Unfortunately, mass being mass, the V6-equipped LR4 remains a thirsty beast, especially in city driving. Official city/highway fuel consumption figures are 16.1 / 12.1 L/100km, for a 14.3 L/100km combined average. My Santorini black test car was showing average consumption of 15.4 L/100km when I picked it up, and it quickly clicked up to 15.5 during the first couple of days of city driving. After resetting, I was able to notch up a best recorded figure of 10.8 L/100 km on the highway, and with a light foot on the accelerator I was able to achieve 14.6 L/100km in mixed suburban driving. But throw in a little light off-roading and by the end of the week my measured economy at the pump was right back where things started, at 15.3 L/100 km. The gas cap recommends premium fuel, so that added a little more to the overall cost (it’s a shame we can’t get the LR4 with a diesel).

One thing that does help keep the fuel costs down around town is the V6’s automatic start/stop technology, which shuts the engine down when waiting at traffic lights. You’re encouraged to leave this feature enabled by a large glowing amber warning light that comes on if you disable it. When toodling around town the V6 has a pleasant exhaust burble, which morphs into a supercharged mechanical whir under hard acceleration. The transmission offers sport mode and good-sized shift paddles for when you want to take over shifting duties, but frankly I didn’t use these much – caning the LR4 along in sport mode just feels a little unseemly.

On the road the LR4 offers a well-cushioned ride, with a fully-independent suspension that uses coil springs and air bags to allow electronic control of the ride height and help mitigate leaning in corners and diving under braking. Around corners the LR4 is generally well-controlled and drama free (the electronic nannies step in early but discreetly if you do anything untoward), with less lean than you might expect in such a tall-riding vehicle. Make no mistake though, this is a big SUV and it drives like a big SUV (albeit a very civilized one), with a certain degree of detachment and some occasional pitching and bucking over larger road irregularities.

Off-road, the LR4 is superbly capable, essentially limited only by the tires installed on it and your willingness (or not) to scratch up the paintwork. My test vehicle was fitted with the optional 20-inch wheels and low-profile tires, which is a bit akin to going for a hike wearing Gucci loafers, and definitely a bit incompatible with the test vehicle’s optional heavy-duty package, which features the twin-speed transfer box and active rear locking differential. So while the LR4 scoffed at the rather mild off-road terrain I was able to access, I did constantly worry about damaging the rims or slicing the tire sidewalls on sharp rocks. In my experience even the base 19-inch wheels seem somewhat unsuitable for more difficult terrain, and I’d like to see some sort of high-profile wheel-and-tire option for real off-road duty.

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