The arrival of the Bentley Bentayga and Rolls-Royce Cullinan has put the Range Rover on the sidelines, but the old guard is about to put up a fight, and the Bentayga and Cullinan are in its crosshairs. The next-gen Range Rover is scheduled to arrive in 2021, and according to reports, it’s going to be a significant improvement over the current-generation model, in large part because the bar in the super-luxury SUV segment has been raised by Bentley and Rolls-Royce.

For an SUV that was touted as the ultimate in luxury, it must have been emasculating for the Range Rover to see the Bentley Bentayga and the Rolls-Royce Cullinan roll up and redefine what a luxury SUV is all about. Give Land Rover credit, then, because it’s not crying in the corner and lamenting the hand it was drawn. Instead, it’s gearing up for a fight. According to Autocar, the next-generation Range Rover will not only go next-level with its luxury amenities, but it’ll also feature a slate of state-of-the-art technology.

At its core, the new Range will sit on Land Rover’s scalable Modular Longitudinal Architecture (MLA) platform. It’s made from aluminum, making it lighter and versatile enough that all future Land Rover models, in addition to the Jaguar XE, will use the MLA platform.

In terms of design, the new Range Rover isn’t going to change a whole lot of its identity. It’ll still retain the design qualities that the model is known for, but it’ll also feature modern styling that Land Rover hopes will elevate its luxury status. Power will come from a new straight-six engine, which means that all existing engines on current Range Rovers are going to go bye-bye. In addition to the new gas-powered powertrain, certain models of the next-gen Range Rover will also get 48-volt, mild-hybrid technology.

On the technological side of things, next-gen models will have a menu of new tech to choose from. The Touch Pro Duo system from the Range Rover Velar is likely to make its way into next-gen models. Land Rover could even borrow some tech from sister company Jaguar, specifically the Smart settings found on the E-Pace.

It’s unclear if Land Rover would have taken these steps if the Bentley Bentayga and Rolls-Royce Cullinan aren’t around. But now that both super-luxury SUVs are here, The Range Rover might as well join in on the fun. The next-gen model is due to come in 2021 so that gives Land Rover a little over two years to show if it can reach the level its new rivals have set.

Further Reading

Read our full review on the 2018 Land Rover Range Rover.

Read our full review on the 2018 Land rover Range Rover Sport.

Read more Land Rover news.