While we enjoy levels of personal safety in the UAE that others can only dream about, many of us still have to conduct business in territories that could be deemed “dangerous to our health”. And if you want to do business on the move in complete luxury with the ability to emerge unscathed from an attack by heavily armed assailants, then the new Range Rover Sentinel might be just the car for you – at a price, of course.
According to Land Rover, it will set you back approximately Dh1.7 million.
Described by Land Rover as a “luxury fortress on wheels”, the Sentinel is based on the Range Rover Autobiography – which until the Bentley Bentayga comes along is surely the best-appointed SUV in the world – and to onlookers there appears to be nothing particularly special about it. Underneath its skin, however, its differences are extensive.
It’s built by Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations department to withstand the most damaging and targeted of threats, including penetration by 7.62mm high-velocity, armour-piercing incendiary bullets. It will emerge from a blast of 15 kilograms of TNT (dynamite) and takes DM51 grenade explosions on the chin, on the roof and on the bottom as if it’s all in a day’s work.
At its core is a unique, six-piece armoured passenger cell, formed from super-high-strength steel. The glazing has been replaced by multi-laminated armour privacy glass of optical quality, providing “excellent clarity for the driver and occupants, while also delivering bullet protection” – just in case you want to look your attackers in the eye while cackling to yourself along the lines of “is that all you’ve got?”
The Sentinel is fully certified to the VR8 international armoury standards against ballistic threats by Qinetiq, an independent organisation that was formerly part of the UK government’s Defence Establishment Research Agency. And if the car happens to have its doors blocked in an attack, occupants can use an emergency escape system behind the rear seats. If a getaway is feasible, “run flat” tyres will help, as will the 340 horsepower from its supercharged V6 engine.
q&a a bulletproof investment
Bruce Robertson, Jaguar Land Rover’s managing director for the Mena region, talks Kevin Hackett through some of the Sentinel’s finer points:
What sort of demand is there in the GCC for armoured luxury vehicles such as this?
Over the past few years, Mena markets have seen a considerable increase in demand for armoured vehicles. This luxury armoured vehicle has been manufactured to the highest standards of detail and quality to provide the maximum levels of protection an SUV can offer against a wide variety of attacks.
This being an SVO-developed model, is it being showcased as a measure of the talents within the company?
SVO has rolled out a number of high-specification vehicles and bespoke commissions such as the Range Rover Sport SVR and the tailor-made Defender for Paul Smith. The Sentinel is another great example of the talent and expertise at the heart of Jaguar Land Rover.
Has it been tested and developed here in the UAE?
It’s based on the standard wheelbase Range Rover, which has been trialled and tested in the Mena region for over three years now to ensure the vehicle withstands the arduous and extreme Middle East conditions. The Sentinel retains the Range Rover’s off-road desert capabilities and reliability to endure the conditions here.
Any plans for other models to be given the bulletproof treatment?
If the need comes to develop more vehicles under the armoured vehicles market, the team at SVO can surely look into producing a vehicle that will meet expectations.
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