The ability of the fourth generation Range Rover to wade through floods was demonstrated here during recent weeks, writes Brian Byrne from the car's global launch event in Morocco, when sudden heavy rains turned many local town streets into rivers.
Already class leading in the current vehicle, a full 200mm more was added to the wading capability with the new car, to an extraordinary 900mm. Special air vents just under the clamshell bonnet were designed to help with this ability.
Meanwhile, Land Rover engineers have further developed the company's innovative Terrain Response technology, providing a fully automatic ability for the car to select any of the five terrain 'modes' depending on the response from sensors throughout the car.
Owners who go to the extremes offroad in which the car excels can now leave it to the vehicle to decide which mode to be in for the circumstances. Mode changes can happen in less than a second.
Other technologies include a 'queue assist' addition to the automatic cruise control which will bring the car automatically to a halt in stop-go driving, and start it going again when traffic moves on.
