The climate controls - a few large knobs and buttons - are a cinch to use, if a bit plainly finished. Cabin materials are closer to the Range Rover’s excellent quality than they were in the Sport’s earlier years, with upholstery stitching atop the dashboard and smoked metal and real wood farther down. (The GX looks and feels like an SUV, too, but slaps you with the dynamics of a boat.) You drive from a high perch, surrounded by thin roof pillars and glass galore. The Range Rover Sport’s driving dynamics impress in particular because it otherwise feels like a traditional SUV, with all the ungainly potential that carries. At least it tows a respectable 7,716 pounds when properly equipped, matching the V-8 Cayenne and out-towing the GX (6,500 pounds) and X5 (6,000). Like the others, Land Rover requires premium fuel. Percentage-wise, that’s well below the V-8 BMW X5 (14/20), Lexus GX 460 (15/20) and Cayenne S (16/22) - a thirsty bunch themselves. The Range Rover Sport HSE is EPA-rated at 13/18 mpg city/highway, while the Supercharged gets an OPEC-loving 12/17 mpg. Typical of most Land Rovers, the gas mileage stinks. Note that our Range Rover Sport HSE had a fixed suspension Supercharged models have an adaptive setup and a stiffer-riding Dynamic Program in Terrain Response. Highways are smooth, but the suspension pitches you around over potholes and other disruptions. The tradeoff comes in the Sport’s firm ride. On dry pavement, the Sport handles like a sedan: Get into a corner, and the nose tucks in line, the body stays flat and the steering tracks well. Despite its elaborate technology, our Range Rover Sport underwhelmed in snow. Dedicated winter tires would have dug in better, but some of the simplest all-wheel-drive systems can keep their footing by forcing an equal front-to-rear split, even when equipped with all-season tires, like our test car’s Michelins. A white-out commute, however, had the rear wheels slipping before the system would send more power up front, and the SUV’s tail continued to come loose at single-digit speeds. With Terrain Response in Snow mode and the suspension raised to a maximum 8.9 inches of ground clearance, the Range Rover Sport mastered deep-snow parking spots. Our test car had an optional automatic-locking rear differential - which augments the Range Rover Sport’s standard locking center differential and ordinary traction control - to maximize grip from the rear wheels. Land Rover’s Terrain Response system governs the Sport’s all-wheel drive, varying drivetrain settings and ride height for the adjustable air suspension at the push of a button. Serious lead-foots can spring for the quicker V-8-powered BMW X5 xDrive50i or Porsche Cayenne S, which are both at least half a piano lighter.ĭespite Land Rover’s venerable off-road capabilities, our Range Rover Sport felt less than confident through a Chicago snowstorm. That’s about as fast as a V-6 Ford Mustang. Want more power? The Range Rover Sport Supercharged has a 510-hp supercharged V-8 that sends the 5,816-pound SUV - that’s two Mini Cooper hatchbacks and a Steinway grand piano - to 60 mph in just 5.9 seconds, Land Rover says. Throw the automatic into Sport mode, and it holds lower gears, providing quick, satisfying accelerator response. As we’ve come to expect of Land Rover transmissions, the Range Rover Sport’s six-speed automatic upshifts nearly imperceptibly and kicks down multiple gears at once. With its 375- horsepower V-8, the Range Rover Sport hustles four adults onboard had little effect on our test car, which moved out just as well. Trim levels include the HSE and Supercharged, which employ a 5.0-liter V-8 in normally aspirated and supercharged configurations, respectively. I’ll focus on the SUV’s more recent changes and cover how it stacks up against other luxury SUVs. You can compare that model with the 2011 here.įor an in-depth look at the Range Rover Sport, check out our review of the 2010. Following major updates in 2010 that carried over to 2011, the Range Rover Sport gets a slew of multimedia updates for 2012. One of three SUVs to wear the Range Rover name, the Sport rides a platform that’s distinct from the Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover, which are priced about $17,000 lower and $19,000 higher, respectively. The 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Sport may lose some shoppers to its cheaper, equally sporty sibling, the Evoque, but it still combines traditional SUV qualities with uncharacteristic driving fun. To see what’s new for 2013, click here, or check out a side-by-side comparison of the two model years. Little of substance has changed with this year’s model. Editor’s note: This review was written in February 2012 about the 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Sport.
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