NEW YORK — The fifth-generation Range Rover coming in the spring sports the most radical changes in the 52-year history of the vehicle that ignited the luxury-SUV segment.
Redesigned for the 2022 model year, it reflects the reality of today's new-vehicle market and finally acknowledges how the vast majority of luxury-SUV buyers really use their vehicles.
The reality is this: The luxury SUV has essentially replaced the luxury sedan. And few buyers who drop six figures on an off-road vehicle will ever muddy the tires, ford streams or ascend rocky hills.
So, unlike all previous Range Rovers, the 2022 model will not have permanent four-wheel drive. A new all-wheel-drive system decouples the front wheels from the transmission when the Rover is driving at highway speeds, a fuel-saving measure.
To help make maneuvering the big vehicle in city traffic easier, all fifth-generation Range Rovers will come standard with a four-wheel steering system that tightens the turning circle to just 36 feet — about the same radius as a Jaguar F-Type sports car.