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The new Range Rover's real power: Its name

Even the name of the exterior paint, Kaikoura Stone Metallic, sounds expensive.

Everything else is money, too - interior ivory/almond-colored Oxford Leather, automatic Xenon headlamps with LED signature lighting, turbocharged 254-horsepower V-6 engine and eight-speed automatic - yes, eight-speed automatic transmission.

It can roll over rocks, negotiate streams and traverse most other off-road obstacles, but most of its buyers never will demand that it do those things or anything else causing it noticeable harm.

Ha! Take a pen, pad or recording device to a high-end U. S. shopping mall. Try to find as many Land Rover machines as you can - 10 should be an easy number. How many are scratched or show other signs of serious off-road damage?

Don't be surprised to find all close to pristine. Why? Simple. Rare, indeed, are the people who will spend $106,325 - the full cost of this week's 2016 Range Rover HSE Td6 - to risk common off-road damage.

Even rarer are those willing to spend that kind of money on a Range Rover Autobiography or Executive model - $150,000 or more.

Why do you buy it? Do you get it for the adventure of sleeping overnight at a Sheetz truck stop, as I've occasionally done? Do you use it to take a long, off-road guided tour, as I've done a few times in my career? Do you get it because you live in England on a large country estate with wildlife in need of monitoring and field hands to help? Probably not.

The truth: This is where prestige comes into the business of buying and selling, folks.

The importance is this: Range Rover genuinely offers prestige with portfolio.

That means there is real technical, practical and performance value in the case. You have to make the economic decision as to whether you actually want or will it. That is a real decision.

Almost any bona fide full-time off-road vehicle can travel most roads traveled by a Range Rover HSE Td6. But can it do it as well? Not many of them. No.

So what? It you seldom go off-road or never plan to leave pavement, why worry about it or spend more money to do what you never have any intention of doing? Just in case? You might as well buy every insurance policy the world offers. It makes just as much sense.

You can spend far less than $106,325 and get a safe, reliable, sport-utility-vehicle. Will it serve you reasonably well on those rare off-road jaunts? Probably. Just have it checked before you go? Will it come with multiple conveniences such as gradient- release control (reactive grounding response), intelligent start-stop for fuel efficiency, hill start and hill descent control? Probably not.

Will it have Range Rover's overall guarantee of luxury and quality? No.

Will it have Range Rover's accommodation of prestige, which accompanies the vehicle almost as naturally as breathing? No.

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Bottom line: If you have the money to spend on a Range Rover HSE Td6, buy it. If you are primarily in pursuit of prestige via vehicle, get it.

Ride, acceleration and handling: It generally is brilliant in all three areas. But some broken roads will let you know that they are quite broken.

Head-turning quotient: It is a big Range Rover. No one misses it.

Body style/layout: This is a full-size, front-engine, full-time luxury sport utility vehicle, meaning it can be outfitted to almost every conceivable personal whim.

Engine/transmission: It comes with a turbocharged (forced air) 3.0-liter gasoline V-6 (254-horsepower, 443 pound-feet of torque) with 32 valves and variable-valve timing. The engine is linked to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Capacities: Seating is for five people. Capacity with all seats in place is 32.1 cubic feet. With seat folded, it is 71.t cubic feet. Fuel capacity is 22.5 cubic feet. Premium grade is recommended.

The HSE Td6 can be outfitted to tow 7,716 pounds.

Safety: Standard equipment includes front and rear ventilated disc brakes; four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes; emergency braking assistance; stability and traction control; side and head air bags; post-collision safety system; pre-collision safety.

Note: The HSE Td6 comes loaded with advanced electronic safety systems. Additional systems are available as options. You already are spending lots of money. It is worth it. Spend more. Get them.

Pricing: The base price of the 2016 Rover Range HSE Td6 is $93,450 with an estimated dealer's invoice price of $90,000. Price as tested is $106,325 including an estimated $12,035 in options (advanced electronic suites and other items). Dealer's price as tested is optional.

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