Here's the dilemma: You need to cover 500 miles this Christmas period - in one hit, without stopping. You also want to do it in unrivalled luxury, with all the toys and room for five adults. They鈥檒l be bringing a boot-full of luggage and gifts for all the family, too. There鈥檚 only one answer, really - and that鈥檚 a Range Rover. But while a Supercharged petrol SUV might sound like the ideal long distance companion, its mammoth thirst will see you pulling over for fuel all too often. You need a diesel - a 334bhp/740Nm V8 diesel, in fact. This engine is a great fit for the Range Rover, which was facelifted late last year with fresh styling and new interior tech. The whopping great 4.4-litre V8 is a strong performer, pulling the car鈥檚 2,570kg kerbweight with ease. Put your foot down and the nose will raise to the sky, catapulting the SUV from 0-60mph in just 6.5 seconds. It鈥檚 incredibly refined, too. On the motorway it glides effortlessly, and would happily sit at almost double the motorway speed limit if the laws allowed.
It鈥檚 infinitely more tuneful than the similarly priced P400e plug-in hybrid, as well, with a proper bassy growl under full throttle. It can鈥檛 match that car鈥檚 ability to waft silently in all-electric mode, but under light loads the V8 remains hushed. But at exactly five metres long and almost two metres tall, the Range Rover is a big car. In its standard damper settings the SDV8 wallows through the bends and rolls from side to side - but switch things round to Dynamic and it hunkers down and attacks corners with surprising aplomb. This is true of every Range Rover, however. The question of whether this engine will suit your needs comes down to the type of driving you do. For most, the V6 diesel will do the job; it doesn鈥檛 feel significantly slower than the V8, and will be almost as quiet on the move. The Supercharged petrol car will find favour with those looking for pure performance, while buyers who spend most of their time in town are better set with the P400e.
All things considered, then, the Range Rover SDV8 can be filed in the 鈥榥ice to have鈥?rather than the 鈥榩ick of the range鈥?box. It sits in a bit of a no man鈥檚 land between the entry models and the flagship versions, offering a curious blend of performance versus running costs. Not that it鈥檚 particularly frugal. Of course, the V8 diesel is available in all the same trim and spec combinations as other models in the range. You can buy an SDV8 in Vogue, Vogue SE or Autobiography guise, with all cars getting at least 20-inch wheels, Matrix LED lights, keyless entry and a Meridian stereo. Upgrade to our range topper and you鈥檒l benefit from a sliding panoramic roof, four-zone climate control and a surround camera system. Inside, whichever version you go for, the Range Rover continues to feel like a truly premium product. There is acres of space and swathes of wood, metal and high-gloss plastics. The commanding driving position is unrivalled by near enough any car on the road, and while the infotainment system isn鈥檛 as slick as BMW鈥檚 or Audi鈥檚 current set-up, it is now available with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The design of the all-new X6 body combines the robust presence of a BMW X model with the hallmark sporting elegance of the brand's coupes to create an unmistakably athletic appearance. At the front end of the SUV the unique design of the BMW kidney grille. The arrangement of the twin circular headlights and front foglamps are the most prominent signature features of all-new BMW X6. The large headlight units reach in as far as the BMW kidney grille and extend outwards well into the side panels. Sweeping chrome inserts and the prominently three-dimensional design of the lights underline the character of the bi-xenon units. Optional Adaptive LED Headlights are also available. The side view of the all-new BMW X6 is likewise defined by eye-catching lines and sharply-drawn contours. Air deflectors, which are visible on the front wheel arches, reduce turbulence to increase the overall efficiency of the SUV. The coupe-style roofline gives the all-new BMW X6 its unique design character.
At the rear, horizontal lines emphasise the width and solid stance of the all-new BMW X6. The three-dimensional LED light strips of the two-section, L-shaped rear lights, meanwhile, create a striking night-time look. As at the front of the car, a matt silver-coloured underbody protection element marks out the lower end of the body. All model variants of the new BMW X6 feature 19-inch light-alloy wheels as standard. Optional 19- and 20-inch light-alloys are available. Fuel consumption is lowered by 22 percent to a range between 9.7 - 6.0 litres/100 km. This is as a result of weight saving measures, enhanced aerodynamic tweaks and the eight-speed Steptronic sport transmission. The standard and permanently active intelligent all-wheel-drive system, BMW xDrive, optimises traction, directional stability and cornering dynamics, as the situation requires. The high seating position typical of BMW X models and high-quality, beautifully finished materials create a great driving environment. The three-dimensional design and horizontal structure of the layered surfaces underline the broad sweep of the instrument panel, which features a high-quality surface with black decorative stitching as standard.