Seat Time
Range Rover SC
A Luxury Sedan In Off-Road Clothe
All things considered, the Range Rover Supercharged is one of the more incredible vehicles I've driven this year. The car-sorry, SUV-is remarkable from every angle: powerful, luxurious, and quite stylish in a big, blocky sort of way. Sadly, we didn't get a chance to do any hardcore off-road testing. We're sure, however, the SC would have been up to the occasion.
More incredible are its road manners on the open highway. It is just as smooth and comfortable as any luxury sedan I've recently encountered. And fast-this thing will crack 120 mph and anyone inside the vehicle wouldn't be the wiser. I usually ignore cruise control, and I've frequently looked down at the speedo to find myself in triple digits. We used this SC as a chase car while shooting Dinan's 500-hp supercharged M3, and the Rover kept up admirably.
One irritating thing seemed to have something to do with the air suspension's automatic load-leveling function. At regular intervals it produces a pronounced chirping noise from somewhere up front. En route to Dinan HQ, for the first two hours Bidrawn and I were convinced we had a bird trapped in the engine compartment and pulled over no less than three times to investigate. In the end we decided it was a mechanical issue. A minor one, admittedly, but one which nonetheless made an impression.
And there's the price. Before having a look at the window sticker, we speculated on the tag amongst ourselves, the highest estimate being around $80K. Boy, were we surprised. Still, if you can pony up that kind of cash, you're not likely to find a more magnificent SUV.
2006 Range Rover
Supercharged
Layout
Longitudinal Front Engine, All-Wheel Drive
Engine
4.2-Liter V8, Dohc, Four Valves Per Cylinder, Supercharged And Intercooled
Transmission
Six-Speed Automatic
Performance
Peak Power: 400 Bhp @ 5750 Rpm
Peak Torque: 420 Lb-Ft @ 3500 Rpm
0-60 Mph: 6.7 Sec.
Top Speed: 140 Mph (Limited)
Fuel Economy: 13 City/18 Hwy
From The Hip
+ Amazingly Smooth Ride At Highway Speeds
- Shock And Awe On The Window Sticker