2022 Land Rover Range Rover V-8 First Test: It Ain’t Electric, But It’ll Do

Land Rover's legendary Range Rover has become gradually greener, with the addition of mild- and plug-in hybrid versions and an all-electric version on the way. The new-for-2022 Range Rover still offers a V-8, but it's a new engine—a BMW-sourced 4.4-liter twin-turbo unit that replaces the 5.0-liter supercharged V-8 in the previous-gen Range Rover. How does this new V-8 do the hustle? We strapped on the timing gear to find out.

First, some player stats: The V-8 we tested came wrapped in a 2022 Land Rover Range Rover P530 First Edition short-wheelbase model, priced at a cool $159,550 to start. It just so happens the last 5.0-liter Range Rover we tested was also a short-wheelbase model, but it was the much-more-posh SV Autobiography Dynamic model designed specifically as a sporty version. That Range Rover weighed in at 5,812 pounds, 168 pounds lighter than our brand-spankin'-new P530.

The old 5.0-liter V-8 was a fire-breather, delivering 557 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque thanks to a special tuning job specific to the Dynamic model; other models had a 518-hp/461-lb-ft version of the engine. Compare that to the new 4.4-liter V-8, which delivers 523 hp and 553 lb-ft. Fuel economy for the new engine is EPA rated at 16 mpg city, 21 highway, and 18 combined—identical to the tamer version of the old V-8, and 2 mpg better across the board than the 557-hp version.

At the time we tested the old Range Rover SV Dynamic model, we were impressed by its acceleration times: 0-60 in 4.9 seconds and the quarter-mile in 13.3, good numbers for a three-tonner. The new 4.4-liter Range Rover beat those figures quite handily, running to 60 in 4.6 and taking the quarter in 13.1 seconds at 107.1 mph (the same trap speed as the SV Dynamic).

Cool, we thought—until we dug a little deeper into the archive and found numbers for a 2015 Range Rover Sport Supercharged with the 510-hp version of the old 5.0-liter, which made 60 in just 4.4 seconds and delivered a 12.9-second, 108.8-mph quarter-mile run. How the hell did that happen? Turns out the 2015 Range Rover weighed 550 pounds less than the modern-day version. As Scotty is (incorrectly) rumored to have told Captain Kirk, you canna change the laws of physics, Jim.

The new 2022 Land Rover Range Rover's bulk also took its toll in braking and handling. Our test SUV required 126 feet to stop from 60 mph, 8 feet more than the 2019 SV Dynamic and 5 feet more than the 2015 Range Rover. The new Range Rover generated 0.74 g (average) on the skidpad and ran our figure-eight handling course in 28.6 seconds at just 0.60 g (average). These numbers are inferior to the older models we tested, as expected; the other SUVs were sport-tuned models, and the First Edition isn't. Still, our test team noted the handling tests were "extremely limited" by the electronic stability control system. We suppose that with a three-ton curb weight, Range Rover and its attorneys aren't taking any chances.

Truth be told, we're a bit more jaded when it comes to performance numbers than we were just a couple of years ago; the growing numbers of electric SUVs with insane acceleration times are numbing us to results in excess of 4.0 seconds. Still, we must conclude now, as we did back in 2019, that such acceleration is noteworthy in such a heavy vehicle.

Does it even matter, though? The primary purpose of the 2022 Land Rover Range Rover P530 First Edition is not racing but refinement. Our testing logbook is full of praise for its sumptuous interior and classy demeanor. The new V-8 engine could have easily shattered the Range Rover's silence, but it didn't; it runs quietly and evenly, delivering a smooth, authoritative powerflow that fits this luxury SUV's upscale demeanor. Electric power will make the new Range Rover that much quicker and smoother, but for now, this BMW-sourced V-8 does just fine.