ENHANCED PERFORMANCE FOR THE 1999 RANGE ROVER 4.0SE AND 4.6 HSE

Range Rover's already high levels of sophistication and versatility have been subtly improved upon for 1999. The result is a vehicle that continues to stand far above ordinary luxury and sport-utility vehicles.

Powerful Persuasion
Range Rover's aluminum-alloy V8 engine has always been one of the keys to its astounding versatility. Endowed with plenty of low-end torque to surmount off-road obstacles and smooth power delivery for highway travel, the engine is renowned for its legendary durability and robust strength.

This workhorse has received further development, particularly in its ability to take in more air and fuel and push out exhaust gases more efficiently. Using computer-aided engineering, a new intake manifold, air cleaner and inlet duct system were created. At the same time, a new Bosch Motronic 5.2.1 engine management system was added for more precise control of all engine functions.

Thanks to these changes, the engines exhibit improved torque and low-speed drivability and are significantly more responsive to a driver's demands.

For the 4.0 SE, torque has increased to a peak of 250 pound-feet. For the 4.6 HSE, the peak torque rises to a very strong 300 pound-feet. But added performance and pulling power were not the only goals. Additional refinement came from revising the mounting system for items such as the alternator and power steering pump to reduce vibration and noise levels

Greater Traction
Range Rover was the first sport-utility vehicle to augment four-wheel drive with electronic traction control for improved traction. The concept has now been extended from rear wheels only to electronic traction control on all four wheels.

Wheel-speed sensors continuously monitor the traction of each tire. When slippage is detected, the system instructs the ABS brakes to slow the spinning wheel, automatically transferring power to a wheel with more grip. Range Rover retains its viscous center coupling which automatically and progressively locks the front and rear axles in unison in extreme conditions.

Touch & Sight
Range Rovers have always been noteworthy for their interior appointments. Leather and burled walnut cosset occupants in a comforting and aesthetically pleasing environment. This philosophy has been carried even further by improvements that are simultaneously pleasing to the eye and the touch.

Consider, for example, the doors. Interior door handles are now chromed, and the door armrests and inserts are leather-covered and saddle-stitched. The cubby-box lid is also finished in saddle-stitched leather that complements the door panels. Soft-feel materials are applied to window switch surrounds and the upper console. Window switches are now black, matching the main function switches in the dashboard to provide a tasteful contrast to the rest of the interior.

The visual appeal of the ergonomically designed leather seats is also enhanced by extended pleating, with new stitching and padding, adding greater depth to the pleats. The front seatbacks feature map pockets with matched pleating and the same saddle stitching found on the door panels.

Safety Engineering
A new side airbag system has been integrated into the 1999 Range Rover 4.0 SE and 4.6 HSE. The system is located on the outer edge of each front seat and deploys forward from the stitching line. Side airbags provide protection for the driver and front-seat passenger in the event of a side or offset frontal impact. One advantage of a seat-mounted system like that in Range Rover is that the relationship between the side airbag and the occupant remains constant, no matter where the seat is positioned.

Adding to the protection of front-seat occupants are new seatbelt pre-tensioners (using the same sensors as the dual airbag SRS system). In the event of a significant frontal impact, the pre-tensioners are designed to pull the seatbelts tight, reducing the forward motion of the driver and front passenger, helping to ensure that they are in proper position for airbag deployment.

With these and other refinements, Range Rover continues to occupy the pinnacle of the sport-utility-vehicle market. Range Rover is truly peerless -- no other vehicle offers the performance, European luxury, advanced engineering and go-anywhere capability of a Range Rover.