Land Rover has announced the release of a V8 diesel engine for the Range Rover Sport. This apparently completes the ‘launch phase’ of the flamboyant 4x4; favoured among celebs and the fashion conscious.

The 3.6-litre TDV8 is already available in the standard Range Rover and, with a few performance tweaks, promises not to compromise the outstanding off-road ability expected from any Land Rover model.

Jewellery on the front grille and side vents, borrowed from the V8 supercharged version, hints at extra performance. It’s not just for show either; the 268bhp turbodiesel can haul the glitzy brute to 60mph in an impressive 8.6 seconds, before being reigned in electronically at a more than adequate 130mph.

Probably most impressive, however, is the massive 472lb.ft of torque available continuously between 2000-2500rpm; a 45 per cent increase over the TDV6. Fuel economy isn’t awful, either, at 25.5mpg combined.

Big diesels are not, by reputation, the quietest and most refined of engine choice and this was one of Land Rover’s key hurdles in the development of the TDV8. An exceptionally stiff engine structure combined with switchable-rate hydraulic mounts has reportedly kept vibrations on a par with many V8 petrol engines, whilst acoustically-tuned covers for both the engine and injection system have allowed Land Rover engineers to conjure up a sporty burble from the exhaust system.

Elsewhere, the TDV8 shares much in common with the range-topping, supercharged petrol version. Four-pot Brembo callipers and huge 360mm discs are given the task of slowing the 2.5 tonne bulk, whilst Range Rover’s ‘Dynamic Response System’ provides excellent body control without the ride penalties associated with conventional roll bars.

The Sport has proved popular since its launch in 2005, resulting in waiting lists for many markets. And considering diesels are now seen as a legitimate performance choice - rather than simply industrial workhorses, or the preserve of penny-pinchers - the TDV8 looks likely to enhance sales yet further.

We'll see the new Range Rover Sport TDV8 in the metal at the Paris Motor Show later this month.

Will Nightingale - 5 Sep 2006