Range Rover heads to more exclusive -- and expensive -- territory
When a company like Land Rover says it’s planning the most exclusive vehicle in the company’s history, count on it coming with a heavy price tag.
Count on a captive audience in Los Angeles too.
With a nod to the Range Rover’s status as the unofficial family wagon for the wealthy pockets of L.A., the British automaker will be introducing a pair of high-zoot Range Rover models at the L.A. Auto Show in November.
PHOTOS: Range Rover long-wheelbase and Autobiography Black
The first, and more pedestrian of the two is a long-wheelbase version of the Range Rover. Though it will make its official world debut at the L.A. show, this model is certainly designed with an eye on the Chinese buyer, where chauffeurs are commonplace among the 1%.
The stretched wheelbase means rear-seat passengers get another 5.5 inches of legroom. Standard gear now includes a panoramic sunroof and power door blinds to keep prying eyes from checking out how comfortable you look.
Buyers can specify either the standard bench seat in the back or the individual rear seats that will also recline. This model will come in either Supercharged or Autobiography trim.
Attracting the most eyeballs -- and dollars -- will undoubtedly be the Range Rover Autobiography Black.
This version takes the new long wheelbase model and throws every pampering tool in the toolbox at the interior. Leather covers every surface except the floor. A chiller keeps the champagne and the glasses cold.
The rear seats are 18-way adjustable captain’s chairs with heating, cooling and massage functions. Both recline, and the seat on the passenger side even has a calf rest.
With no room for a nanny in the middle seat, 10.2-inch screens are built into the backs of the front headrests to keep the kids occupied. LED interior lighting can also be adjusted in one of 10 colors.
Only 100 copies will be made for the U.S. in 2014, Land Rover said, with the first 25 painted in the Valloire White (named after a small ski hamlet in the French Alps, but buyers already knew this).
Land Rover wouldn’t disclose the pricing of either model, but a spokesman said the Black model would be the “highest-spec Range Rover ever.” This means the price tag will almost certainly eclipse the $170,000 that the previous generation Ultimate model charged.
More details about each will be announced at the L.A. Auto Show, which will be open to the public from Nov. 22 to Dec. 1. In the meantime, you can check out our review of the everyman Range Rover here.
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