The Range Rover L460 is the fifth generation of the Range Rover, a range of mid and full-size luxury crossovers produced by Land Rover which was revealed by Jaguar Land Rover’s Chief Creative Officer and the car’s designer Gerry McGovern in the splendid setting of the Royal Opera House in London’s Covet Garden.

Describing this remarkable vehicle in the simplest terms but with some essential technical detail is not easy.  The car is based on the MLA (Modular Longitudinal Architecture) platform which it shares with the smaller third generation Range Rover Sport, designed specifically for all-electric and hybrid vehicles. The car is available as both a long wheelbase and short wheelbase and Oxford have selected the short wheelbase on this occasion.  Even so, in real life, the vehicle is longer, wider and higher than its predecessor the L405, the 4th generation of the luxury 4 x 4 SUV.  The L460 is described as a 5-door 4 x 4 front engine, four wheel-drive, powered by petrol, diesel, electric or plug in hybrid. It also features an 8-speeed 2F BHP automatic gearbox.

The interior is equally technical. All models have a 13.1 inch touch screen which runs Land Rover’s ‘Pivi Pro’ interface (the latest Land Rover ‘infotainment’ system). Additional features include navigation, wireless Smartphone charging, satellite radio and a 13.7ih digital gauge display.  Rear seat entertainment systems are optional as is a Meridian Audio system with 35 speakers and noise cancelling technology. Non-leather seat materials are available including vegan; four, five or seven seat configurations are an option depending on the wheelbase and can include a centre console dividing the two rear seats along with an electrically operated tray table and a mini-fridge. 

The L460 is the first vehicle to offer four-wheel steering.  It has a turning circle of 10.95m and features a double wishbone suspension at the front and multi-link suspension at the rear.  Rear-wheel steering is also available. The L460 also features 23 inch wheels. A further innovation is Range Rover’s iAWD – Intelligent All-Wheel Drive – system which is controlled by their Intelligent Driveline dynamics (IDD) system. At certain speeds this enhances efficiency and decreases C02 emissions.

Our 1:76 scale L460 short wheelbase version includes the upmarket external features of the real thing and is decorated in a bright Batumi Gold with a masked black sunroof and black/silver exterior trim. Registered 176 UYP, our Range Rover’s windows and lights are tinted 20% black and the highly detailed wheels are black and silver as is the radiator grille. The interior seating and steering wheel are moulded in signal white; the central console is ash grey, the upper dashboard black while the lower front and rear panel have a silver grey ‘aluminium’ finish.

There is so much to this Range Rover L460. It is space-age stuff technically but as a thing to look at, it is a work of art – and science!