Range Rover Sport: 3.6 litre TDV8 is no more

The Range Rover Sport TDV8 is no more

Land Rover are dropping the 3.6 litre TDV8 from the Range Rover Sport. Instead of replacing it with the new 4.4 litre diesel the TDV6 gets upgraded.

We had a Range Rover Sport recently for a week to see what the latest 3.0 litre TDV6 was like. And much to our astonishment we really liked it. For some reason the 3.0 litre V6 diesel – which found its way in to Land Rover’s offerings from Jaguar’s XF – really suited the Sport.

So much so we started to question the relevance of the 3.6 litre TDV8. In all the areas which matter the TDV6 had the measure of the TDV8. Yet the TDV8 was a rather hefty amount more expensive. Our solution, naturally, was to make the TDV8 better and fit the new 4.4 litre TDV8. But that’s not Land Rover’s solution. They’re simply going to drop the TDV8 altogether.

Why not fit the 4.4 TDV8, we asked. Because we want to keep it exclusively for the Range Rover, was the reply. Not because it doesn’t fit the Sport – as some have reported – but because the full size Range Rover is the ‘Daddy’ and deserves to offer the best. And it’s not had as many updates recently as the Sport and Disco.

So it’s goodbye to the diesel V8 in the Sport, at least until the new generation of cars arrive in 2012/2013. Instead we will get a more upscale version of the TDV6 with more goodies, adaptive dynamics and a bigger price tag. When? From now.

All of which makes us even more sure that our story about the Jaguar XJ getting a fettled version of the TDV8 to create a diesel Supersport has legs. Otherwise it does seem a bit of a waste having the 4.4 litre TDV8 just for the Range Rover. What do Jaguar say officially about a diesel XJ Supersport with the new 4.4 litre TDV8 when we asked?

“Where did you get that idea from”, was the response.

We’ll see. Mind you, we’ve been wrong before.