Original ‘junior’ Range Rover shows luxury can still be Sport(y)

It goes without saying that the Range Rover Sport has been a smash-hit success for parent company JLR since the original’s premiere in 2005.

A stockier and smaller Range Rover might have sounded ridiculous on the paper at the time, yet the final result was staggering if not as jaw-dropping as previewed by the Range Stromer concept the previous year.

In the middle

At a time where only two models were being produced, the Sport not only became the best-selling Range Rover, but also an indirect alternative to the Discovery, whose intricate and industry strange dual chassis provided its base.

Despite having two seats less than the Disco and being more road biased, the Sport opened-up a new market for Range Rover, but at the same time, a stigma of being bought simply because of its name and buyer inability of affording a full-size model.

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Fast forward to 2024, the adage remains, although now, two-fold as it now applies to the Evoque and Velar being the ‘new Sport’, while the actual Sport no longer has to answer to the Discovery, but to the Defender and still the “standard” Range Rover.

More accomplished than its siblings it without is, the Sport remains true to its name of being more a fast and luxurious SUV than a “all the bells and whistles” off-roader that requires coaxing to head off of the beaten track despite, ironically, being more than capable thanks to the Terrain Response 2 system and air suspension.

Second time the charm?

The Citizen’s second meeting with the Sport after the initial acquitting last year following the local launch did, however, come with a few un-familiarities.

Besides being the flagship Autobiography and not the entry-level Dynamic HSE, the stealthily satin Eiger Grey (R192 720 option) example with the optional black pack (R29 100) also provided the first opportunity to get accustomed with the restyled interior introduced last year as part of a surprise refresh introduced less than a year after its world’s debut.

Mounted on the optional 23-inch gloss black alloy wheels that, at R10 860, further illustrates the Sport being less off-road ready, D350 Autobiography had more than a few questions lined-up, especially as its Velar sibling has come closing to matching it over the last few years without being as pricey.

Shock and awe

Right from the start, the more ordinary looking but still striking Velar’s appeal comes to the fore as the Sport, at best, won’t resonate with everyone in one particular area.

Imposing when viewed from the front in typical Range Rover fashion, JLR design boss, Gerry McGovern’s approach to the rear facia has been controversial in a fashion similar to the wraparound taillight design of the full-size Range Rover.

As subjective as styling is though, tugging the pop-out door handles and steeping inside elicits the opposite as any Range Rover should do.

Trimmed in the extended package SV Bespoke Windsor leather seats available as a no-cost option, the level of fit-and-finish remains impeccable with just enough bright work plus the added addition of Kvadrat textile material on the doors and the so-called forged carbon inserts priced at R19 647.

In fact, the biggest irritation can be seen as knit-picking, namely the piano-key black inserts and thoughts of whether the restyled centre console could have provided more space around the toggle switch gear selector that solely houses the starter button.

The rest is, however, difficult to fault as apart from the seats offering a multitude of settings, in addition to be heated, ventilated and with a massaging function, the 13.3-inch Pivi Pro infotainment system remains a standout for ease-of-use in despite resembling the opposite.

Backed-up of the customisable 13.7-inch digital instrument cluster, the Sport also gets a new steering wheel with touch-sensitive buttons that didn’t annoy as much as expected, as well as shortcuts buttons for the quad-zone climate control on the outer edges of the Pivi Pro.

Loaded… at a price

A personal favourite of this writer, the second biggest option after the paintwork involved the 29-speaker Meridian sound system, which produces 1 430-watts and boasts speakers integrated into the headrests, but at an eye-watering R63 500.

Adding to the list of options, which also included the low range transfer case (R8 800), tow assist (R7 700) and rather strangely, a first aid kit (R900) for a total of R333 227, the Autobiography is otherwise loaded with little else in the way of extras.

These include the mentioned seats and climate control, a wireless smartphone charger, cooled centre console glovebox, heated steering wheel, 360-degree surround-view camera system and Head-Up Display to name but a few.

Not found lacking either is space with those seated in the rear treated not only to ample legroom, but headroom devoid of being impacted by the standard panoramic sunroof.

In terms of boot space, opening the electric tailgate presents 647-litres, which extends to a class comparatively small 1 491-litres with the electrically folding second row lowered.

Diesel makes it

Sitting high up behind the wheel as characteristic of any Range Rover, planting the accelerator emits an ear-pleasing burble form the Ingenium straight-six oil-burner that pulls smoothly with little hint of lag or reluctance.

Refined and quiet at the national limit, poking the Sport a bit harder sees it come alive as the nose lifts and the engine unleashes a wave of 257kW/700Nm that becomes a torrent in Dynamic mode.

Paired to the seamless shifting ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic gearbox, the D350 is by no means or a SVR as reflected by its figures at Gerotek.

With Road Test Editor Mark Jones behind the wheel, the D350 fell far short of JLR’s 5.9 second 0-100 km/h claim with a best of 7.6 seconds.

Unsurprisingly given its 2 315 kg mass, it adhered the principle of “feeling faster than it actually is”, which in the context of its name could be seen as anything but sporty.

However, the recorded numbers are, arguably, still impressive for a vehicle of this kind, especially since the steering is quick and the handling kept in check by the 48-volt mild-hybrid Active Roll Control system.

On-roader

Able to rise from its 216 mm to 280 mm when in one of the seven off-road modes – Auto, Comfort, Grass/Gravel, Mud Ruts, Sand, Rock Crawl and Wade – the seven-day stint saw the “standard” drive mode selector being switched to Auto with Dynamic used occasionally.

Opting against the Eco or Comfort settings, or getting close to anything off-road as a result of the alloys, the Sport, in everyday conditions, failed to disappoint as the air suspension provided an almost floating sensation on the smooth stuff.

On less than ideal surfaces, the suspension still provides enough damping not to upset the ride too much, although care will have to be taken in the case of the 23-inch wheels being selected over the 22-inches or optional 20s and 21s.

In terms of fuel consumption, the Sport D350 recorded an indicated best of 8.5 L/100 km after the weeklong stay and 552 km, which still fell someway off of JLR’s 7.4 L/100 km claim.

Conclusion

Divisive it might have been and its credentials as a real Range Rover questioned ever since the first generation, the Range Rover Sport stays true to its philosophy of being luxurious and still dynamically capable to warrant the Sport badge.

Given its price tag of R2 520 300, or R2 860 528 in the case of our tester with all of the options included, the Autobiography is uncomfortably expensive, although again, it can be seen as expected given the nomenclature’s representation.

Unlikely to match the proper hardcore off-road prowess of a Defender or the full-on proper off-roader bathed in luxury that is the ‘big body’ Range Rover, the Sport could be seen as the ‘balanced’ Range Rover that incorporates both in measured qualities with a profound effect.

No matter the utterances against it, it remains a superb offering and as Freddie quite rightly proclaims, if a Range Rover Sport is all you want, the D350 Autobiography is the one to have.

Road Test Data

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