2003 Land Rover Ranger Rover

Off-Roading Range Rover Style

By Michael Binstock

PRICE RANGE: Invoice price not available. $69,995 base MSRP. As tested $72,045.

CONFIGURATION: 4.4L 90-degree OHV V8, 282 hp; Permanent four-wheel drive; Normal, Sport and Manual shift modes. Normal in-line shfter (H-gate shifter has been eliminated in 2003 model). High/Low transmission shifting accomplished with a single electronic toggle switch.

FUEL ECONOMY: 12 mpg City, 15 mpg Highway

SAFETY FEATURES: ABS standard. Driver and front passenger airbag, door-mounted side airbags and head protection airbags. Rear oassenger head protection airbags.

IMPRESSION: Revolutionary· comfort, safety and luxury. And selling out fast at a dealership near you.

The slope is 45 degrees. My instructor, Ken, tells me to drive over the edge and then take both feet off the brake and gas pedals. ãJust let it do its thing.ä And the Range Rover eases us down the frightening slope at 2 1/2 miles per hour, in complete safety. My heart was racing at 20,000 rpm.

That was my introduction to off-roading, Range Rover style, as the British SUV manufacturer, owned by Ford Motor Company, introduced the motoring press to the 2003 Range Rover. This is only the third model in its over 30-year history.

The award winning 2003 Range Rover from Britainâs Land Rover officially went on sale in late spring 2002, with most vehicles pre-sold. Since its world premiere in January 2002, more than 3,000 orders have been placed for the stunning new vehicle.

ãWe believe the new Range Rover is the worldâs most capable vehicle, with the greatest breadth of ability of any vehicle ever made,ä said Bob Dover, Managing Director of Land Rover, and I can only agree.

After two days driving in and around Santa Barbara, my amazement as to how this extraordinary vehicle handles and feels was only eclipsed by the interior and the finish. The elegant cabin design is, simply put, revolutionary. The interior brings new levels of luxury to the class. A wide variety of styling and texture ideas, including elegant real woods and leathers, were taken from a diverse range of influences including luxury homes and yachts.

Throughout its 34-year history, Range Rover has consistently been recognized for possessing a combination of on- and off-road ability that is unique in the world. From the original two-door model that debuted in London, to critical acclaim, at Earlâs Court Motor Show in 1970 to todayâs 2003 model, Range Rover is the worldâs finest 4x4. It provides its owners with both sure-footed capability off-road and all the comfortable refinement of the best European touring sedans on road. Range Rover has always been a vehicle for all reasons. Its popularity remains unyielding. Few other sport-utility vehicles have inspired such strong owner loyalty.

Range Roverâs history dates back to the early 1960s when the management of the Rover Company (an organization that is today entirely separate from that of Land Rover) dabbled with the idea of producing a ãRoad Rover.ä The Road Rover was to be a civilized station-wagon version of the hearty, well-known and endlessly capable open-top Land Rover. While the Road Rover project never went into production, research from the program was used in the mid-1960s by Land Rover engineers Spen King and Gordon Bashford to help develop a V8-powered leisure vehicle.

The key to their prototype vehicle lay in its permanent four-wheel drive, low-rate coil spring suspension, exceptional wheel travel, four-wheel disc brakes and excellent visibility, known to Land Rover as the command driving position.