The fun begins next year.
After debuting late last year, the all-new Land Rover Range Rover is now on sale. Come 2023, the next-generation Range Rover Sport is due to arrive and, once again, it'll be a vital model for the automaker. In case you didn't already know, the current Range Rover Sport has outsold the regular Range Rover by over 40 percent.
In factthe Range Rover Sport competes with the smaller and less expensive Evoque, as well as the Discovery Sport, for the firm's best-seller status. It's vital for the automaker to get the next generation model right from the get-go. According to a new report from Autocar, it appears things are heading in the right direction. As expected, the next Range Rover Sport will ride on the new MLA Flex architecture, which underpins the Range Rover.
This setup reportedly offers 50 percent more torsional stiffness and reduces structure-borne noise by 24 percent. But what's even more exciting is what could be under its hood. Instead of sticking with the current Range Rover Sport SVR's 5.0-liter supercharged V8, the report claims a BMW-sourced 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 will be used.
Yes, this is the same V8 used in the current BMW X5 M and X6 M, and it's being made possible thanks to the powertrain-sharing agreement between the two automakers. JLR engineers will tweak the engine so that it better suits the Range Rover Sport's unique character. No one wants to see a direct engine transplant from the BMW to the Range Rover Sport. That'd be boring.
The report goes on to claim that in addition to the BMW V8, a high-performance plug-in hybrid setup is being developed for the Range Rover Sport. Instead of the V8, it'll supposedly pack a 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder paired to a 141-hp electric motor and a 31.8-kWh battery, the latter allowing for up to 62 miles of pure electric driving. Oh, and there's more.
JLR is supposedly also interested in gaining access to BMW's V8-PHEV powertrain, found in the production-bound Concept XM. That means a future Range Rover Sport (possibly the next SVR) will produce around 740 hp and 734 lb-ft of twist. This is all part of a path towards full-scale electrification but Land Rover clearly isn't ready to abandon internal combustion just yet.
Keyword: Next Range Rover Sport Coming With BMW V8 Power