2016 Range Rover Td6: Luxury Meets Diesel Efficiency

2016 Range Rover Td6

These are dark days for diesel, at least on the car and SUV side. The Volkswagen emissions scandal (and the accompanying media hoopla) has damaged the public’s opinion of diesels, and the potential for fines and lawsuits must surely be giving automakers second thoughts about bringing more diesel-powered cars and SUVs to the U.S.

But vehicle development moves at a glacial pace, and by the time the VW debacle went supercritical, Land Rover’s plan to dieselize their high-lux Range Rover SUVs was too far along to stop. For that, we are glad—because Range Rover’s new Td6 engine shows why diesels are so well suited to the SUVs Americans love.

“THE TD6 HAS THE MUSCLE TO KEEP THESE HEAVY SUVS ON THE MOVE”

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HOW THE OTHER HALF OFF ROADS

We’re sure you’re all at least some- what familiar with Range Rover. These SUVs are among the most luxurious you can buy, with leather-and-wood interiors that ooze elegance and privilege in a way that only British cars can. They are also among the most capable off roaders on the market: All Range Rovers have height- adjustable air suspensions and full-time all-wheel-drive, with a low-range transfer case offered as an option.

Parent company Land Rover was the first to offer hill descent control, which works the brake on each individual wheel and allows the Range Rover to tip-toe down steep, uneven descents with perfect control and no driver intervention (with the air conditioning blowing gently and Mozart playing on the stereo). Today, hill descent control is found on dozens of SUVs, but Land Rover has moved on: For 2016 they have updated the system to work both uphill and down. Think of it as low-speed, off-road cruise control.

SCREAMING FOR DIESEL

But with great luxury and great capability comes great weight. Despite a weight-saving aluminum body, the lightest Range Rover tips the scales at 4,700 lbs., nearly as much as a Ram 1500 quad-cab pickup, while the heaviest weighs over 5,300 lbs.

The Range Rover’s base gasoline en- gine is a 340 horsepower supercharged V6, a motor that would turn a Ford Escape into a rocket ship, and yet it has to hustle like a crazed sweatshop worker to push the Range Rover’s bulk. According to the EPA, the Range Rover’s gas mileage is 19 MPG with the V6 and 16 MPG with the optional supercharged V8—not great considering that many of today’s SUVs can hit 30 MPG on the highway. If ever a vehicle was crying out for a diesel engine, this was it.

Enter the Td6, Range Rover’s new turbo diesel V6. With 443 lb-ft. of torque at 2,000 RPM—almost as much torque as the five-liter supercharged gas V8 offered in top-of-the-line Range Rovers—the Td6 has the muscle to keep these heavy SUVs on the move (and a trailer as well: diesel Rovers will tow up to 7,716 lbs). The Td6 engine is offered in both Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models; the Sport is smaller, sleeker and slightly quicker.

POWER AND ECONOMY: DIESEL AT ITS BEST

Off-the-line turbo lag is an issue—floor the pedal in either model, and you’ll have time to get out and run around the car be- fore it starts moving—which explains why, according to Land Rover’s numbers, the diesel-powered Range Rover trails the gas V6 to 60 MPH by 0.4 seconds. But it still clocks in at 7.4, which should give you some idea of how quick the Td6 is once it lifts up its skirts and starts beating feet.

And fuel economy is nothing short of miraculous: The EPA figure is 25 MPG (22 MPG in the city and 28 MPG on the high- way), and during a week-long test of a Range Rover, we averaged 27.7 MPG. That’s about what we’d expect out of a small SUV like the Honda CR-V (assuming you could talk us into driving one). With a 23.5 gallon fuel tank, that gives the diesel- powered Rover a cruising range well over 600 miles.

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE Td6

The Td6 engine is a 3.0 liter (2,993 cc/182.6 cid) DOHC 60-degree V6, a for- mat favored by European automakers, with a single water-cooled turbocharger and a compacted-graphite iron (CGI) block. Emissions systems include SCR with DEF and a low-pressure EGR system that taps into the exhaust downstream of the diesel particulate filter rather than the manifold, a setup that Range Rover says reduces NOx by lowering combustion temperatures.

In these days of international con- glomerates (the quintessential British Land Rover brand is actually owned by Indian automaker Tata), it’s interesting to note the Td6 engine has a proper English pedigree. Originally developed in the late 1990s by Ford’s Dagenham Diesel Centre, located just east of Lon- don, the “Lion” engine family was prod- uct of a joint venture between Ford of Europe and PSA, the French automaker that owns Citroën and Peugeot. (We know what the average American gear- head thinks of French cars; believe it or not, back in the 1990s, the best automo- tive diesels came from PSA.)

Dagenham designed a 2.7 liter twin- turbo V6 engine with a CGI block, and Jaguar-Land Rover, then under Ford own- ership, developed their own version with modifications to make the engine better suited to severe off-road use. They used a single turbo designed for improved low- end torque, better sealing against water, dust and mud, and a deeper oil sump with improved baffling. Ford sold JLR to Tata in 2008, but Land Rover continued to develop and use the engine, which is still built under contract at Dagenham. The engine has grown to three liters, and while European-market Range Rovers use a twin-turbo setup, JLR developed a single- turbo version to meet US emissions and drivability requirements.

SHHHHHHHHHH!

Land Rover talks less about the engi- neering that went into the engine than about what they’ve done to keep it quiet. Most manufacturers talk about deep- skirted blocks, cross-bolted main bear- ings, and structural oil pans as a way to increase strength, but Land Rover touts their ability to reduce noise and vibration. The fuel injection system has been tuned for quieter operation, and the firewall and windshield (which uses an acoustic lami- nate) were designed to block sound.

From the outside, there’s no mistaking that this is a diesel, albeit a quiet one; it sounds like a Ram EcoDiesel at 100 paces. Inside, the characteristic clatter manages to seep into the cabin at idle, and at full throttle the Td6 makes a muted roar that is distinctly diesel. Once you get moving, though, the engine noise disappears.

And honestly, what else would you ex- pect from an $87,000 SUV? And that’s if you can find a basic one; our HSE-trim test vehicle listed for just over $106,000. Range Rover Sport models are a bit more reasonable, with diesels starting at $67, 445.

“WE CAN’T IMAGINE THAT THE LAND ROVER MODELS (LR4 AND DISCOVERY SPORT) WILL GO MUCH LONGER WITHOUT A DIESEL OPTION”

Though the numbers may give some people a nosebleed, the Range Rover does justify those high prices, with heated leather seats, height-adjustable air sus- pension, a power-operated clamshell- style tailgate, and a concert-quality Meridian stereo as standard. Our tester added 14-way power-adjustable heated and cooled front seats, doors that cinch themselves closed, and a massive panoramic sunroof. If it’s technical gadg- ets you want, you came to the right place: Options include automatic high beams and even a self-parking system (the sys- tem steers the Range Rover into a spot while the driver works the accelerator and the brake. We found it worked well for par- allel parking, but backing into perpendicu- lar spots is not its forte).

And lest you think the Range Rover is afraid to get its cuffs dirty, let’s keep in mind that while most manufacturers use the promise of off-road adventure in their SUV ads, Land Rover is one of the few brands that actually deliver. Crank the suspension up to full height, select one of the Rover’s off-road modes, point the nose at the horizon and let the diesel en- gine do its work. Range Rovers may look like aristocrats, but they aren’t afraid to crawl through the mud, climb over rocks, or wade through streams. A Range Rover will go a good deal farther off the beaten path than any other bone-stock truck, and more than a few modified ones.

AS GOOD AS IT GETS

The Range Rover is one of those rare vehicles that is greater than the sum of its parts. It’s probably the nicest and most luxurious SUVs we’ve ever driven, and we’ve driven quite a lot. We understand why they are so popular with the rich- and-famous: If you can afford the best, the Range Rover is it.

Now, one could question whether someone who can afford a Range Rover is really concerned with fuel economy. Will the well-heeled be willing to spend $1,500 extra for the diesel and fuel up with the semis at the greasy green pumps? We imagine they might. Everyone likes bragging rights, and the diesel’s long range turns the weekly fill-up into a twice-monthly event. That said, the diesel isn’t offered in Range Rover’s top-of-the-line Autobiography models, so perhaps JLR thinks the Td6 will appeal only to the frugal rich.

“THE BRITISH BRAND IS DEDICATED TO DIESEL”

Regardless, we’re pleased that JLR has finally decided to bring a diesel-powered Range Rover to the United States. We’re also happy to report that the British brand is dedicated to diesel. They have a new 180 hp 2.0 liter four-cylinder engine, de- veloped entirely in-house, that will find its way under the hood of the new XE, XF and F-PACE models from Jaguar. And while the company has made no firm an- nouncements, we can’t imagine that the Land Rover models (LR4 and Discovery Sport) will go much longer without a diesel option.

We hope the brilliant new Td6-pow- ered Range Rover will remind buyers what a fantastic solution the diesel en- gine offers. Diesel may be in trouble, but these new diesel-powered Range Rovers demonstrate why we shouldn’t count it out. DW

THE LION THAT DIDN’T ROAR

The Range Rover’s Td6 was originally de- veloped by Ford of Britain’s Dagenham Engine Centre as part of the Lion engine family. Ford also designed a V8 version of the Lion, a 3.6 liter engine that produced 270 hp and was later expanded to 4.4 liters and 339 hp. Ford reportedly consid- ered offering the Lion V8 in the F-150 and Expedition, and possibly as an entry-level engine for the Super Duty. Unfortunately, they did not follow through, citing low an- ticipated demand and a high price pre- mium. The engine remains in production; it’s built in Chihuahua, Mexico, alongside the 6.7 liter Power Stroke V8. Land Rover offers it as an option in European-market Range Rovers, but they have no plans to build a US-compliant version.