Range Rover Vogue 2018: A Love Supreme

Overall rating: 7.5/10

Interior: 7.5/10

Exterior: 9/10

Performance: 8/10

Maintenance & Reliability: 7/10

Acceleration:0 to 100 miles per hour 5.4 seconds

No matter the angle from which you are looking at, the Range Rover Vogue 2018 is a very beautiful car. It’s so easy to fall in love with it even before you experience the splendor of the interior or the supreme pleasure of driving it. It is rightly regarded by experts as one of the most gorgeous four-wheel drives ever made. The design is crisp, the features are exquisite and the performance is a technical delight, reasons for which it is easily at the top of the list for anyone thinking of buying an SUV.

Here we review the 2018 Range Rover Vogue– this is the 5^th iteration of the fourth-generation design which was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in 2012. The 2018 Vogue has accumulated new and improved features over five years. It’s also obviously a little more affordable than the 2020 edition. Our review will improve the casual Range Rover fan’s understanding of the Vogue and make it easy to choose which of the versions to buy.

The Trim Levels

All Range Rovers are luxurious, but some are more far more luxurious than others. So it is with the Range Rover Vogue 2018 which has five main versions:

Base: The base version (or SE i.e. Standard Equipment) is well-equipped enough, easily more luxurious than comparable Toyotas. It has more or less same body with the higher trims. There is a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 (340 horsepower, 332 pound-feet of torque) version and the Td6 version that has a turbocharged, diesel-powered 3.0-liter V6 (254 hp, 443 lb-ft).

Standard Features:

• Eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive
• LED headlights, front and rear parking sensors
• Three-zone climate control
• 13-speaker Meridian sound system
• InControl Touch Pro Duo infotainment system and dual 10.2-inch touchscreens

Possible Upgrades:

• Panoramic roof
• Active safety features and driver aids
• Rear-seat entertainment package with two 8-inch screens
• Towing package

If you are shopping for a second hand 2018 Vogue, it’s important to study the upgrades that the cars you are considering come with. (The upgrades are more affordable when you are buying a used car). Note that the seats of the base model cannot be upgraded.

Also Read: Range Rover Parts and Accessories: Places to Buy in Dubai

HSE: HSE (HSE stands for High Specification Equipment) is higher spec variant within the standard editions (i.e. that are not Autobiography or higher specs). The HSE has additional features such as 20-inch wheels, power liftgate, soft-close doors, and the 20-way power-adjustable front seats. It also has many more options to upgrade.

Supercharged: The Supercharged has a more powerful engine – 5.0-liter V8 (518 horsepower, 461 1b-ft) and 21-inch wheels. The terrain response is superior, consisting of Terrain Response 2 System and All-Terrain Progress Control (this is like Cruise Control for off-road driving). Both terrain response systems are options except for the highest trim levels.

Autobiography: The Autobiography has the same supercharged V8 engine as the Supercharged. That’s where the similarity ends; the luxury is miles ahead. The Meridian Sound System has a whopping 29 speakers (points). The front seats can be power-adjusted in 24 positions and are heated and ventilated; the rear seats are also heated and ventilated and have remote power-folding.

The sunblind of the panoramic sunroof is gesture-operated (opened and closed by simply waving your hands). The Autobiography also comes with driver assist systems such as blind-spot monitoring (detects other vehicles when they come dangerously close to the driver’s side and rear and gives visual, audible, vibrating, or tactile warnings) and lane departure intervention (warns the driver when the vehicle begins to move out of its lane).

SVAutobiography Dynamic: This is possibly the most luxurious Range Rover ever built. The V8 engine is the upgraded version of the 5.0 Supercharged V8 engine; it comes with a monster 577 Horsepower and 502 lb-ft of torque. The Dynamic version of the Autobiography features a sleek lower ride height and a more robust suspension calibration. There is also a long-wheelbase (LWB) model with an extended chassis, giving an additional 7 inches legroom in the rear seat. The LWB version has a rear-seat entertainment system and reclining executive-class seats with deployable tables and a middle console cooler with glasses. The SVAutobiography is easily spotted on the road as it is longer. With prices climbing to $210,000, it’s not a surprise that you haven’t seen many on Lagos Island.

Options to Spec it Up

Even if you buy the top range Range Rover Vogue,  SV Autobiography Dynamic, there is still a wide range of options you could pay for to make it even more luxurious:

• Suede leather seats and rooftop
• Choice of dashboard and door panel materials, including:
  • Formica: a hard, durable plastic laminate with stainless surface and glossy feel
  • Carbon Fiber: a strong lightweight alternative to materials like aluminum with resistance to stretching;
  • Glass Fiber: a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass, great for heat insulation and sound absorption

Interior (7.5/10)

Range Rovers are made for rich people. The interior of the Range Rover Vogue 2018, even those of the lower level trims, looks and feels like the sitting room of a very rich person who has exquisite taste. A lot of thought and top-grade materials went into creating this mini luxury sitting room. The highlights are the very beautiful lush leather and the Touch Pro Duo – the dual touchscreens for controlling media, navigation, telephone, temperature, camera etc. (the second screen replaces the knobs and buttons which used to control some features and apps).

Key Features:

• The Windsor leather seats; adjustable to 20 positions
• Seats with cooling and massage functions.
• The rear seats can be reclined (not available in base versions)

Fully loaded with technology:

• An 8-man Wi-Fi hot spot
• 17 integrated USB/HDMI connecting hubs.
• Keyless unlocking
• Enhanced rear camera
• 700-watt Meridian audio system.
• 13-speaker Meridian sound system (far more speakers in higher trims)

The 2018 Range Rover Vogue is a big car, but it has only five seats. This translates into ample shoulder and leg space.

The Infotainment System

The information and entertainment revolve around the Vogue’s Touch-Pro Duo system; each of the high-definition screens is 10-inches wide. The top screen controls basic options like media, navigation, telephone calls and messaging whilst the lower screen has climate and vehicle controls. The Touch-Pro Duo delivers big on functionality and style; it’s a joy to use to control entertainment or car functionality options as well as an absolute pleasure just to behold and touch. The dual-screen requires a bit of getting used though to work out which screen does what.

Exterior (9/10)

The Range Rover exterior design remains the same (compared to the initial design in 2012) but for a few adjustments in the detailing. With its floating roofline that separates the roof from the body, a waistline that is continuous and low accent graphics, the style and class of Range Rover Vogue vehicles are maintained. The bonnet in this vehicle is smoother, making the car look very sleek.

The Vogue used to be a very luxurious but slightly ugly car until the fourth generation was introduced in 2012. From then, the Vogue started to win as much applause as the  Range Rover Sports for its pleasing looks. Some experts think the Vogue is due for another design. We firmly disagree! Range Rover should not fix what isn’t yet broken, or a design that is still refreshing to look at.

Front Detail

The 2018 Vogue boasts an adjusted grille with a new mesh pattern. This is a piece of superb detailing. The headlights have also been redesigned, featuring a more powerful and durable Matrix/Pixel LED headlamps that produce over 144 LEDs.

The optional laser supplementary high beam displays light to distances as far as 500m from the vehicle, especially on high-speed motion. There is also a slight adjustment to the bumper design for a better overall look.

Also Read: Five tempting manual transmission cars

Back Detail

The rear of the car has also had a little upgrade, with the addition of new LED taillights and the integration of the exhaust with the rear bumper, accentuating the beauty of the design.

Drive and Acceleration (8/10)

The average Vogue weighs a bulky 2249kg, making the 4^th generation Vogue the heaviest ever. Thankfully, there’s more than adequate HorsePower for the task of moving this big machine, from 254 HP for the SE, rising to a blitzing 557 HP for the SVAutobiography. But what really makes the 4^th generation Vogues more efficient to maneuver is that they are lighter, sometimes by up to a tonne, because most of the body parts is aluminum.

You can easily feel this lightness when you drive. The top trim SVAutobiography accelerates to a mind-bending 100 km/h from absolute zero in just 5.4 seconds. (The Range Rover Sport can get to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds).  The Vogue glides over large bumps easily due to its fine build.

Terrain Response System: The TRS 2 allows excellent traction and vehicle control, thereby greater comfort and safety when you are driving “off-road” i.e. rough or uneven surfaces such as over stones and rocks, mud, grass, sand etc. This function is far more useful in Nigeria than the engineers at Land Rover Jaguar would have imagined given the ubiquity of holes and craters on our roads, even within cities like Lagos.

You can manually select the terrain you are driving on. But there’s an “auto mode” that makes your Vogue respond to the road condition within seconds, automatically adjusting how the throttle, brakes, transmission etc. function and giving you a premium driving experience as you stay cool and calm in the cabin. The system also adjusts to changing weather conditions e.g. rains, thus adding to the safety of the Vogue.

See how the Terrain Response works in this video:

Also Read: Mistakes Nigerians make when buying used cars and how to avoid being scammed

Reliability and Safety (7.5/10)

The luxury is reassuringly complemented by the safety of the Vogue. The airbags are robust and there’s an autonomous emergency braking system which automatically applies the brakes when the system senses the possibility of collision. There’s also a lane departure warning feature. All of these constitute a “big brother” system that is constantly steering you to drive safely.

Then there is the optional adaptive cruise control with queue assist (costs an extra $3,600) which through sensors detects vehicles in front of you, estimates their speed and automatically adjusts the speed of your Vogue to maintain a safe distance. With all these safety features, it takes extraordinary carelessness or determination to have an accident with the Range Rover Vogue 2018.

There is a feeling that Range Rovers tend to require more visits to the garage (something will sooner or later flash on the screen which needs checking) than Toyota or Nissan SUVs. Let’s just say that the 4^th generation Range Rover isn’t less reliable than earlier models and the 2018 iteration is as reliable as earlier years’. Otherwise, anyone who is buying the array of luxury materials and beautiful electronics that adorn the Range Rover will not trade it for Toyotas or Nissan. The normal course of action is to have a Landcruiser as backup car.

2017 Vs 2018 Models: Key Upgrades

The Land Rover, just like other luxurious carmakers, always adds new features to justify the prices of their new models. Although the 2017 Range Rover Vogue is just as comfortable and elegant as the 2018 model, the latter has some great add-ons that are worth spending on. See how they differ:

• The 2018 model’s touchscreen has been upgraded to eliminate the traditional knobs you’ll find on the 2017 infotainment system.
• The 2018 Vogue (also known as Touch Pro™ Duo) has two lovely screens
• A new gesture function – you wave your hands to control the sunroof
• The 2018 model has new and improved LED headlights, much brighter so night driving is easier.
• The cabin is upgraded. New cabin features include a new air cabin ionization functionality as well as 24-way power and massaging front seats

Also Read: Twenty Cars You Can Buy for 10 Million Naira

Buying in Nigeria Vs Abroad

If you are buying your Range Rover in Nigeria, you have extremely limited opportunities in terms of the options and upgrades you can have. This is because the cars are not made in Nigeria; the dealer imports and sell “as is”. (The only Range Rover plant in Africa is in Gauteng, South Africa).

 If you are buying in America or Germany for instance, you order the car indicating the specifications or options you want, and the factory makes your Range Rover for you in approximately 14 weeks (and deliver to you in Nigeria in 7 – 8 weeks).

The Nigerian dealer also wants to keep the prices as low as possible in a forex-scarce, low-income economy in which the costs of shipping have to be added to the cars, so isn’t interested in facilitating options that could double the price. In fact, brand new Range Rovers sold in Nigeria tend to be imported from South Africa and Dubai where prices are lower, partly because of less severe regulatory demands (e.g. extra safety features).

So, if you really want and can afford the plush options (e.g. carbon fiber interior, keyless unlocking, 29-speaker Meridian sound system etc.), consider buying abroad. If you are buying second-hand, you can get a bargain on the options- just study carefully if the Vogue you are considering buying has the options you love.

Places to Buy New and Pre-owned Range Rover Cars in the USA: Official Dealers

1. Land Rover USA
2. Land Rover Princeton
3. Jaguar Dallas
4. Land Rover Orlando
5. Land Rover Alexandria
6. Land Rover New Orleans
7. Land Rover Houston North
8. Land Rover San Francisco
9. Land Rover Buckhead, Atlanta
10. Land Rover San Diego

Current Secondhand Prices

Prices based on cars with odometer of 100,000 miles and below and options.

Adding options and accessories: Places to buy in Dubai

If you buy your Range Rover in Nigeria but want those plush options, Dubai is a good place to look. There are many auto specifications businesses from which you can buy ready-made options such as glass fiber dashboard off the shelf. They also sell high-quality but significantly cheaper spare parts and accessories.

1. Al-Zayan Auto Spare Parts LLC
2. Elite International
3. Amrik Auto Parts General Training
4. Beta Auto Parts
5. Foilers

Annex: Trims and Differences in the Engines:

The Vogue has 6 different types of engines with special features and whichever one you choose determines how much you’ll part with.