Why Range Rover Could Win New Hearts With A Diesel

My colleague, Alex Lloyd, has driven the new diesel-powered Land Rover Range Rovers and pronounced them… pretty OK. Alex points out that Range Rover buyers probably don’t care that much about fuel economy, and the 3.0-liter diesel is a laggy thing. I contend that there are Rover buyers who’d love to see 30 mpg, and that the diesel is not laggy so much as throttle-programming-challenged. Welcome to Yahoo! Autos point-counterpoint, where we argue amongst ourselves and you decide who’s on the side of righteousness (me).

On the matter of fuel economy, I concede that Land Rover sells plenty of SUVs that don’t get much distance out of a gallon of fuel. But there is surely an audience that’s coveted a Rover but couldn’t stomach the idea of dismal mileage. These are the people who gazed longingly at the Range Rover but then trudged glumly over to the dealer next door, where they bought a diesel-powered Audi Q7 or Mercedes-Benz GL or BMW X5 or Jeep Grand Cherokee. The mere existence of so many alternative choices proves that there is a market for luxury SUVs that can approximate some kind of decent mileage. And Audi’s recent troubles with the Q7 emissions open the door for Land Rover to poach some customers. When that Q7 lease is up, what are you gonna drive next? Maybe a Range Rover.

As for turbo lag, the first time I drove the Range Rover Td6, I never noticed it. That’s because I was either creeping on rock-strewn trails or driving like a maniac on the street. It felt plenty responsive. It’s only when I started driving more tentatively—like Alex, I guess—that I noticed the leisurely spool of the turbo. So I think it’s less a matter of turbo lag than it is electronic throttle programming. My guess is that, with 440 lb-ft of torque hitting at only 1,750 rpm, it’s tricky to calibrate the throttle for smooth takeoffs. If you go ahead and matt it, the computer knows what you want and promptly delivers the full whack. If you give it, say, quarter throttle, then there’s probably some mush built into the system so that you don’t ramp up full power while inching forward in the private kindergarten pickup line. Just treat the throttle like a light switch and she’s plenty feisty.

Finally, it bears mentioning that Alex hails from Britain, and in Britain they’ve always had diesel Rovers. It’s no big deal. Here, this is a novelty. This is the tasting of forbidden fruit. Before now, driving a diesel Rover meant importing one under the EPA 25-year exemption. So a certain type of car geek—like me, I guess—is going to gravitate toward the Td6s simply because we’ve never been allowed a diesel Range Rover, and championing it means championing an expansion of choices, and when you give it a cold start it briefly delivers a charming diesel clatter that allows you to pretend you’re setting off for your month’s holiday in the Lake District. I associate diesels with Europe, and I’ll bet a lot of Rover buyers will too.

Of course, I’d rather have the supercharged V-8. Alex and I would agree on that. But I still think the diesel should be the default choice for anyone buying a Range Rover. And depending on take rate, that’s just what it might become.