After Five Years, The Range Rover Is Getting An Update, But You Won't Notice The Differences

The full-sized Range Rover still looks very fresh in our eyes, but Land Rover is preparing a minor facelift for it, and new spy shots provide us with our most detailed look at the SUV to date. While it doesn't rock the design boat, we're sure customers will appreciate the small changes.

It's almost been exactly five years since the current, fifth-generation Range Rover was unveiled, so it is due for a refresh. Unlike previous prototypes, this one snapped at the Nürburgring is free of any black plastic cladding across the front, revealing its grille and bumper for the first time. Unless you're a die-hard Range Rover aficionado, you probably won't notice any changes, but they are there.

The grille's overall size and shape look the same as the outgoing model. Look a little closer, and you may notice the mesh design has been tweaked to include smaller horizontal slats that sit more tightly together. No obvious changes have been made to the shape of the headlights, but it's possible the integrated daytime running lights will be updated. The bumper looks identical to the current Range Rover.

Despite the camouflage on both sides of this prototype, no changes are expected to the sides, mostly because updating and replacing doors is expensive. The rear doesn't appear to differ from the model we're used to either, retaining the familiar vertical taillights and black horizontal stripe housing the turn signals.

These images don't give us a clear idea of what the Range Rover's interior will look like. This prototype has been stripped out and features a full roll cage and two OMP racing seats, features that will not be present in the production model. We previously reported that several cabin modifications could be made, including the fitment of a curved infotainment display.

Powertrain options are expected to go mostly unchanged. As a result, flagship models should retain the BMW-sourced twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8, which delivers up to 607 horsepower when working in conjunction with a mild-hybrid system. Other engines sold with the current model include JLR's Ingenium turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six, with horsepower figures ranging from 355 hp in the P360 to as much as 550 hp in the plug-in hybrid P550e. The twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six diesel should also stick around.