Jaguar Land Rover's new generation flagship SUV is well into its development programme ahead of a 2021 launch, and our spy photographers have caught the long-wheelbase version testing on public roads.
Heavy camouflage continues to hide key elements of the model's design, but it's possible to make out a new design for the headlights, indicators and daytime running lights, while the quad-exit exhaust suggests that this mule packs the range-topping V8 engine option, which for the fifth-generation car will be a 4.4-litre unit borrowed from BMW.
One image (below) shows off the rear-wheel steering system that will make its debut on the new Range Rover. It's not yet known which variants will receive the system, but it gives clues as to the flexibility of the car's new MLA architecture.
Previously, the shorter, standard Range Rover was caught on video at the Nürburgring, being pushed to its limits during the usual manufacturer pool, where makers bring prototypes of all shapes and sizes to be put through their paces.
Featuring a wider stance aided by what looks like a more pronounced shoulder line, wider wheel arches and an imposing front end, the new SUV appears to balance a styling evolution with the tradition that customers expect.
We can also see that Land Rover has chosen to stick with classic-style door handles rather than the flush-fitting items used on the Velar. At the rear, the shape of the bootlid appears to show that the beloved split-tailgate design is retained.
JLR is also apparently benchmarking the new model against a Mercedes-Maybach GLS, one of its prime competitors along with the BMW X7.
The company's new flagship will replace the current Range Rover, which was launched in 2012, and should give JLR a much-needed high-profit-margin boost just as the global economy is expected to begin to emerge from the effects of the current lockdown.
It's based on the latest-generation MLA platform, which offers the flexibility of accommodating internal combustion engines, plug-in hybrid systems and full battery electric powertrains. You can read our full 2021 Range Rover scoop for more information.
