2009 LAND ROVER NEW SUV MODEL GUIDE

The fleet of sport utility vehicles from Land Rover of Great Britain for 2009 encompasses four distinct models. Range Rover, the fancy flagship SUV, caps this line with a powerful supercharged edition and sumptuous new Autobiography Package. Range Rover Sport, a sport tourer model gears for long-distance driving with supercharged and naturally-aspirated engine choices, while the LR3 mid-size SUV stocks sophisticated mechanical hardware for heavy-duty four-wheel-drive (4WD) off-road performance. And the compact-class LR2 carries a forceful six-in-line engine designed by Volvo of Sweden and channels all of the plant's muscle through an always-engaged all-wheel-drive (AWD) system from Haldex, the Swedish AWD pioneer.

Range Rover
More luxury gear goes into the flagship Land Rover SUV for 2009, including the optional new Autobiography Package in the Supercharged edition with more leather than any previous issue, plus quad-zone automatic climate controls and a backseat entertainment kit. Range Rover also contains mechanical hardware for serious off-pavement roaming. Range Rover HSE has an aluminum 4.4-liter V8 with 305 hp through a six-speed automatic with H-gate for the CommandShift manual mode, which operates even in lowest range of 4WD. Range Rover Supercharged packs a 4.2-liter V8 supercharger pumping 400 hp.

LR3
Land Rover's mid-size LR3 projects a stepped roofline and blunt face with double-bar grille. The cabin contains bucket seats up front, a second-row bench for three and optional two-seat third tier. Engines are a 4.0-liter V6 developing 216 hp or the 4.4-liter V8 worth 300 hp, and both engines use a six-speed automatic with CommandShift manual mode. LR3's 4WD mechanism has a two-speed electronically-shifted transfer case and it's always working, either in high range for normal driving or low range for off-road crawling. For 2009, LR3 is the sole trim, although HSE and HSE LUX offer upgrades.

Range Rover Sport
This SUV resembles a streamlined Range Rover but rides on LR3's platform with a six-inch wheelbase snip. It's designed for road running as well as off-road duty with 4WD equipment. For 2009, there's fresh exterior trim, new wheel designs and more cabin craftsmanship with Almond leather interior trim and Nutmeg carpet and floor mats. Like Range Rover, the Sport shows two V8 engine choices with naturally-aspirated and supercharged modes. The 4.4-liter natural plant nets 300 hp while the 4.2-liter supercharged unit speeds to 390 hp. Each gets the six-speed automatic gearbox with CommandShift mapping.

LR2
Marked by a boxy profile, LR2 borrows some styling cues from the Range Rover. It shows a 3.2-liter six-in-line engine and channels the 230-hp output through an always-engaged AWD system to deliver sure-footed traction on rain-slick pavement or off-road trails. The five-seat passenger compartment is a luxurious space laced with a panoramic sunroof, seven air bags plus sophisticated vehicle controls like four-wheel electronic traction control (4ETC), all-terrain dynamic stability control (DSC), roll stability control (RSC) and hill descent control (HDC). A new HST body kit adds a honeycomb mesh grille, side sill trim and twin HST exhaust tips.

Detailed Land Rover pricing and ownership information.

For more information, visit Land Rover.