The 3.0 liter turbo-diesel V6 new to the Range Rover in North America this year isn’t really new at all, having been sold around the world in Land Rover vehicles for a very long time. The engine known internally as the Lion V6 or AJDV6 is actually built by Ford in the U.K.

In the Range Rover Sport and Range Rover models for North America, it produces 254 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque and comes mated exclusively to a ZF 8-speed automatic transmission. Fuel economy is rated as high as 29 mpg highway.

Helping it meet our stringent EPA pollution standards, now well known since the VW TDI cheating scandal, are a number of enhancements including a selective catalyst reduction or SCR system, low pressure cooled exhaust gas recirculation or CEGR, and Urea injection.

The latter is known as diesel exhaust fluid or DEF, is injected into the exhaust stream which neutralizes the harmful Nitrogen Oxides into water vapor. The system is refilled under the hood and according to the owners manual uses about 1 liter per every 1,000 miles.

The cooled EGR system routes a percentage of exhaust gas post urea injection and reintroduces it ahead of the turbocharger inlet. This then takes it through the inter-cooler thus making it much cooler which increases efficiency as well as reducing pollutants.

The engine itself features a compacted graphite iron block with deep skirts and aluminum heads with dual overhead cams and four-valves per cylinder. Making the version used in the Range Rover unique is its single water cooled turbocharger mounted on the left side of the engine in lieu of twin turbochargers.

This makes actually seeing most of the plumbing difficult. Exhaust gasses from the right bank routes around the rear of the engine to the turbocharger on the left. The air path from the filter box routes down under the engine to the turbocharger, then up front to an air-to-air intercooler behind the lower fascia and then back up into a composite intake manifold on top.

Up there, most of the fuel system is covered by foam sound deadening shrouds. Under them however is a high-pressure common rail injection system using two-stage electronically fired injectors that significantly reduce diesel clatter.

Ancillary fuel system components found in the engine bay include a cooler on the left side as well as the fuel filter which seems to be easily accessed as is aforementioned diesel exhaust fluid reservoir. Coolant and oil fillers as well as windshield washer fluid are also within easy view and reach.

If you need to check or service brake fluid, that can be found under an access panel at the rear of the engine bay ahead of the driver. Likewise, the main fuse panel can be found ahead of the passenger under a similar access panel. The battery is located at the rear cargo hold behind a carpeted liner.

Other details under the bonnet unique are the Range Rover are cast aluminum shock towers that are riveted and bonded to its sheet aluminum body structure. Because this engine compartment is built to accommodate both gasoline and diesel V8 engines, there is quite a bit of space between the engine and radiator.

The 3.0 liter V6 turbo-diesel is available in both the Range Rover Sport and full-size Range Rover models in North America starting with the 2016 model year. See our complete test drive of the 2016 Range Rover Sport TD6.