Land Rover ‘The Experience’: Machine Versus Mud at Eastnor Castle
RANGE ROVER SPORT, LAND ROVER DISCOVERY, RANGE ROVER EVOQUE TRAIL REVIEW
The Evoque would fail, surely. It would disappear into the sludge, sink to its chassis, and any hope of pulling it out would be left to the Defender. It was stupid bringing a soft-roader to this place; it had no chance, none.
Well, that was what I thought. But the reality was very different.
The location was Eastnor Castle, England, in the West Midlands - Land Rover’s global centre of excellence for 4x4 driver training.
Here, Land Rover holds what it calls “The Experience”, a battle of man and machine versus the elements.
It’s designed to show owners and prospective customers what the brand’s cars are capable of, and how years of off-road experience have been assimilated into its products.
Rain? In this part of the country it barely stops. And the terrain of the Malvern Hills ensures lots of treacherous slippery slopes, mud, gravel, standing water, grass, tree roots and other obstacles.
All up, there’s 30 miles of trails, all of which are kept as challenging as possible. Driving through the walled gates, you’d never know what lies in store.
A small left bend and perfectly manicured hedges signify you’re close, and behind a massive stone archway entrance you can see the outline of the crenellation and battlements of the castle.
There to greet us were our cars for the day; a series of Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Discovery 4WDs.
The sheer size of the castle frontage is daunting; but while the castle itself and the rooms within are hugely impressive - it’s the grounds for which we’ve come.