By Frank S. Washington
MONTREAL – We came here to test drive Land Rover’s 2013 LR2. And having some live bodies to talk to, I took advantage to find out just what is the difference between Land Rover and Range Rover.
In a phrase, Land Rover is a little more utilitarian than Range Rover which leans more toward luxury. No matter, both brands are world class utility vehicles rivaled only by the most rugged of off roaders.
However, the update of the small LR2 which we came here to test had a lot to do with the interior. For 2013, it’s hard to distinguish the Land Rover LR2 from the model it replaced. You’ve got to know your LR lights; that would be both headlights and taillights. The new version uses LEDs fore and aft and there is also a new grille surround, 17-inch wheels and three new colors.
The real changes were under the hood and in the passenger compartment. First was a 2.0-liter direct injection turbocharged four cylinder engine that made 240 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque. The engine was almost 90 pounds lighter than the larger V6 that it replaced and it is the only powerplant available.
Less weight means better gas mileage. The engine produced 10 horsepower more and 16 more pound feet of torque than the outgoing V6. Not only does that translate into better gas mileage, it provides better performance. On our way to an off road course at Montebello, I found the LR2’s on road manners appealing. The passenger cabin was quiet; the only noise was the hum of the Continental winter tires on the pavement. You got to have them here; winter rubber is the law.
Handling was snappy. And though our vehicle was equipped with the optional 825 watt 17 speaker Meridian surround sound system; we never turned it on. Our rear seat passenger had no complaints about lack of head room or leg room. The 2013 LR2 featured opera seating in the second row so I never noticed our second row passenger leaning to one side so he could see through the gap between the driver and passenger seat.
The new interior of the LR2 was alluring. Overall, the dash board had been lowered making the passenger cabin larger, there was more light and the sight lines were unobstructed. Fewer buttons meant a simpler cleaner center stack. There was also a new seven-inch touch screen. The interior had a premium feel which is what you want in a premium vehicle.
Chock full of technology, the LR2 featured an alternator that only charged the battery when the vehicle was decelerating by recovering kinetic energy. The new LR2 also had a six-speed automatic transmission with adaptive shifting. The transmission was mated to the full-time all-wheel-drive system.
Under normal driving conditions, the system sends most of the torque to the front wheels but it continuously monitors wheel slippage and is capable of sending almost all of the torque to the rear wheels depending on driving conditions. It can also pre-engage while the LR2 is at rest to reduce wheel spin from standing starts.
We were on the road for more than one hour before we reached Montebello where we went sloshing through the woods, through the water and over the rocks. Land Rovers are legendary for their off road prowess and the LR2 lives up to the tradition.
Though the off road course was moderate compared to some that I’ve been on, it was more rugged than the normal driver can imagine. The LR2 handled wading through water, got into positions where either its rear or front wheel was way up in the air and slipped and slid through mud but my heart rate never accelerated. The vehicle was sure treaded in this off road environment.
The Land Rover LR2 starts at $37,250, $39,750 for the LR2 HSE and $42,350 for the LR2 HSE LUX. The 2013 LR2 now delivers the goods on two fronts: off road performance and on road comfort.
Frank S. Washington is editor of AboutThatCar.com.
This was printed in the February 24, 2013 – March 9, 2013 Edition
