Simply Abu Dhabi XXXIV

2 2 3 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I F or a brand that created the whole luxury off-roading genre way back in 1970, Range Rover now competes with challengers from BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, Maserati, Bentley and even Rolls-Royce. Yet there’s still something special about climbing into a Range Rover that the others can’t pin down with its uniquely commanding driving position that’s evident even in this slightly lowered Sport version. The Autobiography Dynamic model tested sits at the upper end of the model range, just below the flagship SVR, though it uses the same supercharged, 5-litre V8 which develops 518bhp and gets you to 100km/h in 5.3 seconds. Given that the majority of Range Rover owners are mostly city dwellers who may not venture off-road as often as they once did, that’s possibly more important than its wading depth or approach and departure angles. Fear not though, it’s still a Range Rover, so its ability to off-road, with 850mm of wading depth, is still paramount. And of course, it also includes the Terrain Response System which allows you to select a wide variety of conditions including mud, snow, sand, rocks and forestry trails. With a flick of the rotary dial, it selects the optimum setting for throttle response, diff settings, ride height, suspension firmness and more. Essentially all you need to do is steer and it takes care of the rest. The Sport’s quicker and firmer steering was immediately noticeable, and it felt less ponderous than previous Rangies but the stiffer suspension, perhaps induced by the larger diameter wheels with low-profile tyres, resulted in a firmer ride. Though still nowhere near as harsh as some of its rivals. Open the door, step inside and you can see what the AED633,435 price of our test vehicle buys you as you are greeted by copious swathes of perforated leather and ebony veneer highlighted by knurled polished aluminium touch points. Prices start from AED344,925 for the 2-litre, rising to AED510,825 for the HSE with the same V8 engine, it’s when you tick the options boxes that the Autobiography’s price starts to rise, though it’s still in line with many of its European sports/luxury SUV competitors. The 2019 Sport is exceptionally well equipped with a standard specification that includes huge 22-inch alloy wheels, a full-size panoramic sliding roof, sat nav, matrix LED headlamps, electrically-folding mirrors, a 12-inch TFT virtual instrument panel, a heated steering wheel, electric seats and a premium sound system. The big thing with this new version though, is that whereas the previous generation was based on the steel hybrid monocoque chassis originally developed for the Discovery, this model has been developed alongside the latest Range Rover and so uses a modified version of the big brother’s lightweight aluminium platform. Put simply, that makes this the first sporting SUV to switch to aluminium construction, beating the likes of Porsche, BMWand Mercedes in the race to adopt lightweight manufacturing. The Autobiography spec is a nice mix between sport and luxury, taking the sporting elements of the SVR, such as the brutish supercharged V8 engine and mixing it with the luxurious interior and a slightly softer ride from its adjustable air suspension that also lowers the car at rest to allow for easier access. While it has grown in all areas and boasts a 178mm longer wheelbase, the Sport still looks lithe and nimble when parked next to the full-size Range Rover thanks to a higher hipline that tricks the eye into making it look smaller.