The Aerodynamic Development of the Range Rover

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">The current Range Rover is the fifth generation of this luxury SUV. With a drag coefficient of 0.30 at launch, it was the most aerodynamically efficient luxury SUV in the world. This aerodynamic efficiency was achieved by applying the latest science.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">Rear wake control was realised with a large roof spoiler, rear pillar and bodyside shaping, along with an under-floor designed to reduce losses over a wide range of vehicle configurations. This enabled manipulation of the wake structure to reduce drag spread, optimising emissions measured under the WLTP regulations.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">Along with its low drag coefficient, in an industry first, it was developed explicitly to achieve reduced rear surface contamination with reductions achieved of 70% on the rear screen and 60% over the tailgate when compared against the outgoing product. This supports both perceptions of luxury along with sensor system performance, demonstrating that vehicles can be developed concurrently for low drag and reduced rear soiling.</div><div class="htmlview paragraph">This paper describes the development journey of the car, from initial phases extensively exploiting simulation through to testing pre-production prototype vehicles in both FKFS Aeroacoustic and Thermal Wind Tunnels.</div></div>