Torque is the power to the wheels. It can be appreciated more when your vehicle is in some super thick mud and you need all four tires screaming and clawing their way out of the muck.
The bottom line is that he changes being made are moving away from of off road capabilities. That would be a fact based on the changes that have been made for 2014. I am not hating on the 2014, there are plenty of people that will be happy with it, I'm just not one of them. I had my chance to grab the 14 and chose not.
I don't think it is a fact that they are moving away from off-road capabilities at all. The 2014 is available with a lower-speed transfer case with the HD package. And the engine is being changed to improve a woeful gas milage rating.
As for the engines, since yesterday I've done some looking at the known stats. It would be great if Land Rover would publish actual torque curves for their engines, but they don't seem to. If they did then it would make the comparison a lot easier.
I know very well what torque does and how important it is when off-roading or towing heavy things. Forced induction engines (turbochargers and superchargers) tend to make more torque over more of the RPM range than normally aspirated engines (IE. the out-going V8) do.
For example: The AJ133 (V8) in 5.0 trim here in the US makes 375 hp at 6,500 RPM and 375 lb-ft of torque at 3,500 RPM. The new SCV6 makes 340 hp at 6,500 RPM and 332 lb-ft of torque between 3,500 and 5,000 RPM. That means that while the V8 tops out at 375 lb-ft of torque at 3,500 RPM that before 3,500 RPM and after 3,500 RPM it is making less. The SCV6 is making 332 lb-ft of torque at 3,500 RPM. It is making 332 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 RPM. It is making 332 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 RPM. It is making 332 lb-ft of torque at 5,000 RPM. Before 3,500 RPM it is making less. After 5,000 RPM it is making less.
While the V8 is making less RPM below 3,500 RPM, so is the SCV6. The V8 will probably have an edge in this lower RPM range compared to the SCV6. At 3,500 RPM, the V8 has the advantage for sure. It is making 375 lb-ft of torque while the SCV6 is only making 332 lb-ft of torque. After 3,500 RPM is where things even out. At 4,000 RPM we know the SCV6 is making 332 lb-ft of torque. We know the V8 is making less than 375 lb-ft of torque. It could be close to 332 lb-ft. It could also be less. Same thing at 4,500, and 5,000 RPM except that the likelihood of the V8 making less than 332 lb-ft of torque increases greatly as the RPMs go up. The V8 is dropping in torque while the SCV6 is making a steady 332 lb-ft.
So, while the V8 will have an advantage up until 3,500 RPM, the SCV6 at least matches the V8 over 3,500 RPM and likely surpasses it at higher RPMs. Useful, for instance if you are towing something like a boat or trailer at highway speeds. Yes, it gives up a torque disadvantage to the V8 at lower RPMs, but it's probably not significant enough to really harm off-road performance. When you add in the advantage it has in gas milage, then its value compared with the V8 becomes more apparent.
Essentially, they are both (on paper at least) pretty good engines. Both have their pros and cons vs. the other. The V8 has more torque in the low RPM range. The V6 has more torque in the mid to high RPM range and gets better gas mileage. I know that from my multiple test drives in the 2014 and from riding in one on my dealer's off-road course that the SCV6 is a very capable engine and it won't bother me at all when my 2014 arrives with the SCV6 instead of a V8.
EDIT: I'd also like to add that the 0-60 mph difference between the two engines is only 0.2 seconds. That is so minor in a vehicle this size and purpose.
