Think of this car not as a dressed-up Discovery but as a pared-back Range Rover and you’re on the right track. Far bigger but lighter and sharper in its reactions than its predecessor, the latest Range Rover Sport can seat seven (just) and features styling that’s a cross between the imposing Range Rover and the sleek Evoque.
This time round, Land Rover has really pulled out all the stops. Shaving more than 400kg off the weight is obviously going to be a massive advantage.
More focused air suspension provides up to 115mm of regular movement, from the lowest 50mm setting to the standard off-road height. The +35mm intermediate setting means the off-road mode can remain available at much higher speeds (80km/h, up from 50km/h) than was possible before, which is valuable in terrain with long, rutted dirt roads.
The electric power steering offers a lighter feel and a choice of two full-time 4WD systems is offered.
One set-up will suit the minority of owners who’ll be venturing off road, providing a two-speed transfer case with low-range option, plus a front/rear 50:50% default torque split and 100% locking capability.
The other system is designed for those whose “off piste” use of this car will be slight. Here, the 4×4 layout is 18kg lighter and features a single-speed transfer case with a Torsen differential. In this case, a default front-rear torque split of 42:58% is designed to provide a rear-wheel-drive bias for optimum road driving dynamics.
Engines? You get a choice of two – a supercharged 5.0-litre 503bhp V8 petrol unit and a 3.0-litre 288bhp SDV6 diesel. You can also talk to your dealer about a 3.0-litre 254bhp TDV6, a high performance 4.4-litre 334bhp SDV8 diesel engine and a diesel Hybrid model. All petrol and diesel engines in the Range Rover Sport are paired with a ZF 8-speed automatic gearbox.
Old-school Land Rover buyers might find the styling of this latest Sport a bit outrageous, but they’re not the target market. This is a brave new world and Land Rover hasn’t been slow to chase new money.
If you’re anything but the retiring type and want one of the most exciting SUVs we’ve seen for some time, the decision just got a whole lot easier.