The 2027 Range Rover Looks Heavy In Nürburgring Spy Shots

Many automakers take their new vehicles to the Nürburgring to develop handling, and based on new spy shots taken of the 2027 Range Rover, JaguarLand Rover still has a considerable amount of work to do before the facelifted SUV is ready to enter production. The refresh of the fifth-generation L460 Range Rover was spotted being pushed at speed on the Nordschleife, and the vehicle appears to have been struggling to manage all its weight, with the front wheel arches lifting so high that positive camber starts to appear as the rear of the SUV squats down. To be fair, most owners will never drive their 5,240-pound (or more) Range Rovers as aggressively as this, and the updated Range Rover Sport will be more capable in the corners... but in a vehicle with adaptive electronic air suspension, one might expect a little more composure.

Updated Looks Inside and Out for 2027 Range Rover

First introduced in 2022, this generation of Range Rover is starting to show its age, so the styling is being updated. The rear of the vehicle appears broadly unchanged, which means the front end's changes won't be too aggressive either, but we do expect the headlights to be reshaped and adopt new graphics. With extensive cladding over the front fascia, we can expect new intakes and grilles, but the overall effect should still be recognizable. What's particularly noteworthy and especially evident with the clear glass on this prototype is that the interior will be getting a major overhaul; automakers don't cover up every cabin surface if nothing is changing inside. Expect a new driver information cluster and a revised center touchscreen, rumored to be joined together in a single curved display, and possibly a change in the amount of physical switchgear. Today's Range Rover relies almost entirely on the touchscreen, with only the gear selector providing a mechanical means of interaction, but given that luxury automakers such as Ferrari and Bugatti have realized the value of physical touchpoints, perhaps JLR will provide more knobs and switches to play with.

2027 Range Rover: Minimal Changes Under the Hood

At present, the Range Rover SUV is offered with a choice of straight-six, straight-six hybrid, and V8 powertrains, and that's expected to continue being the case with the 2027 facelift, with improvements in efficiency and possibly performance. The existing 3.0-liter inline-six makes 395 horsepower, while its plug-in hybrid counterpart develops 542 hp. The 4.4-liter BMW-derived V8 in SV variants makes up to 607 hp, and since these figures are pretty healthy, any improvements will be minor. The 2027 facelift may seem pretty basic on face value, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it, and with JLR's upcoming electric products preparing to face an uncertain reception and/or pivoting toward hybrid power, it's important that the new Range Rover provides familiarity to maintain the popularity of the brand.

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