When I was setting up the delivery of my next media review vehicle, I was presented with a choice of two SUVs, both diesel-powered Land Rovers: a Range Rover Sport or a Range Rover. Given that I brought you all my impressions of the ultimate gas RR Sport, the SVR, I thought I would switch gears by going with a different bodystyle and fuel type. I picked the 2016 Range Rover Td6.
Land Rover packed my tester, which has a 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 with 254 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque under its hood, with goodies. For instance, the Vision Assist Package brings features such as Terrain Response 2, a Surround Camera System, a Blind Spot Monitor with Closing Vehicle Sensing, and All Terrain Progress Control (ATPC). According to Jaguar Land Rover, “ATPC allows the driver to input a desired speed, either from rest or an existing speed, without any pedal inputs once the brake is released. The system continuously monitors and adjusts the vehicle settings to optimise traction and maintain progress in all conditions.” The Driver Assistance Package includes Lane Departure Warning with Traffic Sign Recognition and Perpendicular and Parallel Park assist with Park Exit tech. Throw in a tow package, an 825-watt sound system, Adaptive Cruise Control with Queue Assist, and some other bells and whistles and the total price stops at $103,925.
I’ll be driving this regal rig around Central Texas and out to an off-highway vehicle park for some testing in the rough stuff. Feel free to leave whatever questions you have about the 2016 Range Rover HSE Td6 in the comments section below, on the forum thread about this vehicle (the link to it is below), or in my Twitter feed.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
