Detroit Auto Show News: Land Rover Announces Diesels For The U.S.: Comments

[William Maley]

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Aside from Buick's Avenir, the other big surprise on the eve of the Detroit Auto Show comes from Land Rover. The company at an event tonight announced that it will be offering a diesel for the Range Rover and Rover Sport for the 2016 model year.

The diesel engine is the turbocharged 3.0L V6 producing 254 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque. This will come paired up to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Land Rover claims fuel economy figures of 22 City/28 Highway/25 Combined and a total highway range of 658 miles, the distance it would take to drive from New York City to Detroit. Acceleration is a hair slower than the 3.0L Supercharged V6 counterpart:

Range Rover Sport: 7.1 seconds (Td6) vs. 6.9 seconds (Supercharged V6)

Range Rover: 7.4 seconds (Td6) vs. 7.1 seconds (Supercharged V6)

Like many of its German compatriots, the 3.0L diesel will utilize Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) to help reduce NoX emissions.

Now Land Rover has said more diesel models are incoming for the U.S. in the near future. In the meantime, the Range Rover and Range Rover diesels arrive at dealers this fall.

Source: Land Rover

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Press Release is on Page 2

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LAND ROVER BRINGS TWO LUXURY DIESEL SUV MODELS TO NORTH AMERICA MARKET

• 2016 model year Range Rover Td6 and Range Rover Sport Td6 diesels to deliver 32 percent increased combined fuel economy; 28 miles per gallon on the highway
  
• Diesel vehicles to debut at 2015 North American International Auto Show
  
• Diesel technology to be available across Land Rover lineup in coming years
  

(MAHWAH, NJ) - January 11, 2015 - Land Rover will offer consumers the option of fuel efficient diesel powertrains in two 2016 model year luxury SUVs, the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport. The Range Rover Td6 and Range Rover Sport Td6 SUVs will deliver 25 miles per gallon combined, a 32 percent improvement over the supercharged V6, and reach a high of 28 miles per gallon on the highway.

The two new luxury diesel SUVs debuted at the 2015 North American International Auto Show and go on sale Fall 2015.

Land Rover has employed a combination of new and proven innovative technologies to bring North American customers an engine with exceptional refinement, efficiency and performance.

The 3.0-liter Td6 turbocharged V6 diesel engine delivers effortless performance thanks to 254 horsepower and a low-end torque output of 440 lb-ft. Peak torque arrives at 1,750rpm in the Td6 while the gasoline V6 produces its 332 lb-ft (450 Nm) at 3,500 rpm. This high torque output at low RPM, makes the diesel Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models particularly well suited to towing heavy loads and off-roading where reaching maximum torque at low RPM is extremely beneficial.

Similarly, the low-end torque of the Td6 allows the vehicles to deliver 0-60 acceleration times comparable to the higher horsepower V6 gasoline models. The Range Rover Sport Td6 and Range Rover Td6 accelerate from 0-60mph in 7.1 and 7.4 seconds respectively, compared to 6.9 and 7.1 seconds for gasoline V6 models.

Preliminary fuel economy figures for the Range Rover Sport and Range Rover of 22 mpg (city), 28 mpg (highway) and 25 mpg (combined) represent significant gains over traditional gasoline alternatives. The combined figure equates to a 32 percent improvement over the gasoline V6 engine. Total range increases to 658 miles, a gain of 8.0% for the Range Rover Sport and 3.3% for the Range Rover.

These improvements underline a dedication to meeting and exceeding the expectations of luxury SUV consumers. Both the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport have seen significant advancement in fuel efficiency, safety, and design. As part of a complete model redesign for the 2013 and 2014 model years, the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport respectively, have moved to all-aluminum platforms, gained the option of V6 engines and have had significant design changes in an effort to continuously improve Land Rover product offerings. With the addition of Td6, we are advancing these vehicles even further.

Designed from the ground up, the Td6 provides efficiency and refinement. Its block is constructed using Compacted Graphite Iron (CGI), which has a higher tensile strength than standard grey cast iron, better fatigue strength than aluminum, and added stiffness. Its overall advantages in weight and strength mean the block can be lighter and smaller which make it compact in size. The deep-skirted, cross-bolted design and one-piece structural aluminum oil sump of the Td6 help the engine to absorb combustion noise effectively which improves refinement.

Prior to its introduction in the US, improvements have been made to the Td6 helping to achieve an additional eight percent increase in overall fuel efficiency. These include the addition of a water-cooled turbocharger for maximum performance and durability at high operating temperatures; and new ball bearings, vanes and nozzles to improve efficiency.

A Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system uses Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) to reduce NOx emissions, ensuring the Td6 achieves US LEV 3 status. The DEF is injected into the exhaust and, as the resulting mixture passes through the SCR, NOx is turned into harmless nitrogen gas.

The reservoir for the DEF is located in two areas, the main is under the floor with the secondary located under the hood. Combined they hold enough fluid for approximately 10,000 miles. Diesel exhaust fluid is commercially available and owners can top the fluid level up themselves or take it to their nearest Land Rover dealer if the reservoir needs replenishing.

In addition to the cleansing efficiency of the SCR, every aspect of the Td6 engine has been optimized to ensure emissions are as low as possible. This includes the new Low Pressure EGR system which has been critical to success of Td6 emission ratings and further improves fuel economy.

Unlike traditional High Pressure EGR systems, which recirculate gases directly from the exhaust manifold to inlet manifold at high pressure, the revised design takes gases at low pressure - after the DPF filter in the exhaust pipe - and feeds them back to the turbocharger inlet. From here they pass through an intercooler, resulting in a lower peak combustion temperature.

The higher the peak combustion temperature, the more NOx is produced, so the low pressure EGR system has the effect of reducing the harmful emissions contained by exhaust gases, by lowering the peak combustion temperature and improving efficiency.

Elsewhere, a two-stage oil pump reduces engine losses while a revised design for the fuel-injectors has been introduced to improve efficiency and reduce hydrocarbon emissions. The injection cycle also employs an innovative two-stage process to eliminate the traditional 'knock' associated with diesel engines.

Attention to detail ensures diesel derivatives deliver traditional Range Rover refinement. Innovative dual-isolation engine mounts, as well as windshields featuring a special acoustic laminate, help reduce noise levels. Refinement on Range Rover models is further enhanced by the design of the bulkhead between the engine and vehicle interior, which minimizes the transmission of engine noise into the cabin.

The fuel filler neck on diesel Land Rover vehicles is fitted with a misfueling protection device. This device will prevent the narrower gasoline fuel nozzle fitted to gasoline pumps from being inserted into the filler neck on the vehicle, reducing the likelihood of adding the wrong fuel.

Tested and Proven in the USA

The latest Td6 diesel has been tested extensively to ensure it meets the expectations of US buyers. Early in the development process Land Rover conducted test drive clinics with premium SUV buyers to determine whether customers would notice a difference between the driving feel of diesel versus gasoline models.

Without informing participants that they'd be driving diesel models, the Land Rover team gathered feedback using in-vehicle video and audio recordings, data loggers and post-drive interviews. The results of the program were conclusive; consumers participating in testing clinics in major US cities could not identify if they were driving a diesel vehicle during a 30-minute test drive.

Land Rover engineers embarked on US testing schedule to ensure the new diesel engine could handle all US climate and terrain conditions. By the time US sales have begun, the test fleet will have completed one million test miles.

The test fleet has targeted the most extreme climates and diverse terrains imaginable across the US. The new Range Rover and Range Rover Sport diesel have navigated from sea level to altitudes of 14,000 feet during the grueling test program. To meet the unique demands of the North American climate, engineers have undertaken testing year round, from the coldest winter days in Minnesota, to summertime in the deserts of the Southwest.

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[G. David Felt]

Be interesting to see how sales of the diesel do this year.

[smk4565]

What do we want?             Diesels!

When do we want them?    Now!

[balthazar]

"This should have already been available 10 or 15 years ago! Too little, too late!"

[JulianWilliams]

Diesels seem to be on their way out in Europe at least, with some cities like Paris wanting to get rid of them altogether within a decade or so, so I'm not sure what Land Rover is trying to achieve by introducing diesels in the US. They cost more than petrol cars, they cost more to maintain, and the savings you make from the lower fuel consumptions aren't something to get excited about as fules is fairly cheap in the US anyway. Weid move IMO and I expect this car to flop.

[G. David Felt]

With Electric Motors being very strong, Diesels are not the way to go as I once thought. Too little too late.

 

Auto's that are driven by electric motors and have gas or CNG powered generators for long distance driving is the future.

[Hengista]

I would really see this working well in the majority of Europe. Diesel is much cheaper, and since Land Rovers drink gas like mad, it would definitely make it more marketable to the Euro market.