In a bid for efficiency market share, Land Rover has announced they will for the first time offer diesel engines in Range Rover models in the United States.
At the Detroit Auto Show, the announcement was made that a new 3.0 liter turbo-diesel V6 will be available in both the top line Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models next year.
Offering up to 32% better fuel efficiency, the 3.0 liter Td6 diesel engine delivers 254 horsepower and stump pulling a low-end torque of 440 lb-ft.
With this torque, 0-60 acceleration times are 7.1 seconds for the Range Rover Sport and 7.4 seconds for the larger Range Rover.
Fuel economy Land Rover says, is for both models 22 mpg city, 28 mpg highway and 25 mpg combined. This brings estimated cruising range to an impressive 658 miles on a tank.
With a selective catalytic reduction with diesel exhaust fluid injection, the Range Rover diesels are expected to be 50-state legal which is very important given places like California and New York are their top markets.
The move is a smart one as chief competitor Mercedes-Benz has offered a similar option in their full-size utilities which has a high take rate here in the States.
The 2016 Range Rover diesels will go on sale this fall. Land Rover also announced they would be offering diesel engines in the balance of their lineup in the coming years. Smart.
