New Range Rover Sport revealed: full specs and release date

The 2022 Range Rover Sport luxury SUV makes its official debut around six months after the reveal of the new full-size Range Rover, with a similar ‘reductive’ design approach from Land Rover said to “communicate power and agility”.

Although cleaner and more modern than the old Range Rover Sport, the new car has familiar proportions to the old model along with its trademark muscular stance. Even more aggressive front-end styling than the 2022 Range Rover is achieved, however, via slimline digital LED headlights and a narrower black grille.

From the side, flush-fitting electric door handles combine with large wheels, tight panel gaps and blacked-out glasshouse area, while the longest and largest rear spoiler ever fitted to a Range Rover dominates the roofline.

The rear sees similarly slim LED tail-lights joined by a black badging panel, while Land Rover has moved the number plate from the centre of the tailgate to the bumper.

The evolved design, along with a contoured underside enabled by the new ‘MLA’ platform, contributes to a claimed 15% better drag coefficient than the old model, improving fuel economy.

The new Range Rover Sport sits between the full-size Range Rover and more compact Range Rover Velar in Land Rover’s more style-focused Range Rover SUV sub-brand.

New Range Rover Sport price, release date and rivals

The new Range Rover Sport is available to order now, with prices starting from £79,125 in entry-level D300 diesel form. Land Rover has detailed a D250 model in its technical release, but that’s not been priced up yet.

Land Rover is yet to detail further pricing for the new car, but with powerful plug-in hybrid and V8 petrol models topping the range you’ll be paying well over £100,000 for the high-end versions. Expect the planned all-electric version, due in 2024, to be the most expensive variant.

That base price means the Sport undercuts the full-fat Range Rover by around £15,000. Key sporty yet posh SUV rivals for the new Range Rover Sport include the BMW X5, Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q8, although all of those have a lower starting price.

But the Range Rover Sport’s desirability means it also holds up as a competitor to the Mercedes G-Class – expect to see many cruising around the posh parts of your local town when deliveries commence towards the end of this year.

In terms of dimensions the new Range Rover Sport is 4,946mm long, 2,209mm wide (mirrors out) and 1,820mm tall. That figure makes it 100mm shorter but a similar width to the full-size Range Rover.

New Range Rover Sport interior and technology

The first key difference between the old Range Rover Sport and this one is that it’s not launching with a seven-seat option, for now at least. It seems Land Rover has switched things around, instead offering the latest Range Rover with a third row of seats for the first time.

The removal of the third row option has allowed Land Rover to enhance room for those in the back. A claimed 31mm increase in legroom combines with ‘ergonomically optimised’ seat geometry. The boot is up in capacity, too, with a claimed 835 litres (although that’s measured up to the roof, unlike most rivals).

The front cabin is very similar in design to the full-size Range Rover, albeit with a more driver-focused approach. Again we see Land Rover’s latest Pivi Pro infotainment with a 13.1-inch curved touchscreen, plus separate physical climate controls below. The latest system is more advanced than ever, but Land Rover Claims it is quicker to respond and easier to use on the move.

It combines a 13.7-inch Interactive Driver Display, along with Amazon Alexa voice control, plus the usual built-in e-SIMs, wireless phone charging pad and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Over-the-air-updates for the car’s 63 electronic modules are also possible.

That’s only scratching the surface of the latest tech on offer, however. There’s the latest Cabin Air Purification Pro system claimed to significantly reduce odours, bacteria and allergens, including viruses such as Covid-19. There’s also a new Meridian Signature Sound System with up to 29 speakers, including headrest speakers to create ‘personal sound zones’ for four occupants. More advanced Active Noise Cancellation also features.

New Range Rover Sport engines, power and performance

The technology doesn’t stop with what’s in the cabin, though – Land Rover has rolled out a suite of new systems designed to improve the driving experience.

Dubbed the ‘Stormer Handling Pack’, an optional combination of systems aims to provide “the most dynamic and agile handling”. It includes Dynamic Response Pro (a 48-volt electronic active roll control system), all-wheel steering (which reduces the turning circle at low speeds and improves stability at high speeds) and an electronic active differential with torque vectoring by braking.

Every Range Rover Sport comes with Dynamic Air Suspension. It uses switchable volume air springs for the first time, allowing the car to vary the pressure at each corner intelligently to better balance comfort and handling. The car uses data from the navigation system to prime itself for upcoming twisty road sections, and can also lower the body height at cruising speeds to cut through the air more cleanly.

Of course. being a Land Rover, off-road capability is also a priority. As well as the usual Terrain Response systems and adjustable ride height, there’s intelligent all-wheel drive which can switch between four and rear-wheel drive depending on the driving situation.

That’s also joined by a new adaptive off-road cruise control system. Drivers can choose between four comfort settings and the car chooses the appropriate speed for the terrain. Wading depth is up to 900mm, too, while those who tow will appreciate the new Advanced Tow Assist and Hitch Assist.

Engines at launch include two diesels with 48-volt mild-hybrid technology. The D300 and D350 are straight-sixes paired with an eight-speed automatic gearbox (as with every engine), with power outputs of 300 and 350PS. The D350 is capable of 0-62mph in 5.9 seconds, and up to 38.2mpg combined.

There are two petrol engines at launch, too. The P400 is another straight-six, again with 48v mild-hybrid tech,  managing 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds and up to 30.1mpg combined.

The flagship petrol is a BMW-sourced 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8. The P530 puts out 530PS and 750Nm of torque, enough for a 0-62mph time of 4.5 seconds. Fuel economy is pegged at up to 25.2mpg combined, however.

2023 Range Rover Sport hybrid and electric versions

Along with the petrol and diesel engines, there are two new petrol plug-in hybrid versions of the Range Rover Sport.

There’s a more affordable P440e plug-in hybrid, with a 3.0-litre straight-six combined with an electric motor. The star of the show, though, is the new P510e Electric Hybrid.

Again using a 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine, it also features a 105kW electric motor and chunky 38.2kWh battery pack. With a total system output of 510PS it’s capable of 0-62mph in just 5.4 seconds, along with an electric range of up to 70 miles (Land Rover admits this is more like 54 miles in the real world). CO2 emissions are just 18g/km.

Those PHEVs are whetting buyers’ appetites for a fully electric version, which Land Rover claims will arrive in 2024. Details of that model are thin on the ground, but expect it to offer the level of performance expected of a high-end SUV combined with a range of around 300 miles or more.

Find a used Range Rover Sport for sale

If you can’t wait for the new Range Rover Sport to be launched, why not check out the latest deals on the current (2013-2022) Range Rover Sport? Or, if you need a fully electric luxury SUV, how about the Audi e-tron?

Looking for more new car news?

We have everything you need to know about the all-new Ineos Grenadier 4×4, plus details of the upcoming Volkswagen ID.Vizzion electric saloon. There’s also the first details on Kia’s new EV9, a flagship electric SUV from the Korean brand.

The outgoing BMW X1 is getting on a bit now, but it’s still a decent small SUV with a good driving experience, high quality cabin and decent amount of space. Rivals are more refined and high-tech, however.

It depends on your priorities, but if you only need space for a couple of children or small adults the BMW X1 should offer enough space, while being cheaper to buy and run. The X3 is more spacious and has a bigger boot, plus it’s more comfortable and refined.