Land Rover Officially Reveals 2013 Range Rover SUV, Sheds up to 926lbs or 420kg [w/Video]

After the unexpected viewing of the first photos of the 2013 Range Rover earlier today, Land Rover has come out with an official announcement detailing its bigger, lighter and more modern looking luxury SUV.

While many have and will continue to focus their attention on the sleek evolution of the Range Rover’s traditional looks and the modernized interior that is influenced by the Evoque, it’s what you don’t see that truly makes the fourth generation of the British SUV stand out from its predecessors.

You see, the 2013 Range Rover features a new all-aluminium monocoque body structure that is 39 per cent lighter than the steel body in the outgoing model. In addition, there’s an all-new aluminium front and rear chassis architecture.

These weight saving measures help the new Range Rover shed as much as 926lbs of 420kg over the outgoing model, depending on market and specifications.

For example, Land Rover tells us that the US specification model with the naturally-aspirated 5.0-liter V8 will be approximately 700lbs or 318kg lighter than the outgoing equivalent.

“This new aluminum platform delivers significant enhancements in performance and agility, along with an improvement in fuel economy and reduction in CO2 emissions,” said Land Rover in a statement.

The luxury SUV also gets a completely re-engineered four-corner air suspension, which according to the company, “delivers flatter, more confident cornering abilities, with a natural and intuitive steering feel”.

The all-wheel drive Range Rover debuts a next generation of the brand’s Terrain Response system, which analyses the current driving conditions and automatically selects the most suitable vehicle settings for the terrain.

Land Rover hasn’t revealed the vehicle’s exterior dimensions yet, but says that the new model features a longer wheelbase and a significant 118mm (4.6 inches) boost in rear legroom. There’s also an available two-seat Executive Class seating package, which the company claims to offer the “ultimate in rear-seat luxury”.

For its motivation, the European market model will offer buyers three choices at launch including a refined supercharged V8 petrol engine, and the 3.0-liter TDV6 and 4.4-liter TDV8 diesel engines.

The only engine confirmed for launch in North America at this stage is a 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V8.

All engines will drive through an eight-speed automatic transmission from ZF with the driver making the selection through a rotary knob positioned on the lower part of the center console.

The new Range Rover will be available for order from September, with first deliveries for North America scheduled for December and the rest of the world in early 2013.

More details on 2013 Range Rover including specifications and prices are expected to be announced during its world premiere at next month’s Paris Motor Show.

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