To further enhance its impressive breadth of capabilities, the new Range Rover has been engineered with state-of-the-art vehicle and safety technologies, ranging from advanced driver assistance features such as the latest Adaptive Cruise Control system, to a comprehensive range of active and passive safety technologies.
Smart driver assistance technologies
The new Range Rover is packed with smart, relevant technologies to ensure that drivers enjoy a relaxed and stress-free experience behind the wheel. The latest driver assistance features available to enhance comfort and safety include an enhanced Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) which operates even when the vehicle is travelling slowly or is stationary.
Adding to the standard ACC functionality, which maintains a pre-set time gap to the vehicle in front in slower moving or busy traffic, the new Queue Assist features extends the ACC function to allow the vehicle to come to a stop when it reaches a traffic queue.
When the car in front moves off, the driver can resume ACC operation by briefly touching the accelerator. The car then accelerates back to the pre-set cruising speed, maintaining the selected time gap to vehicles ahead.
Vehicles specified with ACC and Queue Assist also feature the Intelligent Emergency Braking (IEB) function (see description below).
To offer enhanced awareness in today’s congested traffic conditions, Range Rover drivers can also specific advanced new technologies to alert them to nearby vehicles which could create a hazard.
Blind Spot Monitoring uses side-mounted radar sensors to survey potential blind spots either side of the vehicle, and alerts the driver when vehicles are detected within this area. The system is optimised to work at lower speeds commonly encountered in urban conditions or on congested motorways.
It now is combined with Closing Vehicle Sensing, a new feature which extends the function of the system by scanning a zone much further behind the vehicle, to detect vehicles which are closing quickly from behind and which could cause a threat during a lane change manoeuvre. Drivers are alerted by a rapid flashing of the existing Blind Spot warning light in the corresponding wing mirror.
A further additional new function, Reverse Traffic Detection, uses radar detectors in the rear of the car to warn about potential collisions during reversing manoeuvres, such as reversing out of a parking space. The system is active when reverse gear is selected and can detect a vehicle approaching from either side, alerting the driver in the event of a potential collision.
Other driver assistance technologies which help to reduce stress behind the wheel include the Adjustable Speed Limiter Device, which enables the driver to set their own personal maximum speed, the latest Surround Camera System incorporating T Junction view, Trailer reverse park guidance and Trailer hitch guidance, and headlamps with Automatic High Beam Assist and Adaptive Xenon lighting.
Electric Power-Assisted Steering with Park Assist
The new Range Rover adopts the latest electric power-assisted steering (EPAS) technology, which has enhanced potential for tuning to deliver outstanding steering feel, and which helps to reduce overall vehicle CO2 emissions. The new technology also enables customers to benefit from the Park Assist feature, which helps to identify a suitable parallel parking space, and then automatically steers the vehicle into place.
The EPAS system has been meticulously tuned by Land Rover engineers, who have gained extensive experience of system tuning through other recent products like the Range Rover Evoque.
The steering is a variable ratio system which provides a fast overall steering ratio, but which is slower just around the on-centre position – this gives the vehicle an effortless quality, while ensuring the stability and relaxed character of a Range Rover when operating at speed.
By varying the level of power assistance, the steering is light and responsive when manoeuvring at lower speeds, while being much firmer for a more confident and assured response at higher speeds.
Terrain Response® functionality is also improved, since the EPAS system is able to vary the steering feedback according to the different friction levels offered by any given road surface, from snow through to sand.
Other specific features built into the control software to ensure a natural and consistent steering feel include:
- Damping which varies according to steering speed
- Pull/Drift (camber) Compensation, to avoid annoying steering corrections by mitigating the effect of road crown
- Soft Lock Stops, to provide a cushioned feeling to the driver and avoid an abrupt feeling as the steering meets the lock stops
- Active Return, improves self-centring of the steering, avoiding torque build-up as steering wheel angle increases
- Parking Torque Control, for consistently light and effortless steering
Powerful braking with lightweight Brembo calipers
The new Range Rover has been engineered with a powerful all-disc braking system for confident stopping in all conditions, featuring six-piston lightweight Brembo calipers on the front brakes for enhanced performance and reduced weight.
The generous disc diameters of 380mm front/365mm rear provide huge thermal capacity, capable of achieving outstanding stopping performance, whether solo or towing a trailer.
The Range Rover is equipped with an Electronic Park Brake (EPB) which activates directly on the rear brake calipers, and has been carefully optimised to provide smooth and refined automatic disengagement when the car moves off.
Performance of the braking and stability systems is also enhanced by the latest Bosch 6-piston brake modulator, which delivers faster responses and smoother, quieter and more refined operation.
Enhanced active safety technologies
The impressive stopping power of the new Range Rover is complemented by a comprehensive suite of active safety technologies, designed to enhance braking, stability and traction.
For the first time, the Range Rover is available with Intelligent Emergency Braking. Included on vehicles fitted with Adaptive Cruise Control, this new feature can help drivers avoid a collision if the traffic ahead slows quickly or another vehicle suddenly moves into their lane.
The Intelligent Emergency Braking (IEB) feature incorporates Advanced Emergency Brake Assist (AEBA). When in operation, the system uses a forward-looking radar to detect vehicles ahead moving in the same direction, and in the event of a possible collision, the driver is alerted by a visual and audible warning signal.
If the risk of collision increases after the warning, AEBA prepares the brake system for rapid braking and the brakes are applied gently. If the brake pedal is depressed quickly, then braking is implemented with full brake function.
In the event that a collision is judged to be unavoidable, a driver warning will be given and IEB will automatically apply an emergency braking pressure level to help minimise the speed of impact.
The full suite of active safety features on the new Range Rover includes:
- Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)
- Roll Stability Control (RSC)
- Electronic Traction Control (ETC)
- Trailer Stability Assist (TSA)
- Hill Descent Control (HDC) and Gradient Release Control (GRC)
- Hill Start Assist (HSA)
- Engine Drag torque Control (EDC)
- Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
- Electronic brake force distribution (EBD
- Emergency brake lights (EBL)
- Emergency brake assist (EBA)
- Corner Brake Control (CBC)
Engineered for maximum occupant protection
The new Range Rover has been engineered to meet and exceed the most stringent global safety standards. Its optimised aluminium body structure protects occupants using an incredibly strong and stable safety cell, which is complemented by a comprehensive system of airbags and restraints.
The crash structure was extensively optimised using state-of-the-art computer simulation tools, which allowed engineers to conduct a significant number of ‘virtual’ crash tests long before physical prototypes were available.
Vehicle crash performance has been verified via a rigorous programme of 70 full vehicle crash tests and over 20 sled tests.
Designed for an optimised crash pulse, minimum intrusion into the safety cell and maximum occupant protection, the aluminium body structure includes key features such as the use of high strength AC300 aluminium within the crash structure and a composite reinforced B-post area to minimise intrusion in side impacts.
The occupant safety package includes a comprehensive system of air bags and restraint systems including driver and passenger airbags, side curtain and thorax airbags (including the largest curtain airbag in current production), and active front seat belts which are linked to the vehicle’s emergency braking functions.
Pedestrian safety has been given a very high priority, with a carefully optimised design for the front-end, bumpers, bonnet and cowl area to minimise potential injuries.
Featuring the most extensively developed pedestrian safety package of any Range Rover, key measures include a raised bonnet A-surface, bonnet and bumper profiles optimised for energy absorption, along with the careful optimisation of the coupling of surface parts with under-body structures to maximise energy absorption.
