Introduced in 2004, the first Range Rover Sport was a Discovery 3 in some running tights. It sold in droves, however, as did the second-generation which was introduced in 2013. The third iteration of the sporty Range Rover is here and here’s what you need to know about Land Rover’s third best-selling model.
Set to land on local shores by the end of 2022, the all-new Range Rover Sport brings with it oodles of tech, new powertrains and a not insignificant evolution of Land Rover’s striking design language.
Touted by the British brand as “the most desirable, advanced and dynamically capable yet.” the new Range Rover Sport will have a wide range of powertrain options to choose from, from petrol to diesel, hybrid options and even a pure-electric model in 2024. 6-cylinder models (including PHEV models) are carried over from the current Jaguar Land Rover stable, and once again a ‘Rangey will make use of BMW power with the new V8 being the firm’s superb N63 twin-turbo V8
à la M50i badged models. Trim wise, S, SE, HSE and Autobiography levels remain, and the first year of production will also see a First Edition model which seems to have become quite the trend these days.
As mentioned, the exterior of the all-new Range Rover Sport is most certainly an evolution of the marque’s signature design language, however a striking new face with slimmer headlights and fewer shutlines distinguishes this model from the one which it replaces. At the rear, the lights have received a slimming, too, and again a great focus has been placed on smoothing out the contours of the ‘Sport which carries over the full fat Range Rover’s monolithic theme, albeit in a notably more sporty manner. As a result of this smoothing out, the all-new Range Rover Sport’s drag coefficient is just 0,29.
The cabin of the all-new Range Rover Sport makes significant use of ‘innovative and sustainable material choices, like tactile and lightweight Ultrafabrics,’ in amongst which occupants will find the latest in automotive technology. The new model’s Electrical Vehicle Architecture (EVA 2.0) supports Software Over the Air updates and the Pivi Pro infotainment system as found in other JLR products features here too, its canvas a high-resolution 13,1-inch floating curved touchscreen.
Other notable features are wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto, a 13,7-inch digital dashboard, 15w wireless charging, 29-speaker surround sound system, Active Noise Cancellation in the cabin, 3D Surround Camera including front and rear parking sensors, Emergency Braking, ClearSight Ground View6, Wade Sensing, Lane Keep Assist and Manoeuvring Lights.
The MLA Flex chassis is now 35% stiffer than that of the model which this replaces with the Integrated Chassis Control system being specifically tuned for the Sport’s application. Roll control is handled by a new Dynamic Response Pro system, as well as the Dynamic Air Suspension which in conjunction with the 48-volt electronic active roll control system all ensure that the all-new Range Rover Sport is indeed sporty. Speaking of Dynamic Air Suspension, this will be standard across the range, with other tech such as all-wheel steering, torque vectoring by braking and an electronic active differential featuring, too.
All-wheel drive and the ubiquitous ZF 8-speed automatic transmission will also be standard fitment across the range. The South African offering will consist of an extended-range Electric Hybrid, 6-cylinder petrol and diesel Ingenium engines and that new twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine. An ever beefier SVR model will likely be added to the range later on, too.
An all-electric range of 113 km is possible in the P510e Electric Hybrid, thanks to a 105 kW electric motor and 38,2 kWh battery. This is paired to a 3,0-litre straight-six petrol motor which results in a total output of 375 kW and 0-100 km/h sprint of just 5,4 seconds.
BMW’s remarkable N63 twin-turbo V8 mill churns out 390 kW in this application and is good for a 0-100 km/h dash of 4,5 seconds, the new Dynamic Launch Control aiding in that endeavour.
