Best In Sector
by David Morgan (19 Apr 05)

Anyone who sees the new Range Rover Sport as an unnecessary addition to the luxury off-roader family needs to think again. Sceptics, myself included, might have dismissed a low-line sporty version of the world’s most desirable 4x4 as little more than a straightforward derivative. But that was before sampling the new arrival.

I've driven the Sport on motorways, rocky tracks, impossibly steep inclines, sticky mud and loose sand, and it's a revelation. In supercharged 4.2-litre V8 guise it is simply spectacular. As a normally-aspirated 4.4-litre V8 it is sublime. And when the 190bhp 2.7-litre V6 turbo diesel arrives with its 325lb/ft of torque and overall 27mpg economy, there will be a Sport for everyone.

Designed as the most luxurious SUV in the world, it adds up to an impressive vehicle. From its superb Harman Kardon Logic 7 sound system to its incredible Dynamic and Terrain Response systems this vehicle outclasses the rest. Despite their 2.45 tonne kerb weight, the supercharged and normally-aspirated V8 models I drove over miles of constantly changing surfaces, from billiard-smooth motorways to almost impossible mountain tracks, left no doubt that Land Rover has rewritten the luxury SUV handbook. It’s a true "sports tourer" - rewarding to drive quickly, big enough to swallow lots of luggage and so comfortable and spacious that passengers really will get that limousine feeling.

The Sport is 7.5 inches shorter than the Range Rover and six inches shy of the Discovery 3. It has a much lower roofline than both with a tapering side profile which adds to its sporty appeal. Like the new Discovery it has an integrated chassis but rides lower with a floor which is also closer to the ground. The overall effect is to make the Sport a more handsome beast with the bonus that it is easier to climb aboard.

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