New Range Rover prototype spotted in Coventry

A prototype of the new Range Rover has been spotted in Coventry. The vehicle was seen parked up outside the Morrisons store at the Alvis Retail Park on Holyhead Road. It is thought the silver Range Rover could have been taking part in testing prior to its launch.

: New Range Rover reimagined as a pick-up truck Jaguar Land Rover unveiled the all-new Range Rover at the end of October last year but it is likely that it is still being tested, hence the presence of prototypes on Coventry and Warwickshire roads. The prototype was spotted in Coventry by motoring enthusiast Darren Vel Satis, who managed to capture images of it from a number of angles – see our gallery below.

The luxury SUV is the car maker’s flagship model and with prices starting at a shade under GBP100,000 it is very much aimed at those with deep pockets. New Range Rovers don’t come along very often, this is only the fifth incarnation since the vehicle was launched in 1970. The original model was created to complement the iconic Land Rover (which later became the Defender), but the aim was to deliver something altogether different.

While the Land Rover was a rugged go-anywhere off-roader loved by everyone from farmers to the military, the Range Rover was about being something that offered as much comfort as an on-road vehicle but was also more than capable off-road. It has, of course, evolved considerably since then and over time it has become far more of a luxury vehicle, albeit one that can still cut it in the mud. The latest model represents the pinnacle of that evolution thus far, with the emphasis very much on luxury.

Unusually, the Coventry car maker has also offered the option of three rows of seats for the first time. That has been made possible with the simultaneous launch of both standard-wheelbase (SWB) and long-wheelbase (LWB) variants, with the ability to transport seven people an option on the LWB models. The new Range Rover is being built at Jaguar Land Rover’sSolihull factory, which also produces the Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Velar and Jaguar F-Pace.

Jaguar Land Rover will also be producing SV versions of the new Range Rover at its Special Vehicle Operations facility at Ryton on the edge of Coventry. CoventryLive was privileged to be invited to Jaguar Land Rover’s design and engineering centre in Gaydon to get a first-hand look at the new Range Rover in the metal and find out more about its development. Orders are now being taken for the new model in all its forms.

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