It’s a new Range Rover Sport! No, the exterior hasn’t really changed. But Land Rover has given the Sport a new lease of life with refreshed tech and a selection of new engines.
The one you obviously want to hear about first is the new Range Rover Sport SVR – the mega-fast flagship model. It still packs the same 5.0-litre supercharged V8, but Land Rover has added a little bit of engineering magic to the mix, and uprated its power output to over 580 bhp.
That means that this big, luxury SUV will go from 0-100 km/h in 4.5 seconds. You’ll be worrying Porsche Carreras with this thing.
Land Rover also says that more carbon fibre has been added to the build of the new SVR, meaning it’s slightly lighter than the outgoing one. This, Land Rover says, makes the new SVR “faster and more agile than before”. Seems like a reasonable claim.
But even if you don’t need the SVR’s brutal power output, there’s plenty to look forward to further down the range. There’s a new set of engines, including a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder Ingenium unit. That won’t be particularly fast, but early reviews suggest that it’s smooth with adequate power for a big SUV.
The supercharged V6 remains unchanged for this update.
On the inside is where you’ll notice the main differences, though. The new Range Rover Sport’s tech has been given a thorough working over. On the centre console sits the dual-touch display that has wowed so many people in the smaller Range Rover Velar. Two high-definition 10-inch touchscreens form the centrepiece of the cabin, creating a customisable interface so that the information and controls you need are always on-hand.
There are other new flourishes, too. The gesture sunblind, for example, allows you to simply swipe the air in front of the rear-view mirror to open or close the sunblind. There’s a tow assist function that’ll help you align your Range Rover with the trailer you’re attempting to tow, and there are now 14 power points, including a domestic plug socket.
The new Range Rover Sport will be shown off in all its glory at the Dubai International Motor Show next month. We’re going to go ahead and assume that it’ll be something of a hit.
Check out the pics below.