New Range Rover Sport luxury SUV gets the longest range of any plug-in hybrid, with a fully electric version coming soon...
On sale September 2022 | Price from £79,125
Sometimes, sportiness and luxury can go hand in hand. Men’s fashion site Mr Porter, for example, lists 78 different watches under its ‘sports watch’ section, yet with prices reaching £250,000, many would also be described as luxurious. The new Range Rover Sport blends those two attributes too, offering all the comfort and refinement of its full-fat sibling, with a meaner look and a more agile driving style. And if you’re the kind of person who wears a six-figure sports watch, the chances are it’ll be on your car shortlist.
Just like the best watches, the new Range Rover Sport is bristling with the latest technology. Mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) versions are available from the outset, and a fully electric version – expected to have a range of more than 250 miles – is due in 2024.
Crowning the engine line-up at launch is the 523bhp twin-turbocharged V8 (named the P530), which can cover the 0-62mph sprint in just 4.5sec. It’s touted as the most exhilarating Range Rover Sport yet, and will be the most powerful version until an all-new Range Rover Sport SVR joins the line-up later on. The mighty SVR is expected to match the 616bhp offered by the rival BMW X6 M Competition.
We suspect most buyers will be more tempted by one of the two PHEV options. The most powerful of those, the P510e, combines a 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor for a combined output of 503bhp. According to official figures, it can hit 62mph in 5.4 seconds and travel up to 70 miles on electric power alone. That’s the longest electric-only range of any PHEV car currently available, and will make it an attractive option for company car drivers, putting it in a lower tax band than most PHEVs. For context, the rival BMW X5 can officially cover up to 54 miles between charges in xDrive45e form.
The second PHEV option is the P440e. With 434bhp, it has less power than the 510e but matches its range and official CO2 emissions (18g/km).
Both plug-in hybrids can charge up to 80% of capacity in less than an hour using a 50kW charging point, while a full charge using a typical 7.5kW wallbox will take around five hours.
If you don’t want a plug-in hybrid, there are petrol and diesel options with mild-hybrid tech. They can’t run on battery power alone but do have small electric motors to ease the load on the engine.
The 395bhp 3.0-litre straight-six petrol (the P400) can cover the 0-62mph sprint in 5.4sec and returns 30.1mpg according to official tests, with C02 emissions rated at 213g/km.
The two six-cylinder diesels – the 296bhp D300 and 345bhp D350 – both return up to 38.2mpg and emit around 194g/km of C02.
All versions get an eight-speed automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive as standard.
The Range Rover Sport takes on a more aggressive look than the regular Range Rover, with muscular front and rear bumpers, LED lights at the front and rear, and air vents on its front haunches. It also features the longest rear spoiler ever fitted to a Range Rover.
This new third-generation model is based on new underpinnings designed to make it stronger, stiffer and more reliable than the outgoing car. It has advanced systems including adaptable air suspension, all-wheel steering (to improve manoeuvrability) and active dampers designed to reduce body roll during cornering.
The new Range Rover Sport should also be better off road than its predecessor because it has the latest version of the Land Rover Terrain Response system. That automatically adjusts multiple systems to cope with whatever type of surface you’re driving on, acting like an off-road cruise control.
The interior of the Range Rover Sport borrows heavily from that of the regular Range Rover, but has a lower driving position and a smaller steering wheel to give it a sporty feel. As in the larger car, the focal point of the dashboard is a new 13.1in Pivi Pro infotainment system. Our experience in the regular Range Rover suggests that it will be easy enough to use (although a rotary dial set-up like the one in the rival X5 would be even better), and thankfully it has physical, rather than touchscreen, climate controls. An optional Online Pack allows drivers to pay for parking or stream music using a dedicated 4G connection, so you can stay connected even if you forget your phone.
There’s also a 13.7in digital instrument cluster which can put a variety of information right in front of you, plus a voice assistant based on Amazon’s Alexa, meaning some functions, such as setting the radio station or changing the temperature, can be controlled by speaking to the car. Wireless over-the-air updates will allow users to unlock new features and keep the system updated without a visit to a dealership. An optional head-up display can project key information on to the car’s windscreen for the greatest convenience.
There’s also wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto connectivity, plus a tray to charge your mobile phone. Passengers won’t need to worry about charging up either, because there are seven USB-C charging points throughout the interior.
Air entering the car’s interior is passed through a medical-grade filter that can even capture Covid-19 virus particles, while excess C02 is pumped out of the interior, helping to improve alertness on long journeys.
The standard stereo can be upgraded to an optional 29-speaker Meridian sound system and active noise cancellation aims to reduce wind and road noise made by the car.
The new Range Rover Sport’s safety and convenience aids include adaptive cruise control with lane-keeping and steering assistance, a blind-spot monitor and speed assistance (to keep the car within the speed limit). A remote parking function that works even when the driver is outside the car is also available, and we’d expect all versions to come with front and rear parking sensors, and a reversing camera as standard.
Land Rover measures boot space differently to most rivals, but it’s safe to say that your family’s holiday luggage won’t trouble the Range Rover Sport’s rear space too much, and if you find yourself with more suitcases than people, you can drop the rear seats to turn the car into a luxurious van. The PHEV models are likely to have slightly less boot space than the mild-hybrids because of the bigger battery packs.
One big change with the new Range Rover Sport is that, while it’s bigger than the model it replaces, it won’t be available with seven seats – it’s strictly a five-seater. That means big families will have to opt for the more expensive Range Rover (or a rival SUV) if they need seating for a driver and six passengers.
Leg room was good in the second-generation Range Rover Sport, and the latest car has even more: 31mm of extra leg room and 20mm of extra knee clearance. And each seat should be comfortable – they include 22-way adjustability, with heating, ventilation, massage functions and winged headrests.
Buyers can choose between SE and Autobiography trims, but for the first year of sales a special First Edition version will also be available.
Like a particularly expensive watch, the Range Rover Sport has a price tag to make you wheeze, and owning one will cost you more than key rivals, including the Audi Q7, X5 and Porsche Cayenne. But as with sports watches, that high price tag probably won’t put off the kind of high-end SUV buyers Land Rover is aiming it at.
Keyword: 2022 Range Rover Sport luxury SUV revealed: price, specs and release date