(September 7, 2012) LONDON — Last night, in the quintessentially British setting of the Royal Ballet School in Richmond Park, Land Rover revealed the new Range Rover, the fourth generation of the iconic luxury SUV.

The international audience, including leaders from business, film, television and sport gathered to witness a dramatic reveal and celebrate one of the world's most iconic vehicles. Many of the guests, from Olympic medallists to royalty, were long-standing Range Rover owners and enthusiasts keen to get the first view of the All-New Range Rover in the metal.

Land Rover says, the Range Rover has been developed from the ground up to provide the ultimate luxury SUV. It is the world's first SUV to have a lightweight all-aluminum body and is 20% lighter than the outgoing model.

The lighter body structure has driven a 22 per cent reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

Land Rover also used the event to announce plans for a hybrid Range Rover — the world's first fully capable SUV. A state-of-the-art high-efficiency diesel hybrid model is planned for production late in 2013. (The hybrid model will not be sold in the U.S., at least initially.)

John Edwards, Land Rover global brand director, said: "The Range Rover is a British icon and the all-new model revealed this evening has set the benchmark for luxury in SUVs. It is quieter, smoother and lighter than any vehicle in its class.

"Like the Royal Ballet School, Land Rover is quintessentially British and has been setting world standards in performance and capability for many years. We wanted to launch the all-new Range Rover in the UK and White Lodge was the perfect venue."

Order books for the 2013 Range Rover are now officially open.



The All-New Range Rover is designed, engineered and manufactured in the UK and will be exported to over 170 global markets.

At just under 197 inches, the new Range Rover has a very similar footprint to the outgoing model, but with a smoother and more streamline profile - the most aerodynamic Range Rover ever.

For the U.S. market, two V-8 engines will once again be offered: a naturally-aspirated 5.0-liter V-8 rated at 375 horsepower and 375 pound-feet of torque, and a supercharged version of this engine with 510 horsepower and 461 pound-feet of torque on tap. Both engines will be paired with a ZF eight-speed automatic.

The 0-60 times come in at an impressive 6.5 seconds and 5.1 seconds, respectively, while top speeds register at 130 mph and 140 mph.

The luxurious interior has a modern and pure character, incorporating distinctive Range Rover design cues, but with a fresh and very contemporary treatment. The cabin retains the characteristic strong, architectural forms, and these are emphasized by extremely clean and elegant surfaces which are flawlessly executed using the finest leathers and veneers.

Among the industry-leading innovations is a ground-breaking next-generation version of Land Rover's Terrain Response system, which analyses the current driving conditions and automatically select the most suitable vehicle settings.

An all-new state-of-the-art lightweight suspension architecture delivers class-leading wheel travel, providing exceptional wheel articulation and composure to deal with the toughest conditions.

The new Range Rover's unmatched breadth of capability is also reflected in its tremendously strong structure with enhanced body geometry for all-terrain conditions, wading depth which has improved by 7.8 inches to 35 inches, and its position as the best towing vehicle in its class with a 7,700 pounds trailer capability.

To ensure exceptional durability and reliability, the new Range Rover has been subjected to Land Rover's punishing on- and off-road test and development regime, with a fleet of development vehicles covering countless thousands of miles over 18 months of tests in over 20 countries with extremes of climate and road surfaces.