The all-new Range Rover Sport has made its public debut at the New York Auto Show. This new addition to the Land Rover line-up is set to hit local showrooms in the third quarter of this year.
Underpinned by Jaguar Land Rover’s all-aluminum PLA (Premium Lightweight Architecture) platform that also does service on the new Range Rover, the styling of this Range Rover Sport appears to be an amalgam of Range Rover and Evoque styling cues – the latter being especially evident in the taillamp treatment. The further raked roof line, deeper sheet metal on the flanks and shortened rear overhangs give the car a more dynamic air.
Inside, Land Rover has aimed to create a luxurious, but sporty cabin with a smaller diameter, thicker steering wheel, vertical gear shifter, higher centre console, configurable mood lighting and more generous seat bolsters.
The new Range Rover Sport is 62 mm longer and has an increased wheelbase (by 178 mm), but is still 149 mm shorter than the regular Range Rover. According to Land Rover, the Range Rover Sport has shed in excess of 500 kg in the transition between old and new.
Two engines will be on offer at the time of the international launch; a 215 kW 3,0-litre SDV6 diesel unit and a 375 kW supercharged 5,0-litre V8 petrol engine. Drive is sent to all four wheels via a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission. Other engines will be added to the line-up in 2014. These include a TDV6 diesel with 189 kW, a 4,4-litre SDV8 that delivers 249 kW and a diesel hybrid that will be available to order in international markets. Land Rover claims performance numbers start at five seconds and that CO2 emissions numbers start at 194 g/km.
A host of new and updated technology are included in the new Sport. These includes an adaptive dynamics system, featuring continuously variable dampers. On models with more grunt, a dynamic mode is including in the Terrain Response system. This system is combined with 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 reduce understeer. There are also upgraded connectivity packages that allow the driver to stay connected to the car via an application on their smartphone. New to the Range Rover Sport is a digital camera system that offers lane departure warning, traffic sign recognition and automatic high beam assist.
