STYLING | 8 out of 10
Expert Quotes:
a cleaner and less utilitarian look
Car and Driver
The overall affects of the freshening are very slight and aren't immediately obvious unless the LR4 is parked right next to an LR3
Automobile Magazine
exterior styling continues to evoke the LR4's boxy forefather, the Land Rover Discovery, but in a thoroughly modern way
Edmunds
has an interior that is both practical and luxurious, and more in keeping with its cousins from Jaguar
New York Times
Frankly, this car makes some Audis look a bit drab and plasticky.
Winding Road
Conservative, conventional--these don't have to be curse words, do they? The 2013 Land Rover LR4 is, even alongside the Range Rover (especially so next to the all-new 2013 model) the most traditional of Land Rover's range. Having grown from the Discovery into the LR3 and now the LR4, the 2013 model continues to distinguish itself with its boxy, upright heritage in the face of more car-like crossovers and their sleeker, sexier styles.
The 2013 LR4's look works, to our eyes. Safari-chic well executed, the tall box-on-box body is nonetheless well proportioned, perhaps the most instantly recognizable Land Rover despite its differences from the rest of the line.
For 2013, only minor updates tweak the LR4's exterior, with a new Black Design package offering 19-inch or 20-inch black painted wheels, and gloss black treatment of the grille, fender vents, door handles, mirror caps, and badging. Five new exterior colors are also available, including Havana (Brown), Barolo Black, Barossa, Mariana Black and Causeway Grey. A new seven-spoke 19-inch wheel is available on the HSE Lux model; others come standard with twin-seven-spoke 19-inch wheels, with 20-inch wheels available.
Inside, the LR4's cabin is a welcome upgrade from the previous LR3. Even though its had a few years to fade from our memories, it's reassuring to see none of the LR3's plasticky bits in the LR4. Instead, it swaps in a suave leather-trimmed dash, rich wood trim, softer-touch materials, and a better control layout. As you step up the range and options list, the look and feel just gets better. For 2013, two new interior colors are available: Arabica (brown) seats with nutmeg stitching and Ivory seats with Ivory stitching. Two new trim lines are also available: Grand Ivory Lacquer veneer with an Ebony dashboard, and Grand Black Lacquer veneer which includes new gloss black switches on the steering wheel.
On the other hand, the Land Rover aesthetic--present in strength in the LR4--may not suit everyone with its proliferation of control buttons instead of a centralized, touch-screen interface for most functions.
Conclusion
The 2013 Land Rover LR4 has classic looks, but also tasteful, modern details.
