Installation of retractable sills on the Range Rover 3.0 T-GDI 24V (2019)

Range Rover is one of the most popular premium crossovers in Poland. Owners appreciate it for its combination of comfort, status, power, and genuine off-road capabilities. However, even such an ideal car has its drawbacks: getting in and out of the cabin is not always convenient, especially in winter, in dirty weather, or for children and elderly passengers.

Unfortunately, not all cars from the factory are equipped with sliding thresholds, although the body is fully prepared for this in terms of design. It was with this situation that a customer approached the STS workshop in Warsaw.

Sliding thresholds – why does the Range Rover need them?

Electrically operated thresholds are not just a “beauty” feature; they solve several practical problems at once:

• they make getting in and out of the car much easier;
• reduce the risk of getting your clothes dirty in rainy or winter weather;
• do not reduce ground clearance, as they retract under the body while driving;
• make the daily use of a large crossover much more comfortable.

That is why such devices are installed at the factory on top-of-the-line Range Rover models.

OEM or alternative: a question of budget

If you want to go the classic route, you can install original Land Rover retractable running boards for the 2019 Range Rover, which are used on the higher trim levels of this model. The car is structurally ready for this: there are standard mounting points, brackets, and electronic integration. That is why the manufacturer's catalog features the corresponding factory components—left and right steps, as well as brackets used in the OEM system (in particular, parts with item numbers VPLGP0227, VPLGP0228, VPLGP0137, and VPLGP0139).

However, in practice, the owner quickly encounters the main disadvantage of this solution — the cost. A complete set of original sliding sills, excluding labor, can cost approximately PLN 15,000, which makes this option quite expensive even for a premium car.

An alternative is a high-quality non-original set, chosen by the customer for installation at STS. Its price is about PLN 2,500 (excluding installation), which is significantly cheaper than the OEM solution. At the same time, in terms of mechanics and fit to the body, these side steps fully correspond to the car's design and allow for the implementation of functionality that was lacking in the specific factory configuration.

Non-original side steps: no cheap tuning effect or mechanical compromises

Important point: we are not talking about DIY solutions. The selected set:

• fits into the standard locations provided by the manufacturer;
• uses factory holes in the body;
• comes complete with electric motors, brackets, and a control unit;
• allows you to adjust the gaps after installation.

These retractable thresholds are connected to the standard electrical wiring through the trunk, just as intended by the car's design.

After installation, the thresholds look as if the car was equipped with them on the assembly line. In addition, after installation, the technicians perform precise adjustments to ensure smooth operation and symmetrical and correct positioning.

Electronics and CAN bus: how it works in practice

Although these thresholds are not yet included in the car's standard menu, they fully interact with the car:

• the system “sees” the opening and closing of the doors via the CAN bus;
• the doors opened – the thresholds automatically extended;
• the doors close – the thresholds retract;
• there is protection against obstacles so that the mechanism does not work “by force”.

In addition, control is possible via a mobile app via Bluetooth, which is supplied with the kit.

Important: the customer plans to visit an authorized service center to register the thresholds in the car's electronics, and then they will appear in the multimedia menu. That is, it is a matter of time, not a design limitation.

How the threshold control app was activated

Activating the mobile app turned out to be unexpectedly problematic. Although there was a link to the program in the threshold instructions, you need to have an account in the Chinese WeChat system to use it. And it is extremely difficult for non-Chinese people to register there.

Even though the STS technicians had a Chinese SIM card, which they purchased during a business trip to China, they were unable to do so. The phone number was not enough — the system requires confirmation through a “guarantor,” i.e., an active WeChat user with a certain account history. The process turned out to be quite troublesome.

That is why installing such a kit on your own, even with mechanical and electrical skills, will be problematic for most owners. STS has already gone down this path, and the customer does not have to face these difficulties alone.

Result

As a result, the owner received:

• fully functional sliding thresholds;
• neat installation without interfering with the body;
• correct operation from the door and through the application;
• significant savings compared to the OEM solution;
• a car that has become much more convenient to use on a daily basis.

This project is a good example of how STS in Warsaw is not only involved in repairs, but also in competent car upgrades. Even if the car is not equipped with the necessary option from the factory, it can be implemented technically correctly, without compromising safety and appearance.

The Range Rover is designed for comfort. And STS's job is to help the owner use this potential to the fullest.