What is the Range Rover L322?

Last updated: 18 June 2012

The Range Rover L322 is the third generation of the Range Rover, the flagship luxury 4x4 from British maker Land Rover. It was built at the Solihull plant in England from 2002 to 2012, with roughly 293,494 examples produced. It replaced the P38A and was itself replaced by the L405 in 2013.

QUICK ANSWER

The L322 (2002-2012) is the third-generation Range Rover — the first with a monocoque body and full air suspension. Built across BMW, Jaguar and late eras.

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Photo: Range Rover L322 (overview image)

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Key takeaway: The L322 brought the Range Rover firmly into full luxury-SUV territory while keeping serious off-road ability, designed under BMW, built under Ford and Tata.

The L322 marked a big step upmarket. It was the first Range Rover with a monocoque?monocoque — A unibody structure where the body shell itself carries the loads, instead of bolting a body onto a separate ladder chassis. Stiffer, quieter, lighter. (unibody) shell instead of a separate ladder chassis, and the first with independent air suspension on all four wheels. That combination kept its famous off-road ability while making it far more comfortable and car-like on the road.

Why the L322 is unusual

The L322 was designed under BMW but built under Ford. BMW began the project (codename "L30") and intended to share parts with the BMW 7 Series. But BMW sold Land Rover to Ford in 2000, just before production started. As a result the car's engines and electronics changed several times over its life: which is why, with an L322, the model year and "era" matter more than usual. A 2003 car and a 2011 car are very different machines underneath.

Key facts at a glance

RANGE ROVER L322 — QUICK FACTS

Manufacturer	Land Rover (under BMW → Ford → Tata/JLR)
Generation	Third (Mk III)
Codename	L322 (developed as "L30")
Built	2002-2012, Solihull, England (volume prod. from Dec 2001)
Produced	approx. 293,494 units
Body	5-door SUV, monocoque (a Range Rover first)
Drive	Permanent 4WD, two-speed transfer case, low range
Gearboxes	Automatic only (ZF 5/6/8-speed, GM 5-speed)
Suspension	4-wheel independent, cross-linked air, height adjustable
Engines	177-510 hp; petrol V8 & turbodiesel (I6 & V8)
0-60 mph	~13.6 s (Td6) to ~6.2 s (5.0 S/C)
Ride heights	access / 172 mm standard / 227 mm off-road
Length × width × height	~4,735 × 1,910 × 1,887 mm
Kerb weight	~2.4-2.8 tonnes
Towing	up to 3,500 kg
Predecessor / Successor	P38A / L405
Sweet spot	2007-2009 4.4 V8 (Jaguar)

The three eras

The single most useful thing to understand about the L322:

Years	Name	What defines it
2002-2005	BMW years	BMW 4.4 V8 / 3.0 Td6 engines, BMW-style electronics, 5-speed GM auto
2006-2009	Jaguar era	Jaguar V8s, 3.6 TDV8?TDV8 — Land Rover's twin-turbo diesel V8 (3.6, later 4.4) — the 'AJD-V8' / 'Lion' engine, prized for huge torque. diesel, Terrain Response?Terrain Response — Land Rover's rotary off-road system: one dial reconfigures throttle, gearbox, ride height, ABS and diffs to suit grass, mud, sand, rock or normal driving., new infotainment
2010-2012	Late models	5.0 V8s, LED lights, virtual dials, 4.4 TDV8 (313 bhp)

» Read the full history of each era

Place in the Range Rover family

Generation	Codename	Years
First (Classic)	—	1970-1996
Second	P38A	1994-2001
Third (this car)	L322	2002-2012
Fourth	L405	2013-2022

NEXT Next steps: read the history and three eras, browse the engines, or jump to the buying guide if you're shopping for one.

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