With such similar names, it’s easy to mix up Land Rover and Range Rover. But while they might look alike, there’s a key distinction: all Range Rovers are Land Rovers, but not all Land Rovers are Range Rovers.
Even though “Range Rover” is written across the bonnet where you’d typically expect a brand name, it’s actually the model name, not the manufacturer. Land Rover is the brand, and Range Rover is just one of its model lines.
Is Range Rover Its Own Brand?
Unlike brands such as Lexus (Toyota) or Genesis (Hyundai), Range Rover isn’t a separate company, it’s simply a model line under Land Rover. The full name would be Land Rover Range Rover.
Range Rover offers several models, including:
- Range Rover (the flagship)
- Range Rover Sport
- Range Rover Velar
- Range Rover Evoque
However, unlike most car brands, these models aren’t just trim levels, they’re built on different platforms. The Evoque, for example, is smaller than the Velar, while the standard Range Rover and Range Rover Sport share a different structure altogether. Think of it like Mazda’s SUV line up: a CX-5 and a CX-8 are from the same family but have different engines, chassis, and sizes.
Why Was the Range Rover Created?
The Range Rover was born out of a vision by Charles Spencer King, a chief designer at Rover. In the late 1960s, he pitched the idea of a luxury SUV that combined off-road capability with comfort, something that didn’t really exist at the time.
Instead of launching an entirely new brand, Rover modified its existing Land Rover platform to create the first Range Rover in 1969. This move transformed Land Rover from a rugged utility vehicle into a premium SUV brand, pioneering the luxury SUV market long before competitors caught on.
Who Owns Land Rover & Range Rover?
Over the years, Land Rover (and the Range Rover model line) has changed hands multiple times:
- Rover (1948–1967)
- Leyland (1967–1968)
- British Leyland (1968–1978)
- Land Rover Limited (1978–2012), including BMW ownership (2000–2006)
- Ford (2006–2008)
- Tata Motors (2008–present), under Jaguar Land Rover (JLR)
Range Rover Today
Since its launch, over one million Range Rovers have been sold worldwide. In Australia, 3,862 new Land Rover Range Rovers were sold in 2024, with the Sport being the most popular model.
So, next time someone calls Range Rover a brand, you’ll know the real story, it’s just one of Land Rover’s premium SUV lines.
