Range Rover Sentinel makes Indian debut at Defexpo 2016

01/04/2016 - 01:27 Range Rover, Land Rover Sagar Parikh

Meets the VR8 ballistic standard.

The Range Rover Sentinel, the armored version of the Range Rover that made its global debut at the Defence and Security Equipment (DSEI) Show last year, has made its Indian debut at Defexpo India 2016.

The Range Rover Sentinel is the first armoured Land Rover to be fully engieered by Jaguar Land Rover's Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) division and is based on the standard wheelbase Range Rover Autobiography.

Armoured Range Rover Sentinel in India at DefExpo 2016 — The occupants are seated in a specially-developed six-piece armoured passenger cell which is made of super-high-strength steel.

The so-claimed 'mobile fortress' meets the VR8 ballistic standard. The driver and occupants sit inside a specially-developed six-piece armoured passenger cell which is made of super-high-strength steel. The standard glass has been replaced by multi-laminated bullet-proof armour privacy glass. Other security features include anti-tamper exhaust, a self-sealing fuel tank, auxiliary back-up battery, a split charging system, 100 mm driver window opening for document delivery and anti-smash protective glass in the load space.

The Range Rover Sentinel can protect the passengers from 7.62 mm bullets, 15 kg Trinitrotoluene (TNT) blasts as well as DM51 grenade explosions from both beneath the floor and above the roof. Incase the main doors are blocked by an accident or an attack, occupants can leave the armoured SUV via the Emergency Escape System behind the rear seats. Under floor and under bonnet fire suppression systems, a customer configurable siren system, emergency service lights and an external speaker system are the security features which are available optionally.

Armoured Range Rover Sentinel rear in India at DefExpo 2016 — The Range Rover Sentinel can protect the passengers from 7.62 mm bullets, 15 kg Trinitrotoluene (TNT) blasts as well as DM51 grenade explosions from both beneath the floor and above the roof.

The suspension has been up-rated to handle the extra weight. There are run flat inserts in the tyres which are fitted to special 20-inch split rim alloy wheels. Under the bonnet, there's a 340 PS (336 hp) 3.0-litre supercharged V6 petrol engine that sends power to the wheels via a specially-calibrated ZF 8-speed automatic transmission. Stopping power comes from 380 mm (front)/365 mm (rear) ventilated disc brakes featuring high-density brake pads.

The Range Rover Sentinel hasn't been launched in India yet, it's simply being showcased at the exhibition. Internationally, the armoured variant has been available to order since September 2015 in the UK, Europe, South America, Africa and the Middle East, and is priced at about €400,000 (INR 3,00,36,385).