FH3 Hot Wheels: Hunter SPECTRE

The Range Rover Sport SVR has been proven to be track-capable and offroad-ready Range Rover ever made for the discerning few and it's been featured in 007: SPECTRE where it met its fate with the snow plane during a snowy pursuit in Austria. If the RR Sport SVR has been proven to do almost everything at its disposal, what would happen if I sent the SVR to the most extreme challenge yet; the Hot Wheels Thrilltopia?



As we know, the Jaguar Land Rover team are very skillful in the art of PR marketing by doing some insane stuff when they launch a new car. They drove a Range Rover through a bridge made out of paper, their new Jag can drive through wires, an F-Pace can do insane loop-the-loops, there are so much insane stuff they ever made in honor of their new cars but for this, the Range Rover Sport SVR, what else to do with it than setting this track-honed sports utility vehicle on the wonderful world of Hot Wheels? Drive it, of course.



At stock, the RR Sport SVR feels pretty good to me, especially when I drove this one round Blizzard Mountain on frigid conditions, but because this is Hot Wheels, is a tough world out there so this hunk of British bulldog needs to get prepared for the worst outcome or else, get left behind in a stomping tantrum of high horsepower. In short, the hunter becomes the hunted. With all that taken care of, the Range Rover Sport prepares for an all-out war with the other SUVs and it's my job to do the impossible for the SVR or my name ain't Hunter SPECTRE. Get it?



Well, not much of a hunter myself but the hunter turned all of its competitors into its prey for tea and for the Range Rover Sport SVR, it managed to do the bold just like all of its relatives in the Jaguar Land Rover lineup done in the past. Needless to say, I want some more of the SVR because this has been one of my favorite SUVs since it got featured in SPECTRE. Like the dinosaur guarding Thrilltopia, this Range Rooney's a primal in every tangible way and it's the ideal SUV to turn the hunters into the hunted so watch out, naughty folks.

Range Rover Velar

Since the beginning, the Range Rover has been served as the flagship of the Land Rover lineup, but now, the Range Rover has been expanded into numerous models under its helm. There's a Range Rover Sport, which remains the only Range Rover model to have seven seats, and there's the smaller Range Rover Evoque that combines style and practicality at such size. Now, the Range Rover family welcomes their newest addition; the stylish and yet functional Range Rover Velar.

2018 Land Rover Range Rover Velar

2018 Land Rover Range Rover Velar

There is one major reason why they called their newest Range Rover addition the Velar because this coupe-crossover's name harks back to the codeword used on the first Range Rover, which is basically a three-door SUV in the beginning. The goal of the Velar is capture the inspiration of the first Range Rover in terms of design while offering five-door practicality you would expect on a posh crossover. That's just statements from Land Rover themselves but under keen observation, the Velar's sizing is bigger than the Evoque but slightly smaller than the bigger Range Rovers, making it more of a middleman to the family than a chieftain of the tribe, even good-looking.

2018 Land Rover Range Rover Velar interior

2018 Land Rover Range Rover Velar interior

Despite being smaller than its big brothers, the Velar's interior is about as cozier as a Jaguar XF in so many ways but what's revolting about the Velar's interior is that the dashboard's jam-packed with touch panels rather than buttons because every luxury carmakers know that the future of dashboards belong to touch panels and the thing about the use of touch panels is when your hands get smothered with too much finger foods, you'd better pack some hand sanitizers before touching those. That's a top tip but even though the dashboard's littered with too much touch panels from top to bottom, it's surprisingly accommodating and spacious as well. You'll find many great ways to enjoy it.

2018 Land Rover Range Rover Velar

Now, let's look what is like to drive the Velar and under the hood, the Velar offers almost the same choice of petrol and diesel engines as its close relative, the Jaguar F-Pace, with the most powerful in the range for the time being is the one with the Supercharged 3.0L V6 petrol engine producing 380HP of power and 450Nm of torque. With the 8-speed automatic gearbox, which is standard on all models, it does 0-60mph in 5.3 seconds and top speed normally limited to 155mph. That sounds quick even by SUV standards and then there's its signature Range Rover capability. Of course, for those who want more pull for their buck, there's the 300HP 3.0L V6 diesel engine delivering 700Nm of torque.

Of course, while there are most SUVs that can do all kinds of jobs better than the Velar, this new crossover sets the class apart with its legendary Range Rover capability inherited from the entire family tree. Like the available Terrain Response 2 and All Terrain Progress Control, these handy-capable features allow the Velar to tackle almost all corners of the world; be it the Sahara desert, the Australian Outback, the African jungles, Patagonia, be any place as long as you are looking for a shortcut that will lead you to your point of interest quicker than luxury saloons. Then, there's the Intelligent Driveline Dynamics, which uses artificial intelligence to determine torque distribution, traction, and dynamics while being connected to its Dynamic Stability Control system, Torque Vectoring System and the Active Locking Rear Differential. And then, there's the electric power-assisted steering which adds a bit more feel every time a driver steers the Velar but sometimes, it can be prone to understeering and this calls for more painkillers when your arm aches from steering this crossover. It maybe an SUV but with that level of dynamics, the Velar really feels like an luxury saloon in so many angles and it's the ideal crossover for people who don't want to be late for their dinner reservations with their dates.

Speaking of dinner reservations, the Velar offers a wide range of advanced driver assistance systems, either standard or optional to ensure its preparedness on today's traffic conditions. From the Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keep Assist, Driver Condition Monitoring, Traffic Sign Recognition, Reverse Traffic Detection, Adaptive Cruise Control, 360° Parking Aid, and Park Assist.

Should you buy it? Well, prices start from 44,575 to 84,195 GBP, so it isn't cheap for a luxury crossover of this size but for the new Range Rover Velar, it's all about the style, the interior, the choice of engines, and the legendary Range Rover characteristics you'd expect from the family tree. If the RR, the RR Sport, and the RR Evoque turn the world into their sandbox adventure, the Velar can and that really is a welcoming addition to the Range Rover family.

Photo: Jaguar Land Rover

FH3 Blizzard Mountain: Range Rooney Holiday

Although I had finished Blizzard Mountain, I'm always more than welcome to come back to do some R&R in the winter wonderland in case I need to get my hands full on the Horizon business and while spending some free time in the frozen funland, I think it's time to call in an old friend to do some business.



And look what I have. It's the good ol' Range Rover I've been saving on the holiday vacation and while it has some bents and bruises since the very start, it's still very usable and serviceable to do some goodwill on and off the road.

So what am I going to do with this on a place like this? Well, I've called on some of the best Land Rover and Range Rover owners across the Land Down Under and take on Blizzard Mountain like there's no freaking tomorrow. This is the turning point to demonstrate just how off-road capable these Land Rovers and Range Rovers are.



I am very familiar about how this latest Range Rover works as well as its 5.0L Supercharged V8 and its latest version of its Terrain Response so I shouldn't have to worry about driving one and for a place like Blizzard Mountain, this can be a walk in the park for this luxury offroader like the Range Rover. So, here goes...





Ah, nothing like having a little holiday than taking a Range Rover on Blizzard Mountain for some rest and relaxation. Another way to beat the crud out of our everyday stress.

Land Rover Discovery V

After so many years, the new Land Rover Discovery is now in the open and with prices start at 43,495 Pounds, the new model is more affordable to own than the Range Rover. It's more practical as well because it's got seven seats fit for the family and surprisingly, better looking than the old Disco. So, what's it all about this new Disco?

2017 Land Rover Discovery

This should not to be mistaken with the smaller Discovery Sport, in case you got lost in British directions, because THAT is the new Discovery and by the looks of it, it's starting to gain some improvement compared to the previous, lackluster, Disco. Gone are the squarish looks and now looks more Range Rover-ish because from every angle, it looks very promising and very rewarding.

2017 Land Rover Discovery interior

While the exterior looks very masculine and very brave for a luxury off-roader, the interior is so much more than working nine to five. Although the Discovery is basically a family hauler for the weekends, this is basically fit for "Right, Honourable Gentlemen" from the Parliament and can be well fit to be part of a convoy made possible by those "Right, Honourable Gentlemen" while going through let's say the MI6, the MI5, Buckingham Palace, Downing Street, and so on. Think about this, when there's a rear-seat entertainment system on it, anyone sitting on the second row can feel as occupied as being inside of a Mercedes S-Class and eventually, it is as luxurious as a Range Rover with a price so reasonable enough to be called a cut-priced Range Rover. But unlike the Range Rover, save it for the RR Sport, the new Disco can seat up to seven people, be it family, friends, or those "Right, Honourable Gentlemen" from British politics, and when folded, there's more room for some stuff on the great outdoors, especially a trip to grandma's house, or stuff you bought from your recent thrift shop trip.

Need to say that since this is a seven-seater and when one of your family has kids, expect the sweet spots you want to sit at to be ruined by those dreadful child seats and pop goes the third row, unless if someone is generous enough to let you seat in the front, which beats struggling to accommodate the third-row seat if you may.

Having learned something from the Jaguar F-PACE, the new Discovery provides owners the Activity Key that can wear it on their wrist and can open without needing the key fob. It even comes with a special feature that can open the tailgate with the lift of your foot. That's science to you.

2017 Land Rover Discovery

The new Land Rover Discovery can be powered with a wide variety of petrol and diesel engines. It can either be the 2.0 Sd4 Ingenium diesel engine, 3.0L TD6 diesel, or the more powerful 3.0L Si6 petrol engine. All of these engines are mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox and it's not just the choice of engines is what I like about most, it's the all-aluminum platform that impresses the most because it's surprisingly 480kg lighter than the old Disco. Tough as well. And because this is lighter than the old Disco, the way it drives is pretty much like a Jaguar XF by a longshot.

Of course, being a luxury offroader, the Discovery is never complete without the very clever Terrain Response II which can adapt through any road condition no matter how good and bad it is with the utmost of its capabilities. Once more, it even comes with Wade Sensing technology which uses sensors that can notify drivers when water levels are near the 900mm maximum wading depth.

2017 Land Rover Discovery

So, thoughts about the new Discovery? While this is basically cheaper than the Range Rover, it's surprisingly luxurious on the inside, more versatile, more rugged, more technologically advanced, and above all, it's a proper Land Rover that you can take it anywhere and it's not afraid to be playing rough under the weather. I am very glad that this is a step forward from the previous, yet disappointing Disco from the past, and this is going to be a game-changer for Land Rover as this offroader will definitely set the new standards for daily drivers and offroaders alike so job well done, Land Rover.

Photo: Jaguar Land Rover

Forza Horizon 3: [Censored] to [Censored]...sorta

Sorry about the title but it's a clear reference from the latest Grand Tour episode titled [Censored] to [Censored] where the boys compare three British SUVs and going on their German-Austria road trip from Wank, Kissing, Petting, the Austrian village with the curse word on it, and all the way to Nuremberg. We saw the Jaguar F-Pace, the Range Rover, and the Bentley Bentayga into action and if I was just wondering if I can do the same comparison right here Down Under on Forza Horizon 3.







I already tried three of British SUVs in the past and I am already familiar with the way they behave for me because while the F-Pace excels in its handling capabilities because this is the lightest of the three, the Bentayga is the all-powerful heavyweight that shows its inner tyranny in the house of cards, and the Range Rover is all about offroad capabilities unlike any other, even though I found out that it's the heaviest of the three British-made SUVs.

Since this is Australia, it's impossible to recreate the comparison on the said Grand Tour episode but I found a piece of Grand Tour somewhere Down Under and that was called "Grand Tour Sprint", so famously called because it has the words "Grand Tour" on it and that remind anyone of the car show the former Top Gear trio were on it. Special, isn't it? And that gave me the ideal time to put these three British SUVs to the test round the Grand Tour Sprint because...it's like conducting science experiments with test subjects, only this time in cars.







To ensure a fair-playing field, I've stripped most of their upgrades to their respective tuning files so they can pick them up later after this experiment. Oh, and I also stripped off the special designs that I made because...I don't know why but this is science and no fancy accessories are allowed during the conduction of such a scientific process.

Now it's time to find out which of these three British SUVs is the best and no, there won't be any underwear, pets, sunglasses, and canned beans involved in the making of this experiment. No way. It's time to settle things once and for all and see which SUV is the best. Remember, no shortcuts because this is cheating just like what happened in the Grand Tour episode.

And so, the boxing bell has rung...



At the end of their Grand Tour sprint, I have the times;

F-Pace: 2:52.139
Range Rover: 2:41.862
Bentayga: 2:37.457

Here's the point; the F-Pace, because of its supercharged 3.0L V6 engine that produces less than the other two heavyweights, is the slowest of the three while the Bentayga, due to its tyrannical power output for a 12-cylinder SUV, is the fastest of the three, and in the end...hmmm...James May is absolutely useless.

So, the Bentayga is the fastest of the three and it's very hard to say what the dopey old idiot was doing behind the wheel because while it looks heavy inside and out, it's surprisingly fast and handles like a grand tourer, well just about. I assured that the Bentayga behaves like the good old Continental GT with the added muscle to upset the Range Rover in the race of luxury SUVs and in a straight-line performance, it would easily beat both the Jag and the Range Rover by a wide margin of reach but what could possibly go wrong with the Bentayga anyway?

Anyway, enough talk right now and time to close the case, proving that the ultra-expensive Bentley Bentayga is the best of the three SUVs and this Grand Tour episode really needs a rewrite.

FH3 Blizzard Mountain: Ghost of SPECTRE's past

The Blizzard Mountain has full of references festival-runners can come up with their near-endless imagination, and with the year 2017 signals the 55th anniversary of the James Bond films, it will take a lot of time before the franchise returns with new and exciting ways to keep the tales of the legendary British spy alive and well. In the meantime, festival-runners who are fans of the Bond films can picture so many Bond references to come up with and nothing is more so that revisiting the snowy ghost of SPECTRE's past, the Range Rover Sport SVR.

In the movie, a group of SPECTRE goons captured Dr. Madeleine Swann and then pursued by Bond in a snow plane at a snowy Austrian landscape. Sadly, there's no snow plane chasing you down and this isn't Austria, which is easily confused for Australia. This is Blizzard Mountain but driving the SVR as seen in the film is as close as you can get from the SPECTRE goons.

It has the same supercharged 5.0L V8 engine as seen from the Jaguar F-Type R and it produces 550HP of power and 502ft-lb of torque. Now a V8 engine like this sounds unfriendly to heretic environmentalists and polar bears alike but when you listen to it, it roars like a beast on the cold winter night and those who experienced it after the snow plane sequence on SPECTRE can have a clear expression of what's like to drive one of the cars reserved for SPECTRE. Now we're like living in a life of international crime with this one unless Bond can gut us out in the open.

Speaking of which, while the Range Rover Sport balances legendary Range Rover offroad capability with track-honed performance that upsets the little hatches, the SVR pushes the envelope on the other side. I presumed that the SVR is a track-focused Land Rover that trades its offroad capability to track-minded characteristics but seeing one in SPECTRE in action, it defies the point I made, knowing that despite its track-honed capabilities that lapped the Nurburgring in a blistering fast lap time for SUVs, it's still a Range Rover and I shall demonstrate it, knowing that I'm on a double dare that I can win this race with no studless tires equipped. I know it's hard to drive through Blizzard Mountain without it but by relying on the Range Rover's Terrain Response, I am trying to see if this Range Rover Sport lives up to its name or die trying.

Heh. It's worth the slippery risk but it feels like finding the lost remote nearby in the first try but I've been warned that if I keep this up, I'm in for some serious trouble until I find the answer to the hardest question. It's like setting the remote-finding challenge to the hardest level, if you know what I mean.



Still, with the Range Rover and the Range Rover Sport, the Brits know how to make a legendary offroader that conquers almost all odds on and off the road with its ever-evolving capabilities that shaped these SUVs into the ones we're familiar with since the first Range Rover was born.

In a place like Blizzard Mountain, a winter wonderland full of so many Bond references you can imagine all in the name of 007's 55th anniversary, reminiscing the snowy scene from SPECTRE in the Range Rover Sport SVR is the best thing to do for Bond fans elsewhere.

Buick Cascada and Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Convertible

We have two guests who are either late to the party or came here for the very first time. One is somewhat Euro-American and the other is quintessentially British on the other side. So, let's meet up with the open-top slowpokes who came to the open-top party too late or too early.

2016 Buick Cascada

First, let's meet with the latecomer known as the Buick Cascada. Well, basically this is imported from Europe's Opel division and Australians can expect this as a Holden sometime. Anyway, when the Euro-sourced Cascada arrived in America, it seems that its welcoming party got cancelled. VW's Eos and Golf Cabriolet are long dead as are Chrysler's old 200 Convertible. Which means, this car is running unopposed you can't even compare this one to a Mazda Roadster because...that's too cheeky.

Anyway, while Buick's open-top newcomer came here on its own free will, let's get some answers while this car catches some fresh air. Like its European equivalent, the Cascada has the same underpinning as the Verano, meaning that its got some clever Euro-tuned dynamics for a sporty handling that gets the driver into grooves. Under the hood?a 1.6L turbocharged petrol engine generating 200HP of power and 206lb-ft of torque while delivering an EPA-estimated Fuel Economy Highway of 27MPG. Of course, it's mated with a six-speed automatic gearbox.

Other features? Well, this open-top Buick comes with a host of tech such as Buick Intellilink, rear park assist, automatic headlamps, forward collision alert, lane departure warning, RainSense wipers, and so much more.

The price? It's 33,990 Dollars for the base 1SV while the top-of-the-range Premium costs 36,990 Dollars. Like I said, it's running unopposed because there are no front-wheel drive convertibles in the market that can compete against the Cascada in the North American market. It's a shame really because while it maybe late for the party, the Cascada tries to reinvent itself from the ground up. So, what about the newcomer who came to the party for the first try?

2017 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Convertible

The world's first open-top convertible from Land Rover, called the Range Rover Evoque Convertible, and remember, you saw this one first because I'm not mentioning about the Cr_ssC_br__l_t (vowels blocked for search query reasons) from a distant past because the Evoque Convertible is the first of its kind and that's the end of it.

Based on the recently-facelifted Range Rover Evoque Coupe, the Convertible features similar stuff from the coupe with the clever Z-folding roof system which can be operated at speeds of up to 30mph. Think of this first-ever convertible crossover is a mixture of a visit to the Caribbean beach to the African safari because this crossover changes everything...well, sorta.

The Evoque Convertible maybe heavier than its hardtop equivalent but its offroad capability still works its charm even with the roof up, meaning this sport utility convertible loves to play rough, rain or shine. On the road, it looks pleasantly head-turning because despite being hunky, the Evoque Convertible still looks attractive, roof up or down. In rough terrain, drivers wouldn't mind getting muddy or wet while driving with the roof open. For a stylish, yet adventurous, luxury convertible, the Evoque Convertible is available with either a 2.0L TD4 diesel or a 2.0L Si4 petrol engine, all mated with the brand new 9-speed automatic gearbox as seen on the facelifted Evoque range. The petrol variant is capable of reaching 0-60mph at 7.8 seconds and onwards to 130mph.

The Evoque Convertible starts at £47,500 OTR and just like the Cascada from Buick, it's running unopposed. It's kinda shame really but when you are going to compare these guests who are either late to the party or came here for the very first time, it will be humorous enough to see the late bloomers edging out together. So, which of those late bloomers would you choose? These convertibles maybe late for the party but it would be a blast to give them a try.

Forza Motorsport 6: SVR!

Those who witnessed last year's Bond movie 007: SPECTRE might remember the part that Hinx's men kidnapped Madeleine Swann and being pursued by Bond in a snowy Austria. One of the cars the henchmen drove is none other than Land Rover's most powerful SUV in the range; the Range Rover Sport SVR. Now, I got the chance to be what is like to be one of the SPECTRE goons by taking behind the wheel of the new SVR via Forza 6's Top Gear Car Pack.



The second-generation Range Rover Sport was premiered at the 2013 New York Auto Show and the new model is now a a performance-oriented SUV that clings out to its namesake in terms of offroad capability and sporty handling.

The ultimate version of the Range Rover Sport is the SVR, created by the Special Vehicle Operations, and the high-performance version is the quickest of its class with its 0-60mph time of 4.5 seconds and top speed of 162mph, thanks to its 5.0L Supercharged V8 engine that produces 550HP of power and 502lb-ft of torque, mated with an 8-speed automatic gearbox. Apart from that, the SVR features performance-oriented upgrades to its dynamics such as enhanced suspension and steering, Active-Roll Control, and the new Adaptive Dynamics with Magnetorheological dampers. Such upgrades had resulted to its Nurburgring lap time of less than eight minutes and fourteen seconds, one of the fastest SUVs to lap round the track.

Inside the world of James Bond, the Range Rover Sport SVR appeared in 007: SPECTRE and it was driven by Hinx's men upon kidnapping Madeleine Swann and being pursued by James Bond in a snow plane on a snowy Austria.



Having a little taste Bond villainy, I was going to think that the Range Rover Sport SVR is out of synch in the world of Forza due to its weight that all SUVs suffer but because the Range Rover Sport shares the same weight loss as the standard Range Rover, this car is not afraid to take on corners. In fact, it kinda reminds me of the Top Gear episode when the normal RR Sport lapped quicker than the hot Mini. Just how amazing is that? Anyway, since this is the SVR and this is one of the fastest SUVs to lap round the Nurburgring, this super SUV can barge through any given track like a normal car. It's kinda fun to drive, you know what I'm saying?



Anyway, no time to reminisce that SPECTRE moment in Austria because it's time to do some serious business at the Top Gear Test Track because I'm going to compare the brand new SVR against...



...this one. A normal supercharged Range Rover. It will be like a sibling rivalry to decide who is the superior of the two. All right, let's get cracking!


Both of these Range Rovers are benefitted to their weight loss courtesy of their aluminum bodywork, resulting to even better handling, but whereas the normal Range Rover is focused on comfort, the Range Rover Sport is focused on sportiness and with the SVR model, there's no telling how precise this heavyweight is and with performance-oriented upgrades to the dynamics as well as added power to its V8 engine, this car gets the job done and I have managed to record the lap times.

The normal Range Rover did it in 1:33.598 while the RR Sport SVR did it in 1:30.345. In conclusion, with that kind of track-oriented record, I gotta say that this should be their next favorite SUV to keep on driving in FM6. The new Range Rover Sport SVR is one of Britain's finest examples that gets the respect it deserves from being one of the fastest track-capable SUVs elsewhere, even in the world of Forza.

Meet the 2,000,000th Defender made...in style

The 2,000,000th Land Rover Defender

Despite the end of the legendary Land Rover Defender is fast approaching, production of the offroader has reached 2,000,000 units from the Solihull plant in the United Kingdom and to commemorate the occasion, the 2,000,000th Defender is a bespoke one, in collaboration with numerous famed personalities including adventurer Bear Grylls.

It's set to debut at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed at the 25th to the 28th of June, 2015, and the 2,000,000th Defender is set to be auctioned at a prestigious charity auction house in New Bond Street, London, on the 16th of December, 2015, and proceeds will go to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Born Free Foundation.

FH2 Storm Island: Range Rover revisited

As you may recall, this is the Range Rover that is part of Forza Horizon 2's NAPA Chassis Car Pack and yes, I used that car in previous championships a few moments ago so why am I driving it again? It's simple because since I'm in a middle of my Storm Island journey, I used this car again to test out its offroad capability that most offroaders do when things get dirty.

Since the championship that I'll be taking involves more of SUVs like this, I decided to try it out and continue my road to the Island Finale.



I am not changing my low-vis Eli Ayase design that I just made for the Range Rover, which is very fitting for this full-size SUV, but instead I fettled with the performance by adding specially-made parts suitable for Storm Island challenges such as rally tires, rally suspension, and low-range gearbox. Right now, this is much slower than my previous one I used while on the road to the Horizon finale but it feels so offroad-capable.

Now, it's time for the show!



Elichika may not forgive me for what I did but the Range Rover is very happy, knowing that its off-road capabilities have been put to greater use.

With the Range Rover wins the championship I've just signed up, my road to the Island Finale is drawing nearer and the journey continues...

Land Rover Discovery Sport

2015 Land Rover Discovery Sport

The brand-new Discovery Sport is more than just the replacement to the ailing Ford car-based Freelander because this crossover heralded the new Discovery sub-brand, aimed squarely for leisure-seeking and family-oriented adventurers. Since this whole trend of crossovers is spreading like forest fires in the west side, looks like Land Rover really are in tune with the times to create a commoner's vehicle with some Land Rover stuff in it like the ability to go off-road or something.

Although it's made to be an affordable offroader, the pricing starts at around 32,395 Euros, which is somewhat two grand more expensive than the most affordable Range Rover money can buy, the Range Rover Evoque, but keep that in mind that the Discovery Sport has something that its cheap brother don't; seven seats. Well, usually a 5+2 seating configuration for the DS but this is more family-oriented than the Evoque, you can count on it.

2015 Land Rover Discovery Sport

While the car's design looks like it came from bits from every Range Rover model ever made, the only engine choice offered in the DS is not so Land Rover-ish, perhaps it's a Ford-derived 2.2L diesel engine producing 187HP of power and can be mated with either a 6-speed MT or a more heftier 9-speed ZF automatic gearbox. Although the engine feels so dated as people dressed as 80's people in the modern party, it's still goes very well because of its 44.8mpg fuel economy and 166g/km of CO2 emissions.

If you think this is the only engine offered for the DS, think again because you can expect new and fuel-efficient JLR's Ingenium engines first applied on the Jaguar XE saloon very soon. These new breed of engines will keep the DS more refreshed and rejuvenated.

2015 Land Rover Discovery Sport interior

2015 Land Rover Discovery Sport interior

On the road, the DS feels more as civilized as what every soccer mom's van should and since this is a family-oriented car, it's rather nice. It even comes with an available rear seat entertainment system so the kids seating at the second-row can watch so much cartoons while stuck on heavy traffic. Although quite a worrisome for the driver, this is much better than snooping on kids doing kinds of ridiculous stuff in the car. Stuff like "I Spy", tong-its, are we there yet, and whatever kids say the dumbest things. It's also the safest you can drive thanks to its new safety tech such as Pedestrian Airbag and Autonomous Emergency Braking System, which is rather kooky for this one.

Off the road, despite the lack of a low-range gearbox, it still has some Land Rover goodness in it even for a crossover of that size thanks to the very clever Terrain Response system which allows the driver to choose different settings that can adapt through every road surface, be it tarmac, gravel, snow, or anything. No matter how unforgiving the terrain you're facing with, the DS knows how to Play Rough. Get it? Play Rough! No wait that's too much of a fairy stuff to mention that word.

2015 Land Rover Discovery Sport

To evaluate the new Discovery Sport, the things I like the most is its off-road capability, its modern design fit for a crossover of that size, and it's as family oriented like any other vehicle a soccer mom can drive everyday. What I don't like about this car is its price that is more expensive than the more-expensive Range Rover Evoque, the third-row seating's not so spacious, and the diesel engine's too old for a new car but I'm sure the upcoming Ingenium engines will resolve that matter.

Available colors: Fuji White, Indus Silver, Corris Grey, Santorini Black, Loire Blue, Aintree Green, Kaikoura Stone, Firenze Red, Scotia Grey, Yulong White, Barolo Black, and Phoenix Orange.

Photo: Land Rover

When a Range Rover gets converted into a pickup

No. This isn't some kind of an editing trickery done by some sly mongrels. What you're looking here is one of STARTECH's creations and this is how an ultra luxurious Range Rover converted into a sport utility truck.

To be showcased at the 2015 Shanghai Motor Show, STARTECH, a division of Brabus, managed to chopped the roof down and convert this uber-luxury SUV into a sport-utility truck. It's not just limited to such a bizarre conversion because it also comes with a widebody kit, 23-inch wheels, new suspension, custom exhaust, new interior, and an upgraded 5.0L supercharge V8 creating 526HP of power output.

When completed, it will be classified as a commercial vehicle rather than a luxury SUV, so import prices come cheap but in the meantime, it remains a show car set for its Shanghai debut so dream on.

Report: http://www.autoblog.com/2015/04/15/brabus-startech-range-rover-pickup-shanghai-official/

Forza Horizon 2: The New Range Rover

The all-new Range Rover is part of Forza Horizon 2's NAPA Chassis Car Pack, on sale now, and I am very delighted to try out the latest generation of Land Rover's flagship SUVs that combines the off-road ruggedness of an SUV with the premium comfort of a premium saloon into one incredible package only the high rollers can afford on.



So, what's it all about the latest generation Range Rover?



Premiered at the 2012 Paris Motor Show and went on sale shortly, the fourth-generation Range Rover features a first for SUVs; an all-aluminum bodywork that results to an incredible 420kg weight loss over the previous generation. Aside from its amazing weight loss thanks to its new bodywork, this new Range Rover comes with the new active suspension system, electric power steering, 8-speed automatic gearbox, and an updated version of Land Rover's Terrain Response system. This updated version comes with a clever feature that can adapt through any terrain the driver is on now.



If I had to remember, there was one episode of Top Gear where presenter James May drove this one against an unmanned TerraMax military truck on the Nevada wastelands and then the Range Rover won, just. That clear win really proved how capable this new Range Rover is as well as its new technology, new bodywork, and everything on its disposal.

But now, how about here? In Southern Europe? Under my care? Well, despite being a big car, it still works just like a sportscar and I can enjoy getting my foot down to listen the sound of its 5.0L Supercharged V8. Whether I take it on or off the road, I going to have as much fun as I want because this is the latest-generation I've been longing to drive one in the world of Forza. Although it's rich with luxury features, the Range Rover is still a Range Rover because it can take on any terrain it see fit and when it comes to navigation, this SUV doesn't need help from maps because it can get through Point A to Point B on the straight line rather than following the curves of the road. I'm feeling like one of Britain's legendary adventurers exploring through the four corners of the world except for me, I'm exploring the four corners of Southern Europe.



Anyway, that's what I want to believe on this new Range Rover and I think that's enough because while continuing on the road to the finale, I've signed this car to a championship suitable for this car and to do that, some extensive improvements have been made.



Aside from performance improvements I made, I also designed something suitable for the my new Range Rover. A low-vis vinyl of Love Live's Eli Ayase and some other stuff around the outside. Since she's a quartet Russian, I've even added a Russian license plate as well.

Now, let's get to work but be advised, it's as hard-hitting as Jean-Louis getting hit.



Me and my Range Rover had finally won the Sports Utility Heroes Championship and the journey to the Finale continues...

Gran Turismo 6: HELLO EVOQUE

This is the luxury crossover in question. It's called the Range Rover Evoque, one of the many new cars you can drive on Gran Turismo 6 and it's also one of the cars I demanded GT6 to feature it...well sort of because the one I have in the game is the sportier Dynamic version...in three-door Coupe trim.

Anyway, the Evoque, what is it? Why would the Evoque just wanna say HELLO GT6?  Here's a little story about this posh spice...

Premiered in 2010 and went on sale in the Autumn of 2011, the Evoque is basically the production version of the Land Rover LRX Concept, as seen on the 2008 NAIAS. It may look like an SUV but it also looked like a sports car, therefore it went against conventional SUV looks and feels.



Unlike its bigger brothers, the Evoque doesn't have a huge separate chassis, a low-range gearbox, and a big engine. It's based on the Freelander 2 platform and just 90% of the parts were revised for road clearance purposes. There are numerous engines for the Evoque to choose from such as a 2.2L diesel engine or the one I have in my Evoque in GT6 is a 2.0L turbo engine which produces 236HP of power and 250.9ft-lb of torque.

Legend has it that to compensate for the lack of a low-range gearbox, the Evoque features a clever tech called TERRAIN RESPONSE and even though the Evoque doesn't look like an off-roader, it still behaves like any off-roader. It even has magnetic iron filings in the suspension to quickly adapt the shock absorber firmness regardless of any road.





I had to admit that by the time I drove this crossover on GT6, it's good to say that the ride is pretty much excellent and even though it's just a mini-RR with a bit of posh spice in mind, not to mention the whole Victoria Beckham gig, I find the Evoque to be rather amusing to me. Despite being a bulk of a crossover, the Evoque still fares like a sportscar in the handling stakes and as for the off-road stakes, the Evoque still fares surprisingly well...but only just.



I love this car. It rides excellent, it's better off-road, and it has a charismatic appeal to stand out. The Evoque may not be quite a stunner in the world of Gran Turismo 6 but it's still a crossover well played to face the world.



Is it a proper Range Rover or just a big designer's purse? You decide the outcome in case you have one in your GT6 car collection.

Things to know about the Evoque:
1) It's a crossover that sees the departure of SUV conventions most Land Rovers had.
2) JLR invested over 27 million British Pounds Sterling worth of government grants to produce this at their Halewood plant
3) Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham was heavily involved in the Evoque's detailing.
4) It scored five-star overall in the Euro NCAP rating
5) Since its launch, JLR received over 18,000 pre-orders for the Evoque