Land Rover Range Rover Sport Review – Range Review (2009-)

The newly refreshed Range Rover Sport

We review the three-model Range Rover Sport and take a look at what it offer in it’s latest 2009 / 2010 guise.

The Range Rover Sport – Land Rover’s answer to the Sporty SUVs from the likes of Porsche and BMW – has been with us since 2005, but 2009 (2010 model year) sees more than a mild facelift for Land Rover’s most successful model.

Under the skin the big changes for the Range Rover Sport are to the engines. Out goes the fairly arthritic 2.7 litre diesel to be replace by the much livlier 3.0 litre diesel from Jaguar. The 3.6 TDV8 remains, but at the top end the old Supercharged lump gets replaces by the 500bhp 5.0 litre straight out of the XFR.

Cosmetically the Range Rover Sport also gets a new – much more upmarket – interior and some new options, more than enough to see the Range Rover Sport through until Land Rover launch their new, lighter range of off-road vehicles in 2012 / 2013.

Performance

[rating:4.5]

The biggest problem the Range Rover Sport has in the performance department is its bulk. Based as it is on a cut-down Discovery it weighs about the same as a small planet. So despite having a choice of engines in the last version from a 2.7 litre diesel to a 4.2 litre S/C, you never really felt the Range Rover Sport was able to deliver what you’d expect.

But all that has changed with the 2010 MY RRS. In comes the very able 3.0 litre diesel from Jaguar with more bhp and almost as much torque as the other new engine offering in the Range Rover Sport, the 5.0 litre S/C, also from Jaguar.

Now, there is ample performance across the range.

Ride & Handling

[rating:4.5]

The biggest problem with a Sporty SUV is the laws of physics. How on earth do you get something as tall as an SUV to handle on-road? And if you do, how do you manage to not compromise its off-road abilities?

The answer has to be black magic, because there is no other way of explaining how the Range Rover Sport manages to deliver on-road handling in the able way it does and still be as accomplished (almost) as the Defender and Discovery. Not only that, but the ride is supple and accommodating unless you go daft and fit after-market 22″ alloys.

And if you do you deserve a poor ride.

Reliability & Quality

[rating:4.0]

Land Rover managed to gain a reputation for being less than reliable. And much of the criticism was justified. But things have improved a lot (although not quite as much as at Jaguar) and there is no reason to expect the latest Range Rover Sport to be anything less than reliable.

In terms of quality the 2009/2010 Range Rover Sport has come on in leaps and bounds. The interior is now a sport take on the high-quality Range Rover interior with a cocooning and luxurious feel. No longer does the Range Rover Sport have a second rate interior.

Running Costs

[rating:3.5]

You don’t buy a Range Rover Sport and worry endlessly about the running costs. You know it’s going to drink fuel and depreciate like a specced-up Lada. Well actually, it’s not as bad as you might expect.

The 3.0 litre diesel manages 30mpg and even the 5.0 litre S/C gets (almost) 20mpg. True there are more economical cars around, but for what’s on offer the Range Rover Sport is now almost frugal.

Depreciation isn’t completely appalling either, but it’ll still make your eyes water if you think about it. Assuming 10k a year, over three years the S/C will cost you £1.32 a mile in depreciation and the 3.0 TDV6 SE around 90p.

Comfort and Equipment

[rating:4.5]

We have always like the cocooned feel in the front of the Range Rovers Sport, and now the whole interior is pleasing with a much higher quality of fixtures and fittings on offer for the 2010MY. The dash is also much improved with half the switches being replaced by Jaguar’s TFT touchscreen.

Accommodation in the back is not really rugby-player sized, although you can get one six footer behind another. The boot in the Range Rover Sport is big enough at 958 litres and you can – if you wish – play Mr Shifter with the back seats down. Then you’ll have over 2,000 litres to play with.

Overall Verdict

[rating:4.5]

For us, the Range Rover Sport was always the weakest offering from Land Rover. It seemed too much of a compromise. A cynical marketing ploy, we thought. But in its latest iteration for the 2010 MY the Range Rover Sport has finally become the car it should always have been.

It offers great on road manners coupled with still extraordinary off road ability. The interior is now a match for the style and quality of the full-sized Range Rover and it also gets to feel like a proper Range Rover. Something that was lacking in the old model.

Not the fastest. Not the most economical. Certainly not the most modern looking. But no doubt. The 2010 Range Rover Sport is the pick of the Sporty SUVs.