Land Rover’s version of its classic full-size Range Rover, the mid-size Range Rover Sport, dates back to 2006. The redesign for the 2014 style year has particularly reduced weight, thanks to a new aluminium bodywork.
The new automatic emergency braking formula tops the list of settings for the 2017 Range Rover Sport style year. A software review works with the rearview camera to make it less difficult to salvage a trailer. Upgraded infotainment includes a new 10. 2-inch touchscreen with pinch/scroll operation. Restructured option packages aim to simplify the buying process.
Anyone looking for impeccable handling, coupled with incredibly capable off-road talent, wants to take no further look than the Range Rover Sport. Few SUVs come close to its combination of sporty handling and practical utility, combined with luxury amenities. While the giant Range Rover and Range Rover Sport emphasize their impressive off-road capabilities, the full-size styling leans toward opulent luxury and comfort, while the Sport focuses on sporty handling. Both offer a serene vibe, but the full-size style has a more classic look.
Seven-passenger seating is an option for the Sport, but think of it as a 5:2 — the comfortable third-row optional for most people.
A quartet of engine features are available. The Range Rover Sport SE and Range Rover Sport HSE use a 3. 0-liter supercharged V6 with 340 horsepower. The 5. 0-liter supercharged V8s are available in two power levels, each of which deserves the Sport label. The popular 510-horsepower V8 powers the Range Rover Sport Supercharged and Autobiography. The Range Rover Sport SVR produces 550 horsepower and 501 pound-feet of torque.
All models are powered by an admirable 8-speed automatic transmission that can come with paddle shifters. Even the V6 promises a thud and acceleration from 0 to 60 mph in 6. 9 seconds. This 60 mph run takes just five seconds with a V8.
The turbodiesel option uses a 3. 0-liter V6 diesel engine that produces a powerful 443 pound-feet of torque. Acceleration is comparable to that of the V6 petrol engine, and diesel owners can expect pleasantly quiet operation.
Safety features come with lane departure warning, surround-view camera, parking sensors, parking assist, and automatic overhead lights. An available driver assistance package adds blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control and popularity of road signs that can demonstrate existing presence. speed limit. Neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety have tested the Range Rover Sport.
The Range Rover Sport SE ($65,650) features a 340-horsepower V6 engine, single-speed all-wheel drive, leather upholstery, 14-way forced-heated front seats, forced liftgate, eight-speaker audio formula and Bluetooth. Rover Sport HSE ($70,650) with perforated leather upholstery, 20-inch alloy wheels, heated seats, special interior trim and a panoramic sunroof. A Dynamic package can be added, with gloss black external trim.
The Range Rover Sport Td6 Diesel SE ($67,650) and Td6 Diesel HSE ($72,650) come with the turbodiesel engine (prices are MSRP and come with destination fees).
The Range Rover Sport Supercharged ($80,650) includes the 510-horsepower V8, a panoramic glass sunroof, Terrain Response 2 Auto, paddle shifters and a two-speed gearbox. The Autobiography ($94,450) comes with an 825-watt motor, 19-speaker Meridian sound system; 16-way forced front seats; heated rear wheels and seats; cooler; 21-inch wheels; blind spot monitoring; and oncoming traffic detection.
The Range Rover Sport SVR ($111,350), 550-horsepower V8, adaptive xenon headlights, exclusive LED lighting, perforated leather, firmer suspension and active exhaust.
The Range Rover Sport is smaller than the full-size Range Rover. At first glance, they look similar. The frame’s tall, blank lines and wide stance complete a functional aura. The main points of the design come with a sloping roof, a chunky front finish with well-integrated headlights, sleek surfaces, and blacked-out roof pillars.
The bonnet and fender express the capabilities of the Sport. The roof pillars are blacked out, the wheel spaces are prominent, and the rear is short.
The SVR has a more competitive stance with its larger wheels and tires.
Weighing around a hundred pounds less than the full-size Range Rover, the Sport is 2. 2 inches lower. Some of the main points of the design were influenced by the curves of the Evoque.
The kinship with the larger Range Rover is most evident in the interior. Most of the features come from the Sport’s touchscreen infotainment system, which is now available in a 10. 2-inch format. While this works well, the display shows what is simply considered to be an excess of information.
Visible surfaces are covered with wood or leather. All materials, especially on the higher trim levels, look stylish. Even the basic SE style offers plenty of luxury and comfort.
Each version consists of four bucket-style seats, plus a middle position in the second row. Occupants of the outboard engine have enough space, but less than that offered by the giant Range Rover.
Optional retractable third-row seats create a tight, kid-friendly space. The Discovery is a wider selection for seven people.
Even the shipment is very well finished.
Whether you’re driving down the highway or hiking in nature, the Sport stands out. V8-powered models get advantages from a low-end swap body, while the model gets a well-tuned suspension.
Shared with Jaguar, the basic supercharged V6 engine delivers an impressive and well-rounded response. Only slightly slower on acceleration, the V6 turbodiesel takes full credit for its peak torque, but it’s slightly audible.
With any of the V8s, the Range Rover Sport transforms into an SUV that is unmistakably a fast traveller. In the SVR version, the V8 style hits 60 mph in 4. 5 seconds. It can’t blend in like a sports sedan, but the SVR remains perfectly quiet in corners and turns long stretches of road into comfortable excursions.
When it comes to off-road prowess, the Sport can traverse streams up to 33. 5 inches deep, race over rocks, and then weave sand or mud. A ground clearance of 9. 3 inches, combined with more than 10 inches of wheel travel, ensures road-readyness.
Popular with V8 power and optional for the V6, Terrain Response 2 offers seven modes for almost any surface (including automatic), running smoothly to deliver the most traction. Rather than just being capable, the Range Rover Sport is one of the cars to drive in tough conditions.
Range Rover Sports (except SVR) are designed to tow up to 7716 pounds.
As you’d expect, the fuel economy is admirable. The gasoline V6 has an EPA rating of 17/23 mpg city/highway, or 19 mpg combined. The supercharged V8 has an EPA rating of just 14/19 mpg city/highway, or 16 mpg combined. For economical operation, the turbodiesel has a fuel consumption of 22/29 mpg city/highway, or 25 mpg in combined mode.
With a Range Rover Sport, you get a healthy dose of luxury, plus on-road comfort, legendary off-road capability and a famous British heritage. Comfortable and refined, they are very good luxury vehicles. Sports are, as the name suggests, more sporty. than full-size Range Rovers, and sporty in every sense for their class, and SVRs are effectively sports cars.
Driving impressions through The Car Connection. James Flammang contributed to this report.