Range Rover Sport review

Precocity already runs in the family. So it is not surprising that the new Range Rover Sport, into just its second generation, is a huge leap forward. The new Range Rover, bigger, nimbler and more luxurious than its predecessor was launched just last year.

The new Range Rover Sport expectedly smaller and lighter, but more powerful and much more agile, is now out and will aim to reclaim its top spot as the ‘Rangie’ of choice amongst buyers.

Born in 2005, the first-gen Range Rover Sport was an instant hit and was the company’s top selling model within a year. The Sport was, and still is, not just smaller, but also priced lower than the full-sized Range Rover. But, the Sport was also the most profitable model for Land Rover. Since introduction six years ago, the Sport has sold more than 4.15 lakh units.

It has offered buyers a unique mix of luxury, sporty performance and practicality, and a more affordable entry into the world of Range Rovers. This is a marque that has been aspirational always. I’m sure it didn’t hurt that the British royalty’s latest addition took his first trip home in a Range Rover.

Design

Unlike the first generation model, which was adapted from the heavier LR Discovery, the new RR Sport is based on and has been parallelly engineered with the new Range Rover’s all-aluminium architecture. LR engineers say that has helped leverage a weight reduction 480-500 kgs, about the total weight of 7 adults. But, the RR Sport is still over 2.1 tonnes in weight.

It is also 55mm wider, 62mm longer, has shorter overhangs and yet a 178mm longer wheelbase than the predecessor. All those larger dimensions make for a roomier interior, though at a total length of 4,850mm, the RR Sport is still smaller than many other 7-seater luxury sports utility vehicles. Yes, that’s right the new RR Sport is a 5+2 seater as company officials put it. Flick a switch and a third row – twin seat – magically flips up and unfolds from the floor of the boot.

The classic Range Rover design philosophy has, of course, been adopted for the new RR Sport too. So, it gets the classic clamshell bonnet and the three parallel lines side profile, broken only by the large wheel arch. The design is heavily influenced by the bigger Range Rover, but there are also unique characteristics that have been continued from the predecessor, including the floating roof concept.

Of course, with new Range Rover design taking on a new direction with the introduction of the Evoque, there are a lot of this smaller siblings’ lines that are visible in the RR Sport too. On the road, the new Sport has distinctive looks and crisp clean merging lines. It is said to be 8 per cent more aerodynamic than the previous model with a co-efficient of drag of 0.34 (just a shade over many sedans).

There is more of the new Range Rover in the Sport’s design, the most prominent of which is the slightly different LED light signatures at the front and the rear. There is a lot of ‘sporty’ embellishments too such as the side fender vents and bonnets vents, the twin exhausts and the new gill vents at the sides, all of which allude to the power within the bonnet.

Interior

Though LR officials said that the new RR Sport has 75 per cent unique parts compared to the current generation Range Rover, the moment I step into the cabin there is a strong air of familiarity. The crisscrossing vertical and horizontal dashboard configuration and the mix of round and rectangular elements is an obvious carry forward from the Range Rover. There is a choice of two tone or three tone leather seats, with adjustments to suit every body type and there is also a range of wood veneers to choose from. The seats are super comfy, with the soft pillow like headrests almost luring me to sit in the car for longer.

There is enough and more headroom and legroom in the front two seats and the second row. If you flip the open the third row with its oversized, whiplash protected headrests, it can at best accommodate kids or teenagers. Particularly pleasing additions were the ‘felt’ roof lining, the panoramic sunroof (we were test driving the new Sport during the sunniest days of the year in the UK – a sweltering 32 degrees), the automatic terrain response interface, the Meridian audio and the LCD instrument display that replaces the traditional dials.

The driving position in the RR Sport is perfect (in fact about 50mm to 100mm higher than competing models) and the electric power-assisted steering’s feel is light and easy in slow city speeds and it stiffens up at higher speeds to make sure I can put it exactly where I want it to on the highway. Overall, I felt that the RR Sport’s cabin was plush and premium, but just that bit less polished than the bigger sibling.

Performance

Just like the new RR Sport’s design and choice of trim in-cabin, the choice of powertrains is also a mix of the head and the heart. There are a total of four engine options available with the new RR Sport. Both fuel options petrol and diesel get V6 and a V8 mills. The 3-litre V6 diesel engine is also offered in two states of tune with power outputs set at 258 PS and 292 PS. There is also a 4.4-litre V8 diesel with a higher 339 PS peak output.

The diesel engines are all meant to appeal to the head! Perfect for the city-dweller and great on the highway too, the V6 diesel I drove from Cheltenham just outside London up into the hills of the Welsh countryside was extremely quiet too. These engines are refined and provide a lot of low-end torque; though after driving the V8 petrol I thought it could do with more top whack – the unending quest for more power.

The petrol engines, however, are all heart, especially the aurally mesmerising 5-litre V8. Stepping on the throttle of the supercharged V8 5-litre produces the most awesome, guttural exhaust note to have emanated from a SUV’s rear. Waking up the neighbourhood is just a throttle blip away. Power delivery is immediate and as the 2.3-tonne vehicle surges ahead, you’d wonder if the 105-litre petrol tank is filled instead with Red Bull!

0-100 kmph comes up in just 5.3 seconds in the supercharged V8. Lest you forget, let me remind you that this is a loaded, luxury SUV. Top speed with the optional package is electronically limited to 250 kmph. Sending all that power to the wheels super efficiently is the new 8-speed ZF transmission. Gear shifts are almost imperceptible and really quick just when you need it most. For a more engaging drive, you can use the steering mounted paddles or manually shift the gear lever up or down the gear slots.

Handling

As part of the drive route from Cheltenham to Wales, I drove through an off-the-map military training ground, and I was warned that there may be stray bullets from the on-location shooting range or even live mines in some of the unmarked off-road sections. I picked my way gingerly, through the initial section, though I knew that the LR assistant’s words of caution must be more puff and smoke than shrapnel.

But, the RR Sport had no such hesitation in tackling any sort of terrain that I pointed its nose towards.

Legendary LR all-terrain capability is built into it and some, especially the really nifty ‘Wade Sensing’ feature which with sensors fixed onto the door mirrors can constantly assess the depth of the water you are attempting to ford and visually depict it on the central display on the dashboard. As the water rises, an audible warning tells you that the level has crossed the safety threshold (about 3 feet) and you can back out of a potentially dangerous situation. Opportunities to test this feature came up at LR’s famous Eastnor Castle estate.

In addition to its genetic design and engineering pass-ons, the new Sport also gets a rash of new enhancements to improve off-road response and on-road dynamics. One of them is torque vectoring, where the large 350 to 385mm callipers and brake system are also used to imitate the effect of a torque vectoring differential. In addition, the dynamic active rear locking differential features an electronically controlled differential which can vary the degree of lock-up to optimise traction.

There is also the option between the permanent four-wheel drive with standard locking centre differential and Terrain Response 2 (RR’s proprietary system) and the optional locking rear axle differential. If it gets all confusing and you can figure out which of the five modes to turn the Terrain Response 2’s aluminium knob towards, then just push it down into auto and let the RR Sport’s on-board system take over. You can sit back and watch all the action being replayed on the dash with the animation taking you through the wheel articulation and differentials locking and unlocking.

Bottomline

The new RR Sport’s ride quality also seems unmatched. Cornering at high speeds on really rough patches and loose gravel, I had to counter steer in a couple of spots to get back in line, but the Sport never lost its poise. Despite all the commotion outside, the best part of the experience is the calm inside the cabin.

The only irritants in the cabin that I foresee irking users in India will be the start-stop system, which will cut-off the engine a million times before you reach your destination. Thankfully, there is a kill switch for this feature. The other was the on-board GPS system which was tad bit slow and had a few bugs.

The new RR Sport could be priced at about Rs 1.5 crore onwards, ex-showroom, when launched later this year. I’d put down my cash on this one, though the bigger Rangie feels more plush.

muralidhar.s@thehindu.co.in

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