In keeping with the surprising new trend for outrageous SUVs (see
Aston Martin's Lagonda and
BMWs latest M Division offerings), Land Rover has empowered its own 'sportscar' with a 5.0-litre V8 and sent it packing to the Nurburgring for some hot laps. The result is terrifying: a 503bhp Range Rover Sport capable of 0-60mph in 5.9 seconds and a sub nine-minute attack on the 'ring.
It's indicative of the clear water Land Rover wants to put between the
new Discovery and the
Range Rover, so despite the latter also getting the Jaguar-sourced V8 petrol unit with its facelift, the Sport is setup for better handling and an altogether sharper drive.
It's quite unbelievable really, as is its very existence when... oh, you know the
drill: recession, environment, blah blah. So, to keep everyone relatively happy, the Sport also pilfers the Jaguar engine bin for the 3.0-litre diesel
from the
XF
Diesel S, which in this form is called the TDV6 and will achieve
30.7mpg and 243g/km. The 3.6-litre TDV8 remains on the price list.
The Sport model also gets a visual makeover, most notably with the grille and lights, which also get the circular LEDs found on the new Discovery. Interestingly, Land Rover has introduced a new sort of design hierarchy with the Range Rovers, manifesting itself in the lights; where the Range Rover gets a 'three-finger' graphic incorporated into the headlamps and repeated on the flanks, the lesser Range Rover Sport gets just two of them. It follows, then, that the forthcoming 'baby Range Rover' - possibly to be called the LRX - will get just one. And like the Disco, the Sport also gets revised, adaptable damping, only this time tuned for a more sporty drive. It too gets interior revisions for an altogether more delightful and high quality ambience.
Mark Nichol - 9 Apr 2009