Land Rover launches new diesel straight-six
Latest Ingenium unit offers MHEV-grade efficiency - with up to 516lb ft of persuasion
Land Rover has introduced a new generation of straight-six diesel engine to the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport. The latest 3.0-litre Ingenium unit follows in the footsteps of the similarly configured petrol engine, and replaces the venerable V6 and V8 oil burners in both line-ups. Available in two power outputs, the manufacturer claims it is 'smoother, more refined and more efficient than the engines they replace'.
That's the least we expect of a new diesel motor these days, although the new straight-six also earns Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle status courtesy of the 48V architecture which has been grafted to it. Obviously that doesn't provide it with the 25 miles of electric range that the PHEV-grade P400e offers in both Range Rover and Sport - but the MHEV variants do offer up to 34mpg for those inclined to take advantage of Land Rover's superlative gift for long-distance touring.
To that end, the new oil burner occupies precisely the same position in the respective ranges as the engines it replaces, albeit with Euro6d and RDE2 compliance. Consequently, Gaydon has played a nice straight bat with the badging convention: in both Range Rover and Sport the straight-six will be known as the D300 and D350 - the numbers referring to the 300hp and 350hp outputs which differentiate the iterations from one another.
Of course it's actually the torque delivery which makes the Ingenium motor interesting; the D300 has access to a very healthy 479lb ft from 1,500rpm (slightly more than JLR's 525hp supercharged V8 will supply from 2,500rpm), while the D350 offers 516lb ft - the same amount you get from the 575hp supercharged V8 which helps make the Range Rover Sport SVR such a diverting steer. Clearly it isn't going to be quite so interesting in the flesh - but Land Rover claims 6.9 seconds to 62mph for the more powerful Ingenium in Sport livery, which ought to be quick enough for most people's expectations of a large oil-burning SUV.
Indeed, its maker claims for it 'the performance of a V8' - which in the case of its own outgoing diesel V8 is almost certainly true. Whether or not the 3.0-litre unit rivals similar-sized engines from BMW or Audi, we'll have to wait and see. Either way, the choice of SUV wrapped around the unit is as good as it gets. Land Rover has very lightly updated both line-ups, most notably with the introduction of new special edition models: SVAutobiography Dynamic Black and Westminster in the case of the Range Rover, and HSE Silver, HSE Dynamic Black and SVR Carbon Edition for the Sport.
Elsewhere both cars get a new Cabin Air Ionisation system - timely, given the sudden interest in being able to 'Purify' the air around you, which either car will do at the touch of a (touchscreen) button - and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto have been made standard across the range, as well as the capacity for up to eight 4G wi-fi connections. On top of this, the Sport adds a choice of eight new colours (including Amethyst Grey-Purple and Petrolix Blue) to the options, and the Range Rover's Executive Class Seating now has a hot stone massage function. At last. Both the D300 and D350, in either guise, are available to order now.
I just hope it proves reliable.
I just hope it proves reliable.
“Are we still in 2017 Doc?”
Hardly behind the times
I just hope it proves reliable.
This will do a realistic 34mpg on mixed driving as its on WLTP (on the NEDC it most likely would have been written down as 40mpg+)
Having driven a Range Rover Sport P6 400 and managed over 30mpg over a weekend, with care I can see this seeing over 40mpg.
But given the enviro and tax benefits I would love to be able to buy a new EV Vogue sooner rather than later. Think it would be such a great vehicle. So just getting impatient for some news from them about it, especially as other brands come to market with theirs.
(i know landrover have never been about performance persay, but that feels a bit 2010 to me, not 2020.......)
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