Range Rover and Land Rover are both the same company vehicles. This often confuses a lot of enthusiasts as well as car owners. Then, what’s the difference? Land Rover is the brand, and the Range Rover is a specific model within that brand. Both the Land Rover and the Range Rover are products of Land Rover. Both SUVs share a common ancestor with the British all-wheel-drive SUV. They share the name Rover and excel in the wilderness. The question then becomes, how do you tell them apart?
History of Range Rover and Land Rover
The Rover Company, a British automaker that has since gone out of business, was the original owner of Land Rover. In 1948, the first Land Rover was introduced as a rugged vehicle inspired by WWII Jeeps. Due to the vehicle’s immense success, the Land Rover brand eventually emerged.
In 1970, Land Rover introduced the Range Rover SUV, a practical body-on-frame truck with excellent off-road capability. BMW briefly owned Land Rover in the ’90s, and Ford did so in the ’00s. Tata Motors of India has acquired both the Land Rover and Range Rover brands. Tata has owned the company since 2008. Some key differences between the Land Rover and Range Rover SUV models are discussed below.
What is a Land Rover?
Land Rover has become a household name for a reason. The company also produces Range Rovers. The Land Rover was designed to be as functional and capable off-road as possible. Currently, Land Rover offers two SUV options: the Discovery and the Discovery Sport. Land Rovers, unlike most Range Rover models, can be equipped with an extra row of seats so that a total of seven people can ride in comfort. Depending on the options you choose, a Land Rover can cost anywhere from $37,800 to $80,000. Land Rovers, like Range Rovers, have luxurious interiors that are also highly functional and comfortable. The trucks project an image of strength and power, ready to take on rough terrain or zip down the highway with ease.
Customers looking for a bit of excitement and off-roading can find their match in a Land Rover. Incorporating hill start assist, hill-descent control, and gradient acceleration control, the Terrain Response system is standard on all models. The vehicle’s dynamics can be adjusted via the driver-selectable “drive modes,” which cater to specific terrains such as grass, sand, gravel, mud ruts, snow, and rock crawling. A two-speed transfer case and a Terrain Response system that adjusts itself automatically are available as add-ons for buyers. Land Rovers are luxury vehicles despite their impressive off-road capabilities. The base price of a Land Rover, the Discovery, is $37,800. Prices for the Discovery Sport begin close to $53,000. The first two rows of seats can be heated and cooled, the front seats can massage the driver and passenger, the third row of seats can be heated, and there is an option for four-zone climate control. Later this year, the company will introduce its third vehicle, a reimagining of the Defender. It will be Land Rover’s flagship model, competing with vehicles like the Toyota Land Cruiser.
What is a Range Rover?
Jaguar Land Rover also manufactures vehicles under the Range Rover brand. Range Rovers are aimed at affluent consumers, so they are typically more expensive than Land Rovers. There are currently four different size SUVs under the Range Rover brand. They are:
- Evoque, a small SUV with lots of style
- The mid-size Velar and Range Rover Sport
- A full-size Range Rover.
- Range Rover Defender
Range Rovers are well-known for their sophisticated interiors and rugged off-road performance. The base price of a Range Rover is around $40,000 (the Evoque is the least expensive model) but can go up to $200,000 or more with all the bells and whistles you want. The Evoque has a 246-horsepower turbo-four, and the limited-edition Range Rover Autobiography has a supercharged V8. Both of these engines can be found in other Range Rover models.
While Range Rovers are marketed as “urban luxury vehicles,” they are just as capable off-road as their Land Rover siblings thanks to a suite of features standard on both models. They have built-in mechanisms that can traverse water, mountain, and desert terrain. Hill descent control, a Terrain Response system that adapts the vehicle’s dynamics to the surface, and a single speed transfer case are all features that come standard on most Range Rovers.
The ground clearance on these four-wheel-drive vehicles is high, they can wade through water up to about two feet deep, and they can tow a substantial load. Upgrades to the automatic terrain response system, rock crawl mode, and adaptive air suspension are all available to buyers.
The four different Range Rovers each have enough room for five adults across two rows of seating. With the addition of the third row, the Range Rover Sport can seat seven passengers. Wheelbase lengthening kits are available for some models.
What is a Land Cruiser?
Although the Land Cruiser’s name sounds similar to “Land Rover,” it is, in fact a completely different vehicle. Toyota’s flagship utility vehicle, the Land Cruiser, is equipped with four-wheel drive and robust off-road capabilities. For people with a lower budget, Land Cruiser Prado also exists.
The durable, body-on-frame automobile has been produced by Toyota for seven decades, with new body styles being introduced on occasion.
The Land Cruiser comes standard with a V8 engine that produces 381 horsepower. The Land Cruiser is one of the most capable models available due to its high level of power and rapid acceleration. It can handle different types of terrain thanks to its limited-slip differential, low-speed crawl control, and drive modes.
The three-row SUV can carry as many as eight people, which is one more than the maximum capacity of any Land Rover model. The Land Cruiser has standard leather upholstery, a heated and leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated and ventilated front seats, and heated second-row seats, but it’s still not as plush as a Land Rover or Range Rover.
Range Rover Vs. Land Rover
Land Rover produces SUVs of the Range Rover variety. Land Rover also produces Land Rovers. While Land Rovers are known for their rugged off-road capabilities, the Range Rover focuses more on luxury and performance. There are four different Range Rover models and two Land Rover models. There is a wide range in price, size, and off-road capability across all six brands.
As a manufacturer, Land Rover is responsible for the separate identities of the Range Rover and Land Rover brands. Vehicles manufactured by Land Rover are tough and versatile. Range Rovers are the epitome of sophistication and opulence. Both can handle rough terrain and can be used to pull watercraft or trailers. Range Rovers, on the other hand, are more luxurious and expensive than Land Rover pickups, and their owners are less likely to take their cars off-roading.
Land Rover Vs. Land Cruiser
Off-road sport utility vehicles with the Land Rover and Range Rover names are products of Land Rover. The Land Cruiser is a different Toyota vehicle than the similar-sounding Land Cruiser. The Land Cruiser is an eight-seater full-size sport utility vehicle.
Size: Land Rover Vs. Range Rover
Both Land Rover and Range Rover produce SUVs in the subcompact, compact, midsize, and full-size classes. In comparison to Land Rovers, Range Rovers are typically more compact.
In comparison to Land Rover’s entry-level model, the Discovery Sport, Range Rover’s entry-level Evoque is more compact. When compared to the Evoque, the Discovery Sport offers more space for passengers, more storage, and greater towing capacity. When compared to the Land Rover Discovery, which offers a third row as standard equipment, the Range Rover Velar is noticeably smaller. The Land Rover Discovery is smaller than the Range Rover Sport and the flagship Range Rover full-size SUV.
Price: Land Rover Vs. Range Rover Vs. Land Cruiser
The base price of a Toyota Land Cruiser is $85,165, which is about $4k cheaper than the price of the most expensive Range Rover. Range Rover’s four models range in price from $42,650 for the smallest Evoque to $89,500 for the largest Range Rover SUV. The base price of the Discovery Sport is $37,990, while the base price of the Discovery is $52,950.
Which is Best For You?
Seven distinct automobiles bear the Land Rover, Range Rover, or Land Cruiser moniker. One of Land Rover’s two offerings would be an excellent choice for those in the market for an off-road utility vehicle with a dash of British flair. Potential buyers who value luxury and intend to use their vehicle primarily on paved roads may be more drawn to the Range Rover brand. The Toyota Land Cruiser is a good option for customers who want a vehicle that can perform well in rough conditions.
