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Bullet-Proof 2019 Range Rover Sentinel SUV Debuts Globally

The Range Rover Sentinel can withstand bullets and blasts from unconventional explosive devices too. 

The new Range Rover Sentinel.
The new Range Rover Sentinel.

Talk about super security in a car! Range Rover has taken the covers off its new super secure SUV, the fully armoured 2019 Range Rover Sentinel.

The upgraded Range Rover Sentinel from the 2015 variant gets a bigger 5-litre Supercharged V8 petrol engine and an improved chassis, which is identical to the Range Rover Autobiography.

The armoured version of the SUV has been designed by Land Rover's Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) division.

Photo: JLR India
The 2019 version of the SUV, however, has been bolstered further and is stronger. 

The new Range Rover Sentinel is more powerful than before pushing out 375 bhp of power and is capable of clocking 0-100kmph in 10.4 seconds with a top speed of 193 kmph. In terms of security the SUV has been equipped with armoured glass, which can withstand bullet fire and even unconventional forms of attack, including improvised explosive device (IED) fragmentation blasts.

It also comes with roof blast-protection and an emergency escape system that is in accordance with full ballistic and blast certification.

The 2015 variant of the SUV comes with VR8 level of ballistic resistance, which means it is capable of withstanding 7.62mm armour-piercing bullets and up to 15kg TNT bomb blasts as well as grenade explosions from both beneath the floor and above the roof.

The 2019 version of the SUV, however, has been bolstered further and is stronger thanks to a tonne of protective metal to prevent bullets penetrating the cabin. We don’t have the exact stats on that yet.

The new Range Rover Sentinel is also equipped with a run-flat system which will allow the car to run 48 kilometres at speeds of up to 80kmph with damaged tyres. There is also a public announcement system, sirens and emergency lighting.

This vehicle seems familiar because prime minister Narendra Modi travels in an older model Range Rover. The older Sentinel cost $500,000 in the US, which would be twice as much in India thanks to its duty structure. Will the new one be on the PM’s shopping list?