TDV8

Built and Ford high tech Dagenham engine plant , the TDV8 has Jaguar ancestry like the Discovery 3 and Range Rover Sport TDV6 but, to minimize vibration, it’s a 90 degree V instead of 60 degrees. A double overhead camshaft on each cylinder block is made of compacted graphite iron. This is claimed to have higher used in blocks, it’s tougher than aluminium and it’s very stiff.

This has allowed Land Rover’s engineers to produce a block that’s smaller and lighter than its rivals. Once inside the plush interior with the well insulated doors closed, the exterior noise just fades away. As meander through the outskirts of mud towards its motorway network, look around the interior and take note of improvements over the previous model.

For a vehicle of this size, the Range Rover lacked interior stowage space, especially when you consider how well the Discovery 3 and Range Rover Sport are.