Jaguar Land Rover announced their latest offering for the elite that require state-of-the-art protection from explosions, bullets and other such dangers.
The New Range Rover Sentinel priced at a whopping £300000 is the company’s first luxury armoured vehicle fully engineered by its Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) team and hand built at its Oxford Road facility. Land Rover says that the exterior of the Sentinel is no different from the standard Range rover.
Pegged as a mobile fortress, the new Range Rover Sentinel has been fully certified to VR8 standard against ballistic threats by QinetiQ, an independent organisation that was formerly part of the British Government’s Defence Establishment Research Agency.
To give you a glimpse of what it can protect its passengers against – the Sentinel has been designed to withstand penetration by 7.62mm high velocity, armour piercing incendiary bullets. Further, it can also provide lateral protection against up to 15kg Trinitrotoluene (TNT) blasts and defence against DM51 grenade explosions from both beneath the floor and above the roof thanks to the specially-developed six-piece armoured passenger cell. This cell, the company says, has been made of super-high-strength steel.
The car doesn’t trade-off security with luxury and according to Land Rover, the Sentinel offers the same leg room as the standard Range Rover and comfortably seats two full-size adults in the rear.
The Sentinel has an anti-tamper exhaust, a self-sealing fuel tank, auxiliary back-up battery and a split charging system. The 100mm opening in the driver’s window for document delivery ensures the vehicle is secure. The load space features anti-smash protective glass ensuring the cabin remains a safe house.
If something does go averse and the main doors are blocked by an accident or an attack, occupants can leave the vehicle via the Emergency Escape System behind the rear seats. Land Rover says that despite this special security feature there has been no compromise in security and the Range Rover Sentinel is still equipped with the elegant split-level tailgate of the standard production vehicle.
Optional protection features include under floor and under bonnet fire suppression systems, a customer configurable siren system, emergency service lights and an external speaker system to address people outside the vehicle from the safety of the cabin.
Land Rover also provides a full driver-training programme to ensure drivers are capable of handling the vehicle to maximum effect in the most challenging circumstances.
