Land Rover Range Stormer Concept SUV
Tuesday, April 15th, 2008
Land Rover showed off its new Range Stormer concept at the 2004 NAIAS in Detroit, and again a month later at the Chicago Auto Show. Land Rover calls the vehicle a high performance, sports tourer SUV, and tells us that it’s a good representation of the company’s future design direction. The Range Stormer is the first Land Rover concept vehicle to preview an upcoming production model—a model that will add a new segment to the manufacturer’s lineup.
UNIQUE FEATURES
Terrain Response
This feature allows the driver to select a suspension and handling setup with the turn of a switch. There are six pre-set terrain handling setups:
- Dynamic, for high speed or winding paved roads
- Normal, for day-to-day driving
- Grass, gravel, and snow, for slippery conditions
- Sand
- Deep ruts
- Rocks
Terrain Response kicks in to control the engine, gearbox, air suspension, driveline, traction, and brakes. It selects the
optimal settings to tackle the chosen terrain.
Two Piece Power Doors
The upper door section hinges up and forward, while the lower section drops down to provide an entry step into the cabin. Land Rover provides a nice video of this on their Range Stormer Web site.
Two Piece Power Tailgate
The upper half of the power tailgate lifts upward. The lower half drops behind the bumper, taking it out of your way for easier loading.
All-New Platform
The Range Stormer features a new Land Rover platform. It will be used for the production version of the Range Stormer and in future full-size Land Rovers. The platform’s design combines the torsional rigidity and strength of a monocoque (a type of unibody) with the advantages and versatility of a body-on-frame chassis.
Range Stormer Powertrain
The Range Stormer has a Jaguar based, supercharged V8 engine designed to meet Land Rover’s specific requirements for on and off-road driving. Like all Land Rovers, the vehicle has a permanent four wheel drive system, and offers a selectable low range for tough off-road driving conditions.
Suspension
The Range Stormer rides on a fully independent, height adjustable, air spring suspension.
Additional Features
There are four distinct seats in the Range Stormer. The vehicle maintains the traditional Land Rover high-seat, high-visibility command driving position. Leather, oak wood, and aluminum accent the Range Stormer’s interior. Instruments are back-lit, with aluminum faces. Instead of a conventional fuel gauge, the vehicle uses a novel liquid-filled indicator. As the fuel level drops, so does the liquid.
DVD units are used for information and entertainment systems. There are two DVD screens in the rear, and one in the front that swivels away when not in use.
Dodge introduced its 2005 Dakota pickup truck at the 2004 Chicago Auto Show, calling it “the largest, most powerful and most capable mid-size pickup in the market.” Dodge wanted to build a truck that can do the big jobs, but with better maneuverability and fuel efficiency than the full-size tricks. The new Dakota offers a best-in-class towing capability of 7,000+ pounds, and at it’s introduction, the Dakota is the only mid-size truck with a V-8 engine.
six-percent improvement in fuel efficiency and improved power over the 3.9-liter Magnum V-6.
The Club Cab has a six-foot, six-inch bed and the Quad Cab has a five-foot, three-inch bed. Both models offer owners more room between the wheel wells than other trucks in their class.