Range Rover goes sporty

Not so long ago Land Rover and Jaguar were sitting stagnant with a rather old car pool, while their premium competitors were streaking away in terms of new products and technology. This has been changing fast.

First we got the seriously good looking and capable Land Rover Evoque that won multiple awards around the world, and became the fastest selling Land Rover product ever. Then we got the top of the range Range Rover and Jaguar recently brought us the stunning F Type.

There is another substantial arrow in their quiver today, and that is the all new Range Rover Sport. Touted as the ultimate premium sports SUV and the fastest, most agile and responsive Land Rover ever, it has some serious living up to do in a shark tank filled with BMW X5, Mercedes Benz ML, Porsche Cayenne and even Grand Cherokee if you want to shop a bit further down the price range.

I mostly leave styling to you the reader to comment on but have to say there is no way you can’t like the styling of the new Range Rover Sport. It looks like a more aggressive version of the Evoque, and is the pick of the SUV bunch at the moment.

The new Sport is eight percent more aerodynamic and just 62mm longer than its predecessor yet, at 4850mm, it is shorter than rival SUVs and this brings greater manoeuvrability and ease of parking without sacrificing interior space that is up by 178mm.

The interior, of course, is jam packed with high quality detailing and craftsmanship, top quality materials and a healthy dash of sporting character. This is thanks to the likes of the smaller diameter, thicker steering wheel, vertical gear shifter, higher centre console, configurable mood lighting and more generous seat bolsters.

This is almost expected for a range of vehicles that start at R824 500 and go to R1 263 600 in standard trim before you add any optional extras. And just to be clear we were also told there are 76 608 colour and trim options available – so happy shopping.

But it is the fastest, most agile and most responsive part that I want to get to. The Sport starts off very well with a substantially reduced weight of 420 kilograms over the outgoing model, thanks to being the first vehicle in its segment to feature an advanced, and far more rigid all-aluminium body structure.

Riding under this you get an all new lightweight aluminium suspension that is fully independent, with wide-spaced double-wishbones at the front and an advanced multi-link layout at the rear that offers class leading travel, articulation and increased ground clearance. And if you are not sure what to set where when you are about to tackle the great outdoors, then you will be happy to know that the next generation ground-breaking Terrain Response 2 system automatically selects the most suitable terrain programme – along with the upgraded air suspension that can vary the drive height when required.

We were put through a few ‘easy’ off road obstacles, and I say easy because this is still a real Land Rover and it just goes where you want it to go. Tackling mere dirt roads later in our launch drive seemed almost a waste of the Sport’s capabilities.

But it did highlight that the ultra low profile tyres offered, up to 22 inches, were prone to punctures when the road surface got jaggedy.

A choice of two full-time 4WD systems will be offered, with one system providing a two-speed transfer case with low-range option, for the most demanding off-road conditions with a front-rear 50/50 percent default torque split, and 100 percent locking capability.

The slightly lighter alternative system is more on road friendly and features a single speed transfer case with a Torsen differential. This automatically distributes torque to the axle with most grip, working together with the traction control systems to deliver excellent traction in all conditions.

The default front/rear torque split of 42/58 percent is designed to provide a rear wheel drive bias for this optimum driving dynamic.

Talking of dynamics, you have the choice of three powerplants – the tried and tested supercharged 5.0 litre 375 kW V8, a new supercharged 3.0 litre 250 kW V6 and a 215 kW 3.0 litre SDV6 diesel engine with a 250 kW SDV8 diesel to follow. All models run the advanced and electronically controlled ZF 8HP70 eight-speed automatic gearbox.

On the more powerful models you get Adaptive Dynamics featuring continuously variable dampers, and a dedicated Dynamic mode in the Terrain Response system. This is along with a twin-channel Dynamic Response active lean control, a Dynamic Active Rear Locking Differential, and Torque Vectoring by Braking which transfers torque to the outside wheels during cornering to limit understeer and improve handling.

We were able to put the 5.0 litre V8 through a section of tight lane changes and slalom tests, and although the Sport did squeal and push the nose a bit when driven hard. As such it will never be a track car, but it offered more than any normal owner is going to expect or demand of it in terms of grip and handling dynamics.

We also got to sample the other two derivatives on a long drive to and around Bronkhorstspruit, and here the real world on road manners and dynamics were also top class.

Obviously the 5.0 litre V8 puts the biggest smile on your face, and the new 3.0 V6 supercharged was very good with the 3.0 V6 turbodiesel doing its job without ruffling any feathers.

The new Range Rover Sport offers plenty and then some, and I have no doubt it is the fastest, most agile and most responsive Land Rover yet. But is it better on the tar than a BMW X5M or Porsche Cayenne GTS?

I am not so sure, but I would loathe to comment until I put them side by side.