Range Rover Autobiography has been crowned Nigeria’s Luxury SUV (Sports utility Vehicle) of the year by the Nigerian Auto Journalists Association (NAJA).
Announced at this year’s NAJA Award night held on Thursday at Eko Hotel, Lagos, the award was presented to Mr. Abiona Babarinde, General Manager, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Coscharis Group, exclusive representative of Jaguar LandRover in Nigeria.
To clinch the crown, Autobiography edged out another leading luxury SUV, Mercedes-Benz GLE, with which it made final nomination list.
Although the winner emerged, following a voting session by Nigerian motoring journalists, Autobiography’s power, luxury and comfort are ever fascinating to auto journos and luxury SUV hunters around the world.
Available in Nigeria, courtesy of Coscharis Motors, are three engine variants: 8 cylinder, 4 .4 Liter capacity Diesel engine, mated onto an 8-speed Automatic transmission; V6 Supercharged, 3.0 litre petrol engine mated onto an 8-speed Automatic transmission; and V8 Supercharged 5.0-Litre Petrol engine also mated onto 8-speed Automatic transmission
An exceptionally luxurious SUV, Autobiography features Atlas front bumper vent finishers, side vent and side accent graphics, with an interior featuring rear Executive Class seating.
The award winning SUV features 21″ 7 Split-Spoke ‘Style 7001’ with Light Silver Diamond Turned finish as standard, Pixel LED headlights with signature Daytime Running Lights,
Automatic Four-zone Climate Control, which can be optimized for each occupant; Configurable Ambient Interior Lighting, which gives a choice of ten calming colours and the sliding panoramic roof, which can be fully opened.
Comfort and Space
Autobiography’s major attractions are the rear seats, which are supremely comfortable, spoiling a tall passenger with almost nearly 4-feet of legroom thanks to the long wheelbase, and the thrones recline up to 40 degrees.
In addition to an extra level of padding, its center console is beautifully finished and houses tables that deploy electronically, along with a refrigerated compartment for drinks. Even the rear doors are electrically operated. And yes, there are two more 10-inch screens with 4G Wi-Fi capability
Equipment
The Autobiography comes with a redesigned dual 10-inch touchscreens and a new infotainment system.
To ensure fullness and clarity of a live performance, the SUV is equipped with an arrangement of 19 front, side and rear speakers including a dual channel subwoofer – effortlessly controlled through Touch Pro Duo.
It also comes with four digital cameras discreetly placed around the vehicle, purposely to provide a bird’s eye view on the Touchscreen. The ability to display several views at one time helps with various manoeuvres from parking by a kerb, to getting in and out of tight spaces and junctions.
Safety
The Nigerian luxury SUV of the year award winner is equipped with a staggering array of safety features, including an automatic emergency braking system, a lane departure warning system, and a rear parking sensor. It also comes with front, curtain, side, pelvis, and thorax airbags for enhanced protection in a collision.
The car is equipped with four digital cameras discreetly placed around it to provide a bird’s eye view on the Touchscreen. As a result, it is able to display several views at one time, which helps with various manoeuvres from parking by a kerb, to getting in and out of tight spaces and junctions.
And talking about stopping distance, when you apply brake at a speed of about 85km per hour, according to Edmunds brake testing result, the Range Rover comes to a stop after 117 feet, as against Mercedes-Benz GLE, which does same after 125 feet.
The car’s Pixel LED headlights with signature Daytime Running Lights provide a sharper resolution to maximise the available beam for the driver and offer more precise dimming to avoid dazzling oncoming vehicles and help make driving safer.
The event, which held at the Eko Hotel, Lagos was attended by stakeholders of the nation’s transport/ automotive industry, including the Director General of National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Dr. Jelani Aliyu, Managing Director of Toyota Nigeria Limited, Mr. Kunle Ade-Ojo, Managing Director of Stallion Motors, Mr. Pirvir Singh, Managing Director of Globe Motors, Mr. Victor Oguamalam, Managing Director, Primero Transport Services, Mr. Fola Tinubu, FRSC Acting Unit Commander, Lagos Island unit Command, Chief Route Commander, S. W Duke who represented the Corp Marshal, FRSC, among others.
The Range Rover Autobiography sells for over N131 million.
