The golden mean
Currently the new and more compact Range Rover Evoque is beginning to show up in the dealerships. As trendy three-door model and also in a practical five-door version it is destined to prove itself even off the beaten track while offering plenty of lifestyle credibility. But in contrast to many of the Evoque’s rivals the new entry has to make do with four-cylinder power plants in both the petrol-fuelled and diesel variants. Anyone wanting increased power and enhanced status must seek out the larger Range Rover Sport models. It has not been easy to establish the two-ton all-wheel-drive Sport model in the international market but now it sells in twice the quantities of the traditional Range Rover, the accepted luxury SUV of the British. 1,475 Range Rover Sport models were sold in Germany from January through August 2011, and that is sixty percent more than in 2010. The Range Rover itself found in the same period only 550 buyers. Here the best seller was the Range Rover Vogue with its eight-cylinder diesel power plant. But for many customers the Range Rover Sport is exactly the right combination. In this league four cylinders are too few and eight are for many simply too expensive.
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- The three-litre V6 turbo diesel of the Range Rover Sport SD V6 delivers 256 horsepower (188 kW) and 600 Nm permitting a top speed of just over 200 kilometresan hour and dealing with the sprint to a hundred in under nine seconds.
New motors, more comfort
Whereas the Range Rover Sport was formerly to be had as a diesel with either V6 or V8 power now the choice is reduced to a 510 horsepower V8 compressor boosted petrol engine and two six-cylinder diesels with three-litre engine capacities. Given the massive 2.5 tons weight of the vehicle buyers should not waste time contemplating the weaker TD V6 which tries to handle the challenge with just 211 horsepower (155 kW) and 520 Nm of torque. The Range Rover Sport SD V6 brings to the task 256 horsepower (188 kW) and 600 Nm from two thousand RPM. Only the more potent Range Rover Sport SD V6 is capable of propelling all that weight to a top speed of just over 200 kilometres an hour and dealing with the sprint to a hundred in under nine seconds. Both models in their 2012 versions get the new eight-stage ZF automatic transmission, not that the driver was anything but well served by the previous six-stage system. But now the gear changes are even less perceptible and there is a real increase in efficiency. The Range Rover Sport SD V6 demands only 8.8 litres of diesel per hundred driven kilometres with the less powerful motor taking only 8.5.
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- Rival models tend to tip the scales at from 2 to 2.2 tons the Range Rover Sport has the added burden of the air suspension and the excellent ‘terrain response system’ which makes it almost unbeatable off the beaten track. This amounts to from 200 to 400 hundred extra kilos.
Weighing heavy
The suspension of the Range Rover Sport is... in spite of its light steering... anything else than spongy. But even without pushing the British car to its limits the mere weight of the car is a very relevant factor. Rival models tend to tip the scales at from 2 to 2.2 tons but the Range Rover Sport has the added burden of the air suspension and the excellent ‘terrain response system’ which makes it almost unbeatable off the beaten track. This amounts to from 200 to 400 hundred extra kilos and they make themselves felt with every metre of the journey.
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- For many a year the rather primitive cockpit of the Range Rover Sport… identical to that of the Range Rover Discovery… has been roundly criticised. Now after some improvements have been made there is no call for unbridled rejoicing but things have indeed improved.
Roomy and well-finished
For many a year the the rather primitive cockpit of the Range Rover Sport… identical to that of the Range Rover Discovery… has been roundly criticised. Now after some improvements have been made there is no call for unbridled rejoicing but things have indeed improved. The controls on the central console have a more high-value look and feel, the impression is of enhanced elegance. But the navigation system with its touch-screen operation still involves complex menus and sluggish delivery of the requested data. The monochrome multifunction monitor tucked between speedometer and tacho is well positioned but seems like a blast from the past… and not just when it is compared to the high-tech displays to be found in Audi or Mercedes models. It is time that Land Rover and Range Rover caught up. It is not just when prices begin to reach seventy thousand Euros that more can today be expected that the Sport can offer. This is not, however, a complaint that can be made when it comes to the size of the car’s interior. Even if the head-room could be a bit more generous there is sufficient room even for longer journey in absolute comfort. Although picky rear seat passengers could possibly wish for a bit more leg-room and more comfortable head-rests. Those currently fitted may be fully retractable but they appear provisional and improvised and uncomfy. To compensate, perhaps, the well-formed seats feature glove-soft leather upholstery.
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- The load carrying capacity is from 958 to 2,013 litres and thus more than opulent.
Fully equipped but short on safety features
The load carrying capacity is from 958 to 2,013 litres and thus more than opulent. A practical note… the glass rear-window opens separately and at long last there is electrical operation of the heavy tailgate. The standard equipment level of the Range Rover Sort SD V6 is impressive indeed… double-glazing, cruise control, audio system, air conditioning, Xenon headlights, hard-disc navigation, air suspension electrically adjustable driver’s seat and stabilization for a trailer are all present and accounted for. But the safety features to not go far beyond the basics, and many assistant systems available in rival models are conspicuous by their absence. And this is surely a competitive disadvantage for an auto claiming to be a luxury SUV and costing 55,800 Euros in its 211 horsepower entry level version. The Range Rover Sport SD V6 in its top ‘HSE’ version carries a tag of not less than 67,900 Euros.
