Prince William and Kate Middleton appear to have leapfrogged the customer queue for the all-new Range Rover, with the Royal couple pictured arriving in one of the great British brand’s flagship SUVs that aren’t due to arrive with buyers for at least another month.
With Range Rover’s parent company Jaguar Land Rover holding all three Royal Warrants, it’s no surprise to see the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge using the luxury 4X4 on official duties.
However, their Royal connection might have helped them take delivery of their car well in advance of other customers, who may have ordered a new Range – which starts from £94,400 in the UK – but whose delivery dates are still weeks away.
And Wills and Kate have even gazumped the world’s motoring press, which is yet to have a drive of the flashy motor with the car’s global launch event taking place in the US early in April – which MailOnline and This is Money will be attending.
Royal ride: The Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, have been pictured using the all-new 2022 Range Rover, which isn’t due to be delivered to UK customers for weeks
The Duke and Duchess were pictured today in the brand new SUV while attending the St Patrick’s Day Parade in Aldershot.
The dark blue 4X4 is likely the first 2022 Range Rover on the road in the hands of someone other than JLR personnel.
Records show that the car was first registered in November and appears to be a P400 model, which features a mild hybrid ‘straight six’ cylinder 3.0-litre petrol engine with 400 horsepower.
This can propel the hulking SUV from zero to 62mph in 5.8 seconds and has a top speed of 150mph.
Prices for this engine option start from £98,000 for the standard short-wheelbase model – though this Royal example kitted out with all the bells and whistles would likely ring in at well over £100,000.
It weighs over three tonnes and emits 220g/km of CO2 – so it’s far from the greenest vehicle on the road today.
We asked Jaguar Land Rover to clarify details of the motor, but were told by a spokesman for the brand that ‘JLR does not comment on Royal vehicles’.
The Duchess of Cambridge arrives at the 1st Battalion Irish Guards for the St Patrick’s Day Parade, at Mons Barracks in Aldershot on Thursday, having travelled in the 3.0-litre petrol Range Rover
This is the all-new Range Rover – the fifth generation of the luxury SUV that dates back to 1970
NEW RANGE ROVER: WILL IT FIT IN MY GARAGE?
On sale: now
Price: from £94,400
First deliveries: Late April 2022
Built: Solihull, England
Seats: 4, 5 and for the first time 7 (depending on model)
Versions: Standard and Long Wheel-base
DIMENSIONS
*Standard wheel-base / Long wheelbase (where dimensions differ)
Length: 5,022mm / 5,252mm
Width (inc mirrors): 2,209mm
Height: 1,870mm
Wheelbase: 2,997mm / 3,197mm
Wheels: Up to 23 inch
Turning circle: 10.95mm / 11.54mm
Maximum off-road clearance: 295mm
Maximum incline: 45 degrees
Wading depth: 900mm
Approach angle: 34.7 degrees
Departure angle: 29 degrees
Maximum tow capacity: 3,500kg
Maximum roof load: 100kg
Loadspace: Max behind row one, all seats folded: 1,841 / 2,601 litres
Transmission: 8-speed ZF automatic gearbox
Trim levels: SE, HSE, Autobiography, and First Edition
From 2022: Exclusive ‘SV’ version from Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations arm (includes four-seat chauffer version)
POWERTAIN EXAMPLES
– Plug-in Hybrid extended range PHEV
Available in two options: 510hp and 440hp
Electric-only range: up to 62 miles officially (real world estimate 50 miles)
Electric only top speed: up to 87mph
0 to 62mph (100km/hr): up to 5.6 seconds
Top speed: TBC
CO2 emissions: under 30g/km
Engine: 400 horse-power (PS) Ingenium 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder
Battery: 38.2kWh (useable capacity 31.8kWh)
Electric motor: 105kw
Charging time on 7.2kW AC wall-box: 5 hours
– New flagship 4.4 litre V8 530hp twin turbo petrol
0 to 62 mph (100km/hr): 4.6 seconds
Top speed: 155mph
CO2 emissions: 263g/km
– Mild hybrid ‘straight 6’ cylinder 3.0 litre petrol (P400) and 3.0 litre diesel engines (D300 and D350)
– First fully electric battery version from 2024
Jaguar Land Rover, which is now owned by India’s Tata Motors, not only holds all three Royal Warrants but was granted its first in 1951.
Last year, a 2013 Range Rover used by the Duke and Duchess was sold at auction for £50,625 – more than £10,000 over its pre-sale estimate and double what the vehicle is worth without a Royal connection.
The Range Rover Vogue SE SUV was originally supplied to Prince William and Kate for their personal use by Land Rover’s VIP Department in 2013.
Royal ride: This 2013 Range Rover was originally used by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, having been delivered to the couple by Land Rover’s VIP Department for their personal use. It sold at an Oxfordshire auction for £50,625 last May
The auction sale was a very unique scenario. It’s very rare for ex-Royal vehicles to be offered to the public with the full declaration of who the previous keepers are
The car was given to the couple in the same year Prince George was born, so might have been one of the vehicles used to transport him as a baby
In its eight years leading up to last year’s sale, the Range Rover had clocked up just 38,420 miles. The car retains the number plate it had during the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s ownership
TEN THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE ALL-NEW RANGE ROVER
The all-new Range Rover will be sold with petrol, diesel and petrol-electric plug-in hybrid versions and will debut as an all-electric model from 2024.
It marks the fifth-generation of the Range that dates back to 1970.
It has been specially designed on a flexible new platform which allows engineers to power it with both electric motors and batteries, as well as conventional combustion engines, with prices starting from £94,400.
Here are ten things you need to know about the new motor:
The Range Rover’s acceleration towards full electric power is the most significant update of all. It will be sold with a choice of Plug-in Electric Hybrid (PHEV) powertrains before a zero-emission version arrives in a couple of years
1. There will be a first fully-electric Land Rover model
The 2024 electric Range Rover with be Land Rover’s first battery-only model brought to market. It has sold plug-in hybrid versions of the luxury SUV in the previous generation and PHEV examples across the rest of the range, including the Land Rover Defender PHEV.
Parent firm JLR’s first EV was the I-Pace, which launched back in 2018.
An electric-only Range Rover will become Land Rover’s first full EV model launched in 2024 and be followed by six others as part of the brand’s efforts to switch power sources ahead of the ban on sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030
2. Available with seven seats for the first time
A seven-seater Range Rover with a third row of two seats is now an option for the first time in the extended-wheelbase version. Customers can also opt for a standard five-seater.
And the exclusive ‘SV’ version from the Special Vehicle Operations branch offers a four-seat chauffeur option.
For the first time ever, Range Rover buyers will be able to choose if they want a five- or seven-seat layout for their luxury 4X4
3. It features all-wheel steering…
This is said to improve high speed stability and low speed manoeuvrability.
The rear axle moves by up to seven degrees, giving a tighter turning circle of less than 11 metres.
Stability is also improved with intelligent all-wheel drive and a new ‘active 48-volt electronic roll control system’.
The introduction of rear-wheel steering should make the weighty Range Rover feel more agile and nimble in the bends
4. Design changes are highlighted by an all-new rear look
The rear of the new Range Rover shows the biggest change in design with large ‘hidden until lit’ lights and indicators in the dark panel that runs across the top section of the tailgate and then drops down around the side of the lower part of the boot door.
The front grille has also been tweaked and all sensors removed from the body panels and hidden out of sight in the lower bumper.
It also gets new high definition digital LED headlights.
The ‘hidden until lit’ rear light cluster is the standout change to the Range Rover’s design that portrays a new level of luxury
5. An interior suitable for vegans
Non leather and fabrics including Ultrafabrics and Kvadrat wool-blend, and others made from recycled plastics and fabrics, are offered to those with vegan tastes or ethical issues with animal hides.
Like many other car makers, Land Rover is moving away from animal-based materials for its interior fabrics to show it can be a sustainable brand
6. Range Rover’s biggest infotainment screen yet
The new 13.1-inch curved floating touch-screen – with graphics based around a three panel lay-out – dominates the elegant dashboard and is the biggest display to ever be installed in a Range Rover.
Controls for the screen for the first time provide ‘haptic’ feedback which gives users ‘a positive confirmation’ without the need to take their eyes off the road to glance at the display.
Rear passengers have a new rear-seat entertainment system with 11.4-inch screens for smart TV via in-car wi-fi.
The curved screen up front is the largest in Range Rover history at 13.1 inches. Passengers in the back also get 11.4-inch rear displays
7. Power-assisted doors all-round
All four passenger doors are power-assisted – a first for Land Rover. They feature integrated hazard detection, meaning they can’t swing open if a vehicle or cyclist is passing in close proximity, and also an ‘anti-pinch’ safety feature that prevents the door shutting on flailing limbs.
All doors in the new Range Rover are power assisted and incorporate a safety feature that will stop you from knocking cyclists off their bikes and trapping your arm as you try to get in. Pictured: The Daily Mail’s Ray Massey has already sat inside the new car – but is yet to drive it until next month
8. Split rear tailgate gets practicality tweaks…and a dog ramp
The split rear tailgate – a feature since 1970 – is updated with new features. Inside the load-space floor has flexible panels to partition areas for easier load-lugging.
The five-seater version also has a new auto-folding loadspace cover which retracts when the upper tailgate is opened, providing unrestricted access without lowering the lower tailgate.
There’s also the option of a dog ramp as part of an additional pet pack (also includes travel cage and mobile hose) to make it easier for your furry friend to access the boot compartment.
Land Rover have made changes to the boot and tailgate to make it more practical – for you and for your pets, it appears
9. Voice control available in a super-hushed cabin
This is a Range Rover you can have a full blown conversation with. It features voice control and commands for music, navigation and traffic updates via Amazon ‘Alexa’, as well as using its artificial intelligence to check the news and weather, schedule meetings, and even turn on your lights at home.
You should have no issues telling the Range Rover what you want as there will be little to no road rumble in the cabin. That’s because noise-cancelling technology piped through speakers installed in the headrests to help maintain the interior as a ‘calm oasis’.
It will also have clean air technology to filter out odours and viruses, including Covid-19 and Sars viruses.
The interior should be quieter than ever before – and not just because Land Rover is adding electric power. It’s because noise-cancelling tech will prevent road rumble being audible in the cabin
10. Active suspension that knows when you’re about to hit a bump
The new Range Rover enjoys ‘pre-emptive suspension’ which uses chassis control and Electronic Air Suspension to ‘read’ the road ahead via the sat-nav and sensors and prime the vehicle for looming bumps and corners.
A ‘pre-emptive suspension’ system means the Range Rover can prepare its shocks for the biggest ruts by scanning the road ahead
