Vogue

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Monday – Armchairs on Wheels

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If you want a quick resume of why I like the Range Rover, this is what I told my neighbour this morning at the roadside…

The heated steering wheel and front screen – just what you want on a cold and frosty morning. It’s one step further than heated seats and will surely filter down the food chain to all cars one day.

The rear seats which automatically fold forward, or recline. Yes, it might sound lazy but how many times have you caught your finger in a seat mechanism?

Power in a straight line. Slip the gearchange dial into sport and the Rangey becomes the fastest set of luxury armchairs you will ever sit in. It still wallows on a corner though.

The electric tailgates. Everybody knows the back of a Range Rover is the best place to change muddy wellies. Now the lower section of the tailgate opens electronically too. It’s smart and still very comfortable.

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Sunday – A Range Rover Or A Bigger W*lly?

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Not sure I’ve ever been heckled in a four-wheel drive before… I mean, there have been a few abusive gestures aimed at me over the years but a heckle, well, that’s a new one.

So the little chap in the Vauxhall Astra estate following me out of the multi-storey car park seemed quite upset when the Range Rover clipped the curb. Mutli-storey’s just aren’t designed for anything bigger than a Fiat 500 these days.

So as I approached the exit barrier and wound down the window, a voice piped up: “Get a smaller car!’ Naturally, I responded politely and told him to get a bigger willy, or a better car.

Sure the Range Rover is large but it has emissions of just 196g/km, which is a bloody sight better than his smokey old chugger. Not only that but it averages almost 38mpg too…. Grrr

 

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Saturday – Hosing Out A Range Rover

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The very first Range Rovers featured just three doors and were fitted with a vinyl floor so that the interior could be hosed out! I have considered slipping a hose pipe into the Vogue SE but don’t fancy the bill.

Forty four years later and it’s something of a credit to the marque that there have only been four models. Each one has been groundbreaking in one way or another – the one parked on my driveway is already famed for using lightweight materials to reduce the Range Rover’s inherent weight problem.

It’s still a very heavy car but Jaguar Land Rover’s incredible TDV6 diesel engine is mustard. Just how a 3.0-litre 255bhp unit manages to propel a vehicle this size at such great speed is remarkable. The SDV8 is even faster, of course…

I’m happy with the TDV6. It’s responsible, quiet and copes with the Range Rover’s bulk with ease. Still think you should be able to hose out the interior though…