Startech beats Mercedes to the premium truck market with a Range Rover-based pickup

By Ronan Glon April 15, 2015

Putting the motto “build it and they will come” to the ultimate test, German tuner Startech has announced plans to introduce a pickup truck based on the Land Rover Range Rover at next week’s Shanghai Motor Show.

The truck immediately stands out from the stock Range Rover thanks to a more aggressive front fascia characterized by a deep front bumper with numerous air vents, a new gloss black radiator grille and two up-swept rows of LED daytime running lights. Side skirts and massive multi-spoke 23-inch alloy wheels tucked away under flared fenders noticeably increase the Range’s road presence.

Things get even more interesting beyond the C-pillar. In lieu of the traditional cargo compartment, Startech’s one-off Range features a 43-inch long bed that has been sprayed with a protective plastic coating. The tailgate can be automatically opened and closed by simply pressing a button on the key fob.

Those who aren’t too distracted by the pickup body style will notice that the truck also gains quad exhaust outlets, an air diffuser and a small T-shaped rear window integrated into a metal partition that separates the bed and the passenger compartment.

The cockpit has been spruced up with four individual seats upholstered in diamond-quilted black leather, a full-length center console and acres of real carbon fiber trim.

Startech has not made any major mechanical modifications, meaning the pickup is powered by a stock Range Rover-sourced supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine. However, a custom-built exhaust system adds about 16 horsepower, bumping the eight-cylinder’s output to 518 horsepower. The truck can reach 62 mph from a stop in 5.3 seconds and go on to an electronically-limited top speed of 155 mph.

Startech has not revealed how much the Range Rover pickup will cost, how many examples it plans on building and in which countries it will be available in. Additional information will be announced next week during the biennial Shanghai show.

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Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…

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