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P rofessor Gerry McGovern, the design director of Jaguar Land Rover, was rumored to be shown the door recently because his dramatic interpretation of Jaguar's upcoming battery electric vehicle faced universal scorn. Jaguar disputes the reports. e same McGovern won design acclaim for the quite lovely Land Rover lineup including the popular and rugged Defender and handsome Range Rover, a luxury SUV that's captured a fair share of well- heeled SUV buyers. Perhaps to avoid speculation of his demise, someone should have reminded Prof McGovern that Jaguar design legacy was not unremittingly rectangular objects. e Range Rover SE Long Wheelbase lives in the SUV strata with British brands Bentley and Rolls-Royce, and elegant styling is responsible for much of that stature. e other important ingredients are solid driving dynamics with splendid visibility and the uncanny ability to travel off-road. Of course I tested this legendary off-road prowess in deep beach sand without humiliation or dishonor. And yes, I was the only luxurious Range Rover playing in the big sand box. Range Rover's parent company, Land Rover, was formed after WWII like its American counterpart, Jeep, and both automakers stress their rugged, rock-crawling bona fides in every model. Of course few owners wish to test this capability any more than the Ferrari owner wishes to explore the highest number on his speedometer. But you never know when that need might arise. My last Range Rover roving was in a top-trim Autobiography powered by a supercharged 4.4-liter V8, and since it weighed the same 5,600 pounds as our "Twin-charged" SE, I was curious about the difference in performance and fuel economy. e good news is that our inline 6-cylinder zips to 60 in 5.7 seconds, not as fast as the V8's 4.3 seconds, but plenty for safe passing. And the fuel economy is a reasonable 21 MPG combined. It's possible Elegance Off-Road detour transportation PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF RANGE ROVER Actually, the Range Rover is a lovely way to travel on any terrain BY BRIAN DOUGLAS ranchandcoast.com 74 JANUARY 2026 RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE