The CycleChat Large SUV Owners Club thread

[GilesM]

Makes you wonder what the mild hybrid bit is doing if its a third or more less economical than a vehicle of similar weight that first hit the drawing boards in the nineties.

Aero dynamics, I think the new Defender looks fantastic, but it is brick shaped, Harry's garage did a comparison between the new RR sport and the new Defender with the same engine, the different fuel economy is nearly all down to the new Defender's lack of slipperiness through the air. On motorway journeys I really notice the difference in fuel economy depending whether it's a head or tail wind. Additionally the P400 does pump out 400bhp and gets the Defender 90 to 60mph in less than 6 seconds, that is going to use lots of fuel.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Just a bit of blind optimism as this was the motoring section.

The motoring section... ...of a cycling forum populated by people who daily suffer the consequences of these things being tolerated.

I got a rapid close pass on a road hump from one of these appalling vehicles today. A normal car wouldn't have been able to.

 

[Drago]

Aero dynamics, I think the new Defender looks fantastic, but it is brick shaped, Harry's garage did a comparison between the new RR sport and the new Defender with the same engine, the different fuel economy is nearly all down to the new Defender's lack of slipperiness through the air. On motorway journeys I really notice the difference in fuel economy depending whether it's a head or tail wind. Additionally the P400 does pump out 400bhp and gets the Defender 90 to 60mph in less than 6 seconds, that is going to use lots of fuel.

Our old XC90 T8 had 440 odd BHP, 0-60 in 5 odd seconds, and could do North of 130 MPG with its 2.3 tonnes.

Land Rover really have no excuse with such poor fuel consumption, although you could argue in their favour that they have never been the best resourced in terms of development.

And yes, I know the XC isn't really an off roader, just using it as an example of what others have managed to do for both performance and consumption while still shifting the same weight.

 

[GilesM]

Our old XC90 T8 had 440 odd BHP, 0-60 in 5 odd seconds, and could do North of 130 MPG with its 2.3 tonnes.

Land Rover really have no excuse with such poor fuel consumption, although you could argue in their favour that they have never been the best resourced in terms of development.

And yes, I know the XC isn't really an off roader, just using it as an example of what others have managed to do for both performance and consumption while still shifting the same weight.

As mentioned, I am sure it is more an aero dynamics problem for the new Defender, but I'm also very sure I'll never get close to 130mpg.

 

[Jameshow]

Our old XC90 T8 had 440 odd BHP, 0-60 in 5 odd seconds, and could do North of 130 MPG with its 2.3 tonnes.

Land Rover really have no excuse with such poor fuel consumption, although you could argue in their favour that they have never been the best resourced in terms of development.

And yes, I know the XC isn't really an off roader, just using it as an example of what others have managed to do for both performance and consumption while still shifting the same weight.

Probably down to the hybrid battery adding 30 free miles, regen braking and its only really a 200bhp 2.0 petrol engine. Rather than a 400bhp V8!

 

[rogerzilla]

Hybrid mpg figures are absolute balderdash anyway.

 

[CXRAndy]

Our old XC90 T8 had 440 odd BHP, 0-60 in 5 odd seconds, and could do North of 130 MPG with its 2.3 tonnes.

It would only do 130mpg if solely run on battery, which for mine was 19 miles. Soon as you went on a longer journey it averaged 33mpg at best

 

[Drago]

It would only do 130mpg if solely run on battery, which for mine was 19 miles. Soon as you went on a longer journey it averaged 33mpg at best

Incorrectamundo!

Those were overall fill-to-fill figures. Yes, largely on battery (ours was the 2nd update and with Polestar optimisation and could just eke it out to 30 miles with care) but with plenty of hybrid and petrol running as well. My Dad still has an identical model (he bought ours for us, ordered both the same time) and even going up and down betwixt kent and Essex, a journey of about 120 miles door to door, still  averages 110+ across a tankful with all the local motoring thrown in.

Yep, you still got to account the for financial and environmental cost of the electrons, but even if you take half that figure as an average it still kicks LRs efforts into the long grass. We had a Rangie Spurt P400E for a month while a good riend was on holiday, with all the thefts he didnt want to lesvd it unattended on his driveway for a month. It was essentially LRs attempt to copy the XC90 T8s drivetrain, and while the performance figures were very similar the fuel consumption was a sick joke in comparison, despite being dutifully plugged in and being driven on exactly the same journeys we normally did.

No getting away from it - LR have a drink problem.

 

[GilesM]

Incorrectamundo!

Those were overall fill-to-fill figures. Yes, largely on battery (ours was the 2nd update and with Polestar optimisation and could just eke it out to 30 miles with care) but with plenty of hybrid and petrol running as well. My Dad still has an identical model (he bought ours for us, ordered both the same time) and even going up and down betwixt kent and Essex, a journey of about 120 miles door to door, still  averages 110+ across a tankful with all the local motoring thrown in.

Yep, you still got to account the for financial and environmental cost of the electrons, but even if you take half that figure as an average it still kicks LRs efforts into the long grass. We had a Rangie Spurt P400E for a month while a good riend was on holiday, with all the thefts he didnt want to lesvd it unattended on his driveway for a month. It was essentially LRs attempt to copy the XC90 T8s drivetrain, and while the performance figures were very similar the fuel consumption was a sick joke in comparison, despite being dutifully plugged in and being driven on exactly the same journeys we normally did.

No getting away from it - LR have a drink problem.

I fully appreciate that the new Defender is a thirsty dude, but I think you must have added a wee bit of magic dust into the Volvo's tank.

This is from the Green Car Guide:

https://www.greencarguide.co.uk/car...ew/#volvo_xc90_recharge_economy_and_emissions

VOLVO XC90 RECHARGE ECONOMY AND EMISSIONS​

The official combined WLTP fuel economy figure for the Volvo XC90 Recharge is 83.1-104.5 mpg. As with all plug-in hybrids, in the real-world this could vary between 30mpg and 1000mpg depending upon how many miles are driven on electric versus petrol. Our own real-world economy after a week of mixed driving was 44.1 mpg – which is better than a petrol-engined XC90, but (predictably) way off the official figure.

The official electric range of the XC90 Recharge is 27 miles; we averaged 21-25 miles (in winter). The total range on the petrol engine was 360 miles.

 

[Drago]

It wasn't a Recharge, it was a T8, and it was Polestar optimised.

I could get low numbers like that when regularly helping myself to the 440 BHP, which is a very easy and addictive thing to do. When resisting the urge we were achieving the numbers I previously cited, but it doesn't take too many stabs of the land mine pedal to send numbers tumbling.

 

[Jody]

They're hideous, overpowered, overweight (two and a half tons!), and far too expensive to take off-road.

So is the Tesla model Y

As heavy (over 2.5t), as powerful (300-420BHP) and far to expensive to take off road

 

[MrGrumpy]

So is the model Tesla Y

As heavy (over 2.5t), as powerful (300-420BHP) and far to expensive to take off road

I kinda agree with that summation ;-)

 

[fossyant]

Think of all those baby bird and fluffy bunnies you "monster 400bhp SUV drivers" are killing !

Call yourselves cyclists

 

[Jody]

I won’t bother posting in future!

That's what they want you to do. Don't let others dictate how you should live your life.

 

[Jody]

Think of all those baby bird and fluffy bunnies you "monster 400bhp SUV drivers" are killing !

Call yourselves cyclists

Or 2WD 1.2 petrol Nissan Jukes

They're also lethal SUV's according to some