2013 LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER DRIVERS
2013 LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER DRIVER

Underneath its restyled sheet metal, the 2013 model has transformed, moving to a monocoque construction that gives the Rover more carlike behavior on the road without compromising its off-road ability.

On the road, the Range Rover doesn't behave much like a truck. This little fridge keeps drinks and snacks cold. Standard on the 2013 Range Rover is a hill descent control (HDC) system that automatically restricts downhill speed using the brakes.

2013 LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER DRIVERS

However, the automatic setting would probably work best for most drivers in most situations. In rare cases, it may prompt you to make manual changes that it can't, such as putting the gearbox into neutral and selecting the low-range gearing when the Rock Climbing mode is activated. Chose any of these modes and the Rover will handle all of the differential locking or unlocking, suspension adjustment, and driver-aid selections for you. There are manual settings for rock crawling, sand, deep ruts, and gravel or snow. The SUV is equipped with Land Rover's Terrain Response 2, a sophisticated permanent four-wheel-drive system that is capable of automatically sensing the characteristics of the terrain and adapting the drive and suspension systems to provide the best grip and drive characteristics for the situation at hand. While we're on the subject of off-road capability, the Range Rover has it in spades. I especially like that the paddle shifters can be set to respond only when the gearbox is in its Sport mode via a menu option, preventing accidental shifts when you're merely tooling around in the standard Drive mode.

2013 LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER DRIVER

The driver can also manually select gears with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters. You've got your standard PRND selection of drive directions and an S for 'sport' mode that adjusts the transmission's shift points for more responsive acceleration. Drive direction is controlled via a motorized shift knob that rises out of the center console when the engine is started. Torque exiting the engine must first pass through the Range's single-option, eight-speed automatic transmission. The noise that this aluminum block engine makes at full bore is akin to the world's angriest, largest vacuum cleaner being unleashed - but that just means that Land Rover didn't waste a lot of time making things sound pretty. Output is estimated at 510 horsepower and 461 pound-feet of torque. Interestingly, all 2013 Range Rovers are supercharged, so the difference between our 'Range Rover Supercharged' and the entry models is that our example is powered by a 5.0-liter supercharged V-8 rather than the automaker's 3.0-liter V-6.

2013 land rover range rover