks in part to its urea exhaust-aftertreatment system, which requires regular service intervals every 10,000 miles or so. This engine also doesn’t let off any noticeable diesel-y odors, is barely more audible than a direct-injected gasoline V-6, and is only called out to bystanders by a discreet “Td6” badge on the Rover’s tailgate. Having to fill its tank at often-oily diesel pumps is one of the very few demerits.

For What It’s Worth
The rest of the Td6 experience is pure Range Rover, which is to say awash with comfort, luxury, and practicality. Pricing for 2016 remains properly extravagant, starting at $85,945 for the gasoline V-6 model. The Td6 carries a $1500 premium on top of that, and the HSE trim of our test vehicle adds $7000 but brings a panoramic sunroof, soft-close doors, 20-inch wheels, ventilated front seats with more adjustability, heated rear seats, and more.

Our example also packed the $2900 Driver Assistance package (lane-departure warning, advanced parking assist, and head-up display), a $2400 rear-seat entertainment system with dual monitors, the $2110 Vision Assist package (blind-spot monitoring, adaptive xenon headlights with auto high-beams, configurable mood lighting, a surround-view camera, and reverse traffic detection), $1295 adaptive cruise control, the $900 towing package (rated for 7700 pounds), and a couple other extras for a grand total of $106,675. That’s still far from the Rover’s upper crust, as the Td6 is geared toward the lower end of the spectrum and cannot be spec’d in long-wheelbase or upscale Autobiography models.

Viewed as the most luxurious of workhorses, the Range Rover has considerable size and supreme versatility to make it a natural fit for diesel torque. It took a while for the Td6 to reach our shores, and the ongoing Volkswagen emissions-cheating scandal and stubbornly low gasoline prices in the U.S. may put a crimp on its appeal at first. But we’re certainly glad it’s finally here.