Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives for Independence Day 2022 speech in Range Rover Sentinel, why the SUV is special

Independence Day 2022 is here. Indians are celebrating the 76th Independence Day of the country on August 15 this year. Indian citizens all over the globe are marking the milestone by celebrating the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ campaign. Following the tradition of Independent India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at Red Fort to unfurl the national flag and address the nation. For the Independence Day 2022 speech, PM Modi was expected to arrive in the new Mercedes-Maybach S650 Guard, however he ditched the luxury saloon for the iconic Range Rover Sentinel SUV. This is not the first time Prime Minister Narendra Modi was seen travelling in the armoured SUV from Tata Motors’ owned british-automaker, he has been spotted several times in the exotic SUV. But what makes the Range Rover Sentinel SUV so special, let’s find out.

Revealed in 2019 by Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations, the latest Range Rover Sentinel features more power, unparalleled refinement, all-terrain capability and the latest in occupant protection. It is powered by a 380PS 5.0-litre Supercharged V8 petrol engine gives a 40PS power uplift over the V6 petrol fitted previously, ensuring the armoured SUV retains exceptional Range Rover performance across all terrains. Carrying more than one tonne of armour plate and glass, Sentinel can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 10.4 seconds (0-60mph in 9.8 seconds), with top speed limited to 193km/h (120mph).

At its core is a protection cell built to stringent whole vehicle standards and in accordance with full ballistic and blast certification. The enhanced body is engineered to face modern and unconventional forms of attack, including improvised explosive device (IED) fragmentation blasts. Sentinel is fitted with armoured glass in order to help protect occupants from attack. Further security systems include the option for a specially configured front window which drops a maximum of 150mm for document delivery, while it also features a public address system allowing occupants to address people outside the vehicle without leaving their secure environment. Siren and emergency lighting packs are also available.

The interior also features Land Rover’s latest Touch Pro Duo infotainment system with two 10-inch high resolution touch screens. An imported Range Rover Sentinel SUV will cost more than Rs 10 crore in India.