In 1948, a war-torn world was just getting back on its feet. With the manufacturing lessons learned during the war, and the need to rebuild almost from scratch, a small, damp island in Europe came up with the first Land Rover: a vehicle that was brilliantly simple, and remarkable in its strength and durability. Six decades from the time the first Rover rolled off the assembly line, it is estimated that two-thirds of the originals are still carrying on, even after a long life in doing some of the toughest work on farms, in the mud, splashing around the soggy English countryside.
The original Rover was born out of necessity, and bred to be a workhorse, transporting materials across rugged farm roads, and even powering heavy tools around the workstead. Construction was made mostly of flat aluminum panels with simple lines and curves to speed production. This resulted in a vehicle that was beautiful in its utility. Throughout the years, improvements were made here and there, improving the vehicle’s stability, reducing its turning radius and pushing the brand to the top of the 4×4 world.
By the time the 70s hit, Land Rover released a new product that revolutionized the scene and created a whole new category altogether. This was the first Range Rover, the perfect synergy of off-road performance and road car comfort. Four decades later, the Range Rover has continued to push the design envelope with the Fourth Generation Range Rover.
Launched here in the Philippines in May the Fourth Generation Land Rover made quite a splash, as Marc Soong, executive director of Land Rover Philippines drove the beautiful new Rover down a steep ramp, into a pool of water, showing off some of its off-road capabilities. Guests excitedly gathered around the all-new Range Rover as it was driven on to drier ground, meeting Marc with a huge round of applause as he stepped out, completely dry and no worse for the dip.
The Fourth Generation Land Rover comes with one of four powerplants: the 3.0L TDV6 and 4.4L SDV8 Diesel, and the 5.0L V8 and 5.0L V8 Supercharged Petrol. The engines all offer unparalleled fuel economy, superb power and lowered CO2 emissions, particularly when combined with Land Rover’s innovative all-aluminum design.
The interior of the Fourth Generation Range Rover comes in a beautiful combination of a primary and complimentary colors, with a selection of wood veneers that further add to the luxurious feel inside the extremely roomy cabin. This new Land Rover is the greatest refinement of the brand, and it shows in every last detail.
Check the New Range Rover out for yourself at the Land Rover Activity Center at Bonifacio Global City.
First published in Gadgets Magazine, July 2013
Words by Ren Alcantara