Road test - Range Rover Sport

Author: Ian Strachan

The Range Rover Sport has always been an attractive and slightly less expensive way to join the exclusive Range Rover club. And now it’s got better, with the addition of Land Rover’s superb 3.0 litre V6 diesel engine to the range.

I road tested the excellent Range Rover Sport in HSE spec. The Sport differs from the standard and increasingly upmarket Range Rover in a number of ways. It has a steeply raked windscreen and lower roof for better aerodynamics. The glass area is shallower and the huge wheels are pushed further out. There's a single piece aluminium tailgate with useful opening rear glass which makes loading smaller items much easier.

The first thing you notice about any Range Rover - and the Sport is no exception - is just how big it is. Both inside and out, this luxury 4x4 is huge. And it's high off the ground; with 227 mm of clearance to give it better off-road capability as well as the ability to ford streams. There are also front and rear spoilers, an attractive hatched radiator grille and shark's-gill outlets either side.

It has the ultimate in capability off road but is still very well behaved on road. 

As well as being a superb motorway cruiser the Range Rover can go from tarmac to mud without the driver having to do anything other than choose the terrain setting on a simple rotary control. The vehicle's electronics work out the rest, including ride height, engine torque, traction and hill descent control. 

I test drove a Range Rover Sport with the gutsy 3.0 litre V6 turbo diesel engine. This unit has plenty of power, delivering power throughout the range without ever feeling reluctant to propel this big car. It's quiet and smooth running. The six speed automatic gearbox is exceptionally flexible. It's particularly frugal - this is a big unit - delivering a creditable 30.7 mpg in mixed driving.

Handling is stable and predictable, with no suspension wallow, and flat cornering. On road its manners are impeccable and it's a great motorway cruiser. Steering is light but precise.

Specification is very good and includes cruise control, satellite navigation, electric front seats, park assist with rear camera, centre console cooler box and 19 inch alloys. My test car came with the options of steering wheel mounted paddle shift (£196) tyre pressure monitoring ((£386) an uprated in-car entertainment system with custom iPod connection (£978), a TV system (£498) and a twin-screen DVD player with the screens in the backs of the front headrests (£2,202)

The Range Rover Sport doesn't come cheap. The model I tested will cost you £50,695. But it's a Range Rover and whatever anyone tells you, there's nothing quite like it.

Road test by Ian Strachan Communications Ltd

Ian Strachan is a motoring and business writer and PR consultant. He can be contacted on 01543 490932 or 07949 202596 or via email: ian@strachan13.freeserve.co.uk