DETROIT: Land Rover used the 2015 North American International Auto Show to usher in a new diesel-powered era for the British luxury brand. The Range Rover Td6 and Range Rover Sport Td6 are powered by a turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 that delivers 254-horsespower and 440 lb.-ft. of torque, along with a 32-percent gain in overall fuel economy.
Land Rover’s Range Rover SUVs come with pretty much everything you’d want in a large and luxurious sport-utility.However, one thing missing from the British brand’s recipe for Range Rover’s success has been fuel economy, which is something of a sore point if you glance at the 17 city/23 highway averages of the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport SUVs.
That figure is with the supercharged 3.0-liter gasoline-powered engine, incidentally. Opt for the supercharged V-8 and your Range Rover performance SUV suddenly has a supercar’s appetite for fuel, with a 13/19-mpg average in city and highway driving.
That’s why Land Rover has slotted an available diesel-powered, single turbo 3.0-liter V-6 under the hood of the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport here at the Detroit show.
Look at this engine’s specifications and you might initially be underwhelmed, that is, if all you’re after is horsepower. This diesel burner serves up 254-hp, compared to the 340-hp you get with the supercharged, gas-fed 6-cylinder. Ask anyone who knows and loves diesel, and you’ll undestand the key here is all about higher torque output.
The Td6 engine delivers 440 lb.-ft. of torque at only 1,750 rpm, compared to 332 lb.-ft. in the gas V-6. According to Land Rover, the diesel engine’s love of low-RPM grunt helps deliver a 0 to 60 mph time of 7.1 and 7.4 seconds, depending on whether you’re piloting a Range Rover Sport Td6 or Range Rover Td6. That’s only a couple tenths of a second slower than the supercharged V-6.
In a mix of city and highway driving, the two diesel-powered Range Rovers should return a 25-mpg economy average.In a mix of city and highway driving, the two diesel-powered Range Rovers should return a 25-mpg economy average.
PreviousNextIn a mix of city and highway driving, the two diesel-powered Range Rovers should return a 25-mpg economy average. The Range Rover Td6 and Range Rover Sport Td6 clock nearly the same 0-60 mph times as the current gas-powered, supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 – despite offering notably improved economy.
EnlargeLAND ROVER Mileage is boosted by 32-percent overall, to an EPA estimated average of 22-mpg in the city, 28-mpg on the highway. On paper – or smartphone calculator – that equates to a theoretical driving range of nearly 700 miles!
Pricing was not announced here in Detroit, though it’s likely the diesel V-6 models will be priced right between the Range Rover’s standard gas 6-cylinder and optional V-8s.
