Range Rover’s new GT teased

We’ve seen the Range Rover GT in the metal at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, albeit still in a camouflage body wrap, but most details are under embargo for now. We’re only allowed to talk about the interior for the moment, but that in itself tells you a lot about the brand’s priority for this car. Which is to say it is designed for people who care more about what’s inside the cabin than what’s going on under the bonnet. 

To wit we find upholstery from cool textiles rather than leather, because fabric can be more accurately moulded to the curves of sporty seats, and leaves a modern silhouette. It shows the look of luxury in cars is changing. Just 20 years ago, you couldn’t have imagined an expensive car without leather seats – now the vibe is very different. A woven textile also wraps the entire dashboard, including the speakers. 

There are no buttons, sadly, which feels counter-productive for something still wearing a Land Rover badge. Everything, including the ventilation, is controlled either via the touch-screen or with voice control, which JLR promises us will be better than the clumsy attempts made by other brands. It had better be, is all we can say. Strikingly, the gear lever is no longer a round knob between the front seats a stalk up by the steering wheel, in the manner of Renaults and Rolls-Royces. We’re not sure about that look, but it does leave a completely smooth surface JLR says houses fancy tech that we will like. 

As JLR describes it, the aesthetic is all about “reductive principles” and “quiet modernity”, while insisting it is the most technically sophisticated Range Rover yet. It will also be set up to cover long distances in supreme comfort (with impressive rear leg room) in the manner of the best grand tourers throughout history. We can’t wait to get behind the wheel, and find out what it will all cost.