Range Rover Sport gets a Facelift - and there's a new plug-in HYBRID Sport too

Range Rover Sport gets a Facelift – and there’s a new plug-in HYBRID Sport too (pictured)

The Range Rover Sport has been updated for 2018 with design changes, an improved interior, a plug-in Range Rover Sport PHEV and more powerful SVR.

The Range Rover Sport has been given a facelift for 2018, but the big news is not just the impressively updated Sport, but the arrival of a new plug-in hybrid Range Rover Sport PHEV and a more powerful Sport SVR too.

Fun though the increased power of the SVR is, it’s the arrival of the plug-in hybrid Range Rover Sport PHEV – badged P400e – which is the most significant.

The Sport PHEV uses a 296bhp four-cylinder petrol engine and a 114bhp electric motor to deliver a total of 398bhp with permanent four-wheel drive, a 0-62mph of 6.7 seconds and official (barmy) economy and emissions of 10mpg and 64g/km.

It comes with an EV mode as well as the normal hybrid function, and can ‘Save’ electric charge, with Predictive Energy Consumption using GPS to manage the balance between the two power sources when required.

Charging time is 7.5 hours from a plug (2.75 from a special wall box) and gives a claimed range of 31 miles (20 is probably about right in the real world).

The 2018 Range Rover Sport gets an interior makeover from the Velar

Moving on to the Range Rover Sport SVR, it gets an increase in power to 567bhp by using the same state of tune for its 5.0 litre supercharged V8 as the F-Type SVR, which cuts its 0-62mph to 4.5 seconds and comes with more carbon fibre content than before too.

The cosmetic updates are the usual facelift fodder with stuff like a revised grille and new LED headlights, and the interior gets a bit fo a Velar makeover, with the new TouchPro Duo infotainment with a pair of 10″ screens.

The refreshed Range Rover Sport diesel range now kicks off with with the 2.0 litre SD4 HSE at £61,315, with the 3.0 litre SDV6 HSE at £65,145, the 4.4 litre SDV8 Autobiography Dynamic at £89,950.

The petrol options start with the 2.0 litre P300 Si4 HSE at £62,650, 3.0 litre V6 HSE Dynamic at £66,715, 5.0 litre V8 Autobiography Dynamic at £90,280 and the Range Rover Sport SVR at £99,680. The new Range Rover Sport PHEV starts at £70,800 for the HSE rising to £84,400 for the Autobiography Dynamic.

The 2018 Range Rover Sport is now available to order at Land Rover’s UK dealers.