Review
The Range Rover Sport is supposed to be Land Rover's answer to road-biased SUVs like the BMW X5 and Mercedes ML, combining the ruggedness of existing Land Rover products with more tarmac-friendly driving dynamics.
Design is similar to that of the full-sized Range Rover, with a lower roofline and sleeker styling, although under the surface the Sport is more closely related to the Discovery. It certainly radiates plenty of road presence - it's no wonder the carparks at the training grounds of Premiership football clubs are full of them. Inside the cabin it stays broadly impressive too, thanks to the customary high seating position and plenty of space for both front and rear seat occupants. Many of the interior plastics feel cheap to the touch, though, especially the centre console and its switchgear.
On road it's soon clear that this Range Rover doesn't really live up to the "Sport" side of its moniker - it feels barely different to drive than the full-sized Range Rover, and it certainly can't match the dynamic attachment of a BMW X5. The steering is slightly vague and progress is always accompanied by a strong sensation of the vast momentum you're lugging around, a view reinforced by the crashy ride quality. The payback is genuine off-road ability, with a clever variable traction control system allowing you to select the right programme for pretty much any kind of terrain.
Three engines are available. Both V8 petrol motors provide strong performance, especially the supercharged 4.2 litre unit, but both also suffer from horrendous fuel economy. The 2.7 litre V6 diesel is considerably less rapid, but should at least be able to get over 25 mpg on a long run.