The all-new Range Rover is lighter, stronger and has new levels of refinement - and arrives in South Africa in January 2013.

The fourth generation of the Range Rover line, the all-new model has been developed from the ground up.

The world's first SUV with a revolutionary lightweight all-aluminium monocoque body structure is 39 percent lighter than the steel body in the outgoing model, enabling total vehicle weight savings of up to 420kg.

The lightweight aluminium platform has delivered significant enhancements in performance and agility, along with a transformation in fuel economy and CO2 emissions.

In addition to the strong and rigid lightweight body, an all-new aluminium front and rear chassis architecture has been developed with completely re-engineered four-corner air suspension. While the luxurious ride has been retained, the vehicle's handling and agility have been significantly improved. The new suspension architecture delivers flatter, more confident cornering, with natural and intuitive steering feel.

John Edwards, Land Rover Global Brand Director, said: "The new Range Rover preserves the essential, unique character of the vehicle - that special blend of luxury, performance and unmatched all-terrain capability. However, its clean sheet design and revolutionary lightweight construction have enabled us to transform the experience for luxury vehicle customers, with a step change in comfort, refinement and handling.

And what about design?

"Designing the next generation Range Rover, following over forty years of success, came with a huge responsibility to protect the DNA of such an icon," said Gerry McGovern, Land Rover Design Director and Chief Creative Officer.

"Our design team worked incredibly hard to capture the elegant proportions and pure surfaces which have been a feature of the best Range Rover designs."

Amongst the industry-leading innovations is a ground-breaking next-generation version of Land Rover's Terrain Response® system, which analyses the current driving conditions and automatically selects the most suitable vehicle settings for the terrain.

To ensure exceptional durability and reliability, the new model has been subjected to Land Rover's punishing on- and off-road test and development regime, with a fleet of development vehicles covering millions of miles over 18 months of arduous tests in more than 20 countries with extremes of climate and road surfaces.

Within the cabin, the new Range Rover provides occupants with a sensation of serene isolation, meeting the highest luxury car standards for refinement.

Measures like the rigorously optimised body structure and acoustic lamination of the windscreen and side door glass have significantly reduced noise levels, while the new suspension architecture has enabled engineers to achieve even more luxurious ride comfort and refinement.

With over 118mm more legroom, the rear occupants benefit from vastly increased space and comfort, with the option of a new two-seat Executive Class seating package for the ultimate in rear-seat luxury.

To deliver the model's characteristic performance, customers have the choice of refined V8 petrol engines and TDV6 and TDV8 diesel engines combining responsive performance with low CO2 emissions.

On sale in South Africa from January 2013, the all-new Range Rover will be a truly global car, available in over 160 markets worldwide.