Land Rover today revealed the Range Rover Sentinel, a luxury armoured vehicle based on the top-spec Range Rover Autobiography. The car is all set to make its debut at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) Show later this month in London.
The first armoured Land Rover to be fully engineered by Tata Motors-owned JLR’s Special Vehicle Operations or SVO division, the Range Rover Sentinel comes with VR8 level of ballistic resistance. That means it can withstand 7.62mm armour-piercing bullets, up to 15kg TNT bomb blasts as well as grenade explosions from both beneath the floor and above the roof.
An armoured passenger cell made of high-strength steel protects the occupants from outside attacks while also offering a high standard of luxury. The carmaker has replaced the windows on the Range Rover Sentinel with multi-laminated bulletproof glass. Moreover, the suspension has been reinforced to handle the extra weight and also offer all-terrain capability.
Powering the car is a 3.0-litre V6 supercharged petrol engine making 335bhp, which has replaced the diesel unit from the Autobiography. Transmission duties are undertaken by a ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox. The Sentinel is a made-to-order car and Land Rover is providing a full driver training program.
The Sentinel comes with a self-sealing fuel tank, a secondary back-up battery, an anti-smash protective glass over the boot and a 100mm opening in the driver's window to present any paperwork. Running the Sentinel are special 20-inch split rim alloy wheels with run-flat inserts that allow the vehicle to be driven even if the tyres are shot at.
Land Rover is also offering other features such as a fire suppression system under the floor and bonnet, a customer configurable siren system, emergency service lights and an external speaker system as optional extras.