LR5 Release Updates?

[namenda]

Here's another one, also from Tucson.

 

[danrhiggins]

A posh, luxurious boulevard cruiser on 20" low profile highway tires and loaded with 4/5 air conditioned passengers and cargo room to spare, nonchalantly clawing its way up and down some - by the looks of it - radically steep and rocky trails, virtually unstoppable. No wheel spin, no dust clouds, no drama. Say what you will about its jelly bean looks (beefier tires and rims, some additional ground clearance and body / underbody protection should help, just like they help a stock LR4), but traction control technology, ground clearance and wheel articulation all look pretty impressive from the cheap seats so far. Surely the original Range Rover Classic looked out of place off the beaten path as well, back in the 80s. I greatly enjoyed the videos, thanks for sharing them.

I have to agree about the apparent suspension and drive train, Umberto. Great to see that they have retained, if not improved those capabilities. Centerline ground clearance is better, I believe, and it handled a couple rocks that way pretty well. Yes, they had expert spotters. And I didn't get a good sense of how much the reduced turn radius will effect things as the trail was mostly straight. And, to be honest, I was sort of cringing a couple times when they got close to scratching the side of those brand spanking new "luxury boulevard cruisers". ;-) I could see where decent sliders might have been handy on that trail. (I've done some Tucson area trails in the past. There are some decent ones down there and this looks familiar. We would have done it in our LR4)

This D5 is a bit of a head scratcher for me. Things to like and things that make me wonder. I guess the thing I wonder about the most is whether the market they appear to be targeting with many of the changes and the overall design, if that market will appreciate the class-leading offroad capabilities it comes with or will every make good use of them. The LR4 still feels, overall, more purpose built for adventure than the D5. Though I think LR is trying hard (with things like this test drive day for the press) to convince the market of the off road capabilities. It will be interesting to see, 5 years from now, the demographics of their customer based and whether they have gravitated more toward "suburban utility vehicles".

 

[danrhiggins]

Thanks for posting that video. It gives the best real world look of the cars as it isn't a professional marketing piece showing only the angles they want.

Overall, I liked the look of the D5, maybe it's growing on me. I do still think it looks like an Explorer from the front/side, but there is something characteristically LR about the rear.

This shot of the sunroof was interesting, because, if this is open all the way it's really not that big. One of the sales pitches was how large the new sunroof is, but that's only a feature if it goes back all the way. Some cars do, and really open up the space nicely. You should be able to stand on the seat and stick your body out the top like a President waving at his constituents! Other cars just go halfwayish...which it kind of looks like here;

(that's not a clickable link, BTW. Just a screen capture)

So what happens if you put a low profile, expedition style rack on the top?

 

[danrhiggins]

The D5 off-road looks so out of place....for me personally it's just the overall look. Nothing physically says "rugged" to me at face value

Yep. I think the "hope" is that a new Defender will cover what has been lost from the LR4 line.

 

[Longhorn]

I watch these videos and how capable the stock trucks are, then close my eyes and dream of a new Defender.

 

[LR4USN]

What the....the license plate location looks weird. It's no longer left 'justified' or centered in its placement it just looks stuck on an afterthought.

 

[angelboing]

after viewing the video, it looks like one of my biggest unanswered questions about the D5 has been solved- the rear windows don't roll all the way down into the door (so anyone leaning their arm out the window is leaning it on glass). strange OCD/pet peeve of mine.

 

[catman]

The rear windows not fully going down is primarily a child safety thing. I am not sure if the mechanicals of the door limit the distance it can go down or whether it can technically go the whole way with a modified programming (like with an IIDTool). I know in one of my cars if you hit the button again after the window stopped it would go the whole way down, maybe there is some Easter Egg override...

The rear license plate design is what Gerry McGovern considered "paying homage" to the split tail gate design of the LR3/LR4. Same thing with the barely perceivable raised roof design - sort of his way to move forward without completely ignoring the past (and to keep from being attacked by loyal fans)....Let's remember that DC100 concept was his idea - I think they went back to the drawing board on that one to save face for the radical change to the Discovery - a way to appeal to everyone, but still sell more vehicles. We'll see what comes of it...

Anyone notice that topix lists a 2018 model year Discovery now in addtion to 2017? The owners manual link for 2018 just goes to the current 2017 page - not sure if that was a fluke or if they are working that far ahead...

 

[LR4USN]

I was surprised how our local dealer was displaying the model range overall. I like how they call out all the trim levels at once.

Now who's going to be the first one to buy a first edition as a CPO?

 

[toddjb122]

after viewing the video, it looks like one of my biggest unanswered questions about the D5 has been solved- the rear windows don't roll all the way down into the door (so anyone leaning their arm out the window is leaning it on glass). strange OCD/pet peeve of mine.

WHAT?!?!?!? S%$T!

That is a huge pet peeve of mine. I've always bought cars with the internal door clearance to suck in the entire window. This may be one of many things tipping the scales for me against... Crap.

The rear windows not fully going down is primarily a child safety thing. I am not sure if the mechanicals of the door limit the distance it can go down or whether it can technically go the whole way with a modified programming (like with an IIDTool). I know in one of my cars if you hit the button again after the window stopped it would go the whole way down, maybe there is some Easter Egg override...

I don't buy the child safety argument. From looking at smaller SUVs with small angled rear doors, and hearing dealers tell me about this window "feature," I'm convinced this is just the spin they put on it.

If you can send the window all the way down with another press, that would be great.
Anything else is just a design compromise. They wanted to do something with the doors so figured, "we just won't send the windows all the way down..." If the driver needs to prevent kids from flying out a window, there is already a window lock by the driver so he can control things.

(edit) I just watched the 1st video again and sure enough, several cars have the windows down and in every shot, the rear window doesn't go down all the way.