The fifth-generation Range Rover enters 2024 with only a handful of changes, some additions and some subtractions from its overall regal status. There are now three powertrains available: a P550e plug-in hybrid, a P400 six-cylinder mild hybrid, and a carried-over P530 twin-turbo V8 paired with a mild hybrid system. Buyers also have three trims to choose from: SE, Autobiography, and SV, each with short- and long-wheelbase variants, as well as a 7-seater option for the former two. A smattering of interior changes and paint colours seal this year’s revisions.

The Range Rover has also risen in price over the years. Base models used to start just over $100,000, with only the highest tiers of SVAutobiography breaching the $200,000 barrier. Now, even our moderately equipped Autobiography stretches comfortably over that ceiling, pushing it past the entrance fees commanded by the Jeep Grand Wagoneer, Cadillac Escalade, Lincoln Navigator, and Mercedes GLS. By design, the Range Rover is now settling in the land of the Mercedes-Maybach GLS and BMW XM, all while keeping its fair distance from the Bentley Bentayga and Aston Martin DBX.

The Autobiography commands a hefty $74,000 premium over the base SE model, so what do you get with that? More distinctive Pixel LED headlights, a larger 1600-watt Meridian Signature sound system with integrated headrest speakers, semi-aniline leather seats over the SE’s Windsor leather, a powered-gestured tailgate, and electric rear window sunblinds. Other additions include a solar-attenuated windshield, illuminated seatbelt buckles, thicker SV carpet mats, metal treadplates instead of aluminum ones, even more of the cabin surfaces are covered in leather, a more extensive cabin purification system, illuminated vanity mirrors in the sun visors, a head-up display, 11.4-inch rear entertainment screens mounted on the front seatback, and a fridge box in the front center console. 

We mourn the loss of the cursive and italicized Autobiography badge, as it has now been replaced by a slightly more pedestrian, Trebuchet-like font, which doesn’t quite achieve the same visual wow factor. Otherwise, this SUV’s grand dimensions and clean lines are indistinguishable from last year’s model, and its appearance has grown on us since then. We admire the heavily tinted vertical taillights that stretch its visual footprint upwards, and the front fascia is inoffensive and minimalist next to the shouty BMW XM and bling-bling Bentayga, yet it still commands an extraordinary level of road presence. 

This year’s cabin changes all affect user functionality. To streamline and minimize cabin clutter, the center console now only houses the gear shifter and start button. Where have the dials for the volume and drive modes gone? And what about that auxiliary panel that controlled cabin heating and the vents? Straight into the recycling bin, as every button’s functionality has been relegated to the 13.1-inch center touchscreen. On the left and right edges of the screen are volume and cabin temperature sliders – swing your fingers along them up and down to adjust. 

On paper, that sounds fine and dandy. That’s what the touchscreen is for after all. But in reality, the loss of quick access via direct and dedicated buttons is frustrating. Taking your eyes off the road to adjust these high-traffic functions is annoying, and while there are multiple avenues to achieve this goal through voice recognition and steering-wheel buttons, we don’t think it adds any value to the experience. The cabin certainly doesn’t appear any better without the hard buttons and dials. A step in the wrong direction, we think, but it’s not just Range Rover falling victim to this trend. Volkswagen’s newest offerings suffer from an even more dire consequence as a result of poor user ergonomics and an over-reliance on haptic touch sensors. 

Functionality aside, the Range Rover offers one of the most luxurious and stately cabins in the segment, prioritizing upscale materials and top-shelf build quality. It’s not just your eyes telling you it’s expensive, but your nose and hands as well. You can smell the porous leather and feel the suppleness and bounce of the plump surfaces. The wood-lined steering wheel is smooth and slippery, but the leather grooves keep your grip in check, and when heated, it feels like you’re grasping a handwarmer on a brisk morning. 

It’s amazing how similar it feels to a Range Rover Sport in here but with every proportion and dimension elongated and stretched, and even though many panels and surfaces appear similar, here they are pampered with even more luxury touches. Interior insulation is impressive, employing active noise cancellation similar to that found in headphones to minimize cabin noise. In fact, if you’re driving at speed and roll up the windows, you will feel the cabin seal up like a pressurized chamber. 

One of the most distinctive features of the Range Rover is its seating position. Elevated and upright, the plush and thickly padded seats encourage you to sit with proper posture, yet offer similar comfort to a living room couch, boasting an adjustable armrest on the right and a wide, flat window sill on your left. Adjust your winged headrests and tower over the road on your throne with superior visibility all around  – that’s the Range Rover experience in a nutshell, and something its rivals just cannot seem to replicate.

The same ambiance follows to the rear seats on this long-wheelbase variant, with both seats individually contoured and reclinable. However, the center console that doubles as a middle seat is electronically operated, and is painfully slow in operation. One must wait a good ten seconds for the console to lower, and we can’t count how many times we lost our patience – they can’t be physically pushed down either. 

The massaging seats are a nice addition, but aren’t very potent, even on their strongest of five intensity settings. Land Rover should hop into a Lincoln Navigator to see what real massaging seats feel like. Here, it’s more of a light touch and passive rumble – we honestly forget it’s on half the time. The same goes for the cooler box in the center console, which gets extremely cold, helpful for storing your colas on a hot summer day. However, the actual cubby is quite small and narrow, and won’t fit much aside from one or two cans. We’re also not convinced of the suede-wrapped gear shifter, which appears susceptible to stains and easy scratches. Perhaps the Mercedes and Rolls-Royce way of utilizing a column-mounted gear stalk is the most ergonomic option. 

The P530 trim remains unchanged, utilizing a 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 sourced directly from BMW and delivering 523 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque through an 8-speed automatic transmission. The Range Rover has always excelled at being a road cruiser and it’s the most well-rounded and dynamically complete with this V8 setup. Capable of sprinting from 0-100 km/h in a scant 4.7 seconds on this long-wheelbase trim, it pulls consistently and you can ride the throttle and make outrageous progress without ever breaching 5,000 rpm. But drive gently and the Range Rover rewards that as well, providing a cossetting and relaxed drive thanks to seamless gear shifts and a muted engine note. 

There’s something about the way the Range Rover glides and melts the road like butter that sucks out all the stress from a long commute, unwrapping hundreds of kilometres and arriving fresh as a daisy. Not that the outgoing Range Rover wasn’t well-heeled in this regard, but it has now adopted the kind of grace and composure that matches a Rolls-Royce Cullinan, even while wearing 23-inch wheels. It is difficult to unsettle the Range on a winding road, and it manages its mass well, though you can’t flick it around corners in the same careless way you would a BMW X7 or GLS SUV, and expect to make it out with grins from ear to ear.

The steering is numb and devoid of feedback, but light enough to steer with one finger and directional changes and minor adjustments are met with zero resistance. The new rear wheel steering system effectively shrinks its wheelbase and increases its maneuverability, allowing us to navigate tight underground spaces with ease.

Range Rover charges an arm and a leg for one of these land-yachts, but we’ve always found their price justifiable by their sheer bandwidth and dedication to luxury and driver comfort. The Autobiography is worth its weight in cowhide and five-star amenities, and the way it melts pavement and coddles both driver and occupants in a majestic cabin is nothing short of a first-class experience. Money may not always buy you happiness, but it certainly makes the commute more comfortable.

Specifications:

Model: 2023 Range Rover P530 LWB Autobiography
Paint Type: Charente Grey
Base Price: $193,750
Price as Tested: $201,395
Wheelbase(mm): 3,197
Length/Width/Height (mm): 5,252 / 2,047 / 1,870
Curb weight (kg): 2,588
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8
Horsepower: 523 hp @ 5,500 – 6,000 rpm
Torque: 553 lb-ft @ 1,800 – 4,600 rpm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Engine & Drive Configuration: Front engine, AWD
Observed Fuel Consumption (L/100km): 13.7
Tires: 285/40R23; Pirelli Scorpion Zero All-Season tires