The smaller, sportier sibling is just as capable of tackling extreme terrain
The good looks and the off-roading capabilities run in the family. PHOTO FROM LAND ROVER
The Range Rover Sport has always been an option for those looking for the luxuries (and the legendary off-road capabilities) that you’d find in the top-of-the-line Range Rover, but in a…um…sportier and slightly smaller form factor. This is the model to consider for those who want an absurdly quick SUV, with the likes of the SVR sporting powertrains like a 5.0-liter supercharged V8.
Just as the newest Range Rover has undergone a full-model change, it is now the turn of the smaller sibling to be refreshed for the new decade.
Do you prefer how this looks over the Range Rover? PHOTO FROM LAND ROVER
You’d say it looks like a shrunken Range Rover, and you’re not wrong. It follows the “modernist reductive” design with elements like flush door handles and window sills, but with sportier undertones, new light designs, and more aggressive bumpers (including the “longest spoiler ever fitted to a Range Rover”). Okay.
Despite it having 'Sport' in its name, it's still a very luxurious vehicle. PHOTO FROM LAND ROVER
Granted, it’s still a luxury barge, so the cabin features a variety of fine materials like leather and a sustainable material called Ultrafabrics. It also carries over some features found in its bigger brother, like an air-purification system that uses PM2.5 filters and Nanoe X tech, active noise cancellation, and an optional Meridian Signature sound system with up to 29 speakers and 1,430W of amplifier power.
It comes standard with the Pivi Pro interface that’s displayed on a 13.1-inch haptic touchscreen and a 13.7-inch digital instrument binnacle (and which has built-in eSIMs for connectivity), apart from wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support. Plus, there’s a wireless charger found underneath the touchscreen.
Of course, it comes with modern driver-assistance systems like a 360° camera, emergency braking, wade sensing, and cruise control. But the highlight would have to be the adaptive off-road cruise control that makes off-road driving a breeze.
Most will have their eyes on the PHEV powertrain for its performance and efficiency. PHOTO FROM LAND ROVER
There’s a smattering of powertrain choices, but all are mated to a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission and are all-wheel-drive.
First is the 3.0-liter in-line-six plug-in-hybrid with an all-electric range of up to 113km. It has a total system output of 503hp (for the P510e) or 433hp (P440e).
Then, there are mild-hybrid 3.0-liter six-cylinder gasoline and diesel mills, and the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 with 522hp that’s capable of hitting 100km/h in 4.5 seconds. A full-electric variant will be introduced in 2024, keeping in line with Jaguar Land Rover’s electrification plans.
Most owners won't push their cars this hard, but it's nice to know it's capable of doing so. PHOTO FROM LAND ROVER
It rides on the MLA-Flex body architecture (which also underpins its bigger brother), touted to be 35% stiffer compared to the previous model. To help supplement the handling, it comes with features like Integrated Chassis Control and dynamic air suspension that features a switchable-volume air suspension system. If you opt for the Stormer Handling Pack, that adds electronic anti-roll bars, rear-wheel steering, an active electronic differential, and torque vectoring.
To show how capable this vehicle is, Jaguar Land Rover also showed it off tackling various terrains in Karahnjukar, Iceland. It even successfully climbed a spillway that had a 40° ascent and a torrent of water (flowing at 750 tons per minute) working against the car. You can watch that entire ordeal here.
Prices in the UK start from £79,125 (P5,100,000), and it will come in S, SE, HSE and Autobiography trims, with a First Edition trim for the first year of production. Local launch dates haven’t been announced yet, but you can configure your own Range Rover Sport at this website. Will you be ordering one any time soon when it officially arrives?
Keyword: The all-new Range Rover Sport is not another mall-crawler