The new Range Rover Sport was introduced as a 2014 model, about a year after the launch of the full size Range Rover. Both of these vehicles have been selling very well since introduction, we already reviewed the full-size Range Rover last year, and last week I had the chance to review the 2015 Range Rover Sport HSE.
In Canada, the Range Rover Sport is offered in quite a few trims, starting with the base “SE” trim and topping things off with the crazy-powerful and sporty “SVR” trim. Prices for the RR Sport start from $75,990 for the base model and $124,990 for the top of the line model. Our week-long review car was the RR Sport HSE, with a starting price of $81,490 plus PDI & Freight.
Engine
The Range Rover Sport is offered with a pair of gasoline engines and a new diesel engine, with different power outputs for the gasoline engines depending on the trim. The SE and HSE come with 3.0 liter supercharged V6 engines, producing 340 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque, while consuming 14.0/10.5/12.4 L/100 km (city/highway/combined), with 0 – 100 km/h times of 7.2 seconds (0-60 mph time of 6.9 seconds). The HSE can also be equipped with a 3.0 liter diesel V6 engine, producing 254 HP and 440 lb-ft of torque, consuming 10.5/8.0/9.4 L/100 km and reaching 100 km/h in 7.6 seconds (60 mph in 7.3 seconds). The HST trim vehicles are also powered by the same V6 gasoline engines, but output is increased to 380 HP and 332 lb-ft of torque, surprisingly fuel consumption stays the same, according to Land Rover.
Those looking for more oomph, the Range Rover Sport Supercharged is the cure, with a 5.0 liter supercharged V8 engine, producing 510 horsepower and 461 pound-feet of torque, consuming 16.6/12.3/14.7 L/100 km and reaching the 100 km/h mark in 5.3 seconds (0-60 in 5.0 seconds). If you’re looking for even more power, the Range Rover Sport SVR is the most powerful offering the British car maker has, with a 5.0 liter supercharged V8 producing 550 horsepower and 502 pound-feet of torque and consuming a wallet-emptying 17.3/12.2/15.0 L/100 km of premium fuel. The Range Rover Sport SVR does the 0 -100 km/h sprint in 4.7 seconds (0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds).
All engines come with 8-speed ZF automatic transmissions.
The 340 HP engine seemed powerful enough for our daily driving during the week we had it for our review, it had lots of grunt on the highway and city driving was smooth and effortless. I personally think the V8 is overkill for a daily driver. Personally I’d go with the diesel option, which is powerful enough and is pretty fuel efficient. Our week-long review netted us 11.7 L/100 km in mixed city and highway driving, which is a bit surprising because Land Rover claims 12.4 L/100 km in mixed driving. Our official Unfinished Man vehicle, an Infiniti Q50S AWD also gets 11.7 L/100 km in mixed driving, that is a much lighter car than the RR Sport. So I’m not sure how accurate the on-board number on the Range Rover is, it could be as efficient as the computer said.
Styling
The Range Rover Sport is based on the larger Range Rover, but it has its own distinct styling while still keeping the same overall design language. The Sport has a more aerodynamic body and is not as boxy as its bigger brother, it is one of the better looking luxury SUV’s; I personally prefer the look of the Sport over the full-size. I think the RR Sport will have stiff competition from the soon to be released Jaguar F-Pace SUV, at least in terms of looks.
Driving Dynamics
Not only is the Range Rover Sport more sporty to look at, it’s also more sporty to drive, as sporty as a large SUV can get. The vehicle feels a bit more agile and the suspension seems to be a bit stiffer than the full size. Taking corners at high speeds is accomplished with an ease, although there is a decent amount of body roll when you really push it into a corner, but still not too bad for a big SUV. The RR Sport is pretty fun to drive on the roads. Off road, it’s also very capable. It comes with Land Rover’s Terrain Response system, which is controlled via a small knob behind the gear leaver. For normal driving, the default setting is “Auto”, and you can also choose between “General”, “Snow” – which includes grass and gravel, “Mud/Ruts”, “Sand” and “Rock Crawl”.
Interior
The interior on the 2015 Range Rover Sport is a very luxurious and a nice place to spend your time in. It is almost identical to the one on the full-size Range Rover, the exception is the addition of a traditional-looking gear lever, instead of the pop-up circular knob found on the RR full-size. I personally prefer the look of the lever, which is the same as the one found on the F-Type, it gives the vehicle a more sporty feel. I was disappointed to find there were no paddle shifters on the steering wheel, at least on the HSE trim, I mean, after all this is the Range Rover Sport, the paddle shifters would give it a more sporty feel.
The interior is very quiet, comfortable, and roomy, as you’d expect in a vehicle in this price range. There is lots of room for the front and rear occupants, and the front seats can be adjusted in an infinite number of positions, every size driver should be able to find a comfortable driving position. The RR Sport also comes with a pair of third-row seats, which fold with the touch of a button. However, these seats are a challenge to get into, the opening behind the second row seats is very small. These seats are more likely to be used in emergency situations when you really need to take those two extra people somewhere, not too far though. Even children would have a hard time getting into and out of the third row seats.
Technology
The RR Sport is filled with the latest technology available in most luxury cars, it can be equipped with lots of cameras for those that really do take these vehicles off road. Most of the functions of the vehicle are controlled with the large touchscreen in the center of the dashboard, I have complained about this touchscreen before, it is at least a generation behind the competition, it responds slower than many of the luxury cars I’ve reviewed. But I have heard JLR has developed a new system, which is on the new Discovery Sport, which I’ll be reviewing in a few weeks, that system should make its way onto the rest of the vehicles in the Jaguar/Land Rover lineup.
Below is a summary of what tech gadgetry was equipped on our review vehicle.
- Keyless entry with proximity key
- Dual power/heated folding mirrors
- Adaptive Xenon headlights with auto high beam assist
- Heated leather steering wheel
- 16 way power front seats with heating and cooling
- Rear heated/cooled seats
- Heated windscreen
- Navigation System
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Hi-Line Audio System
- Park Distance Control Sensor Front
- Rear View Camera
- Blind spot /reverse traffic detect
- Panoramic sunroof
- Stop/Start Motor System
Overall Impressions
I think the 2015/2016 Range Rover Sport is a great package that not only looks good but can also perform on the paved roads and is able to go on some pretty rough off-road terrain. It is a very comfortable daily driver, it is also a head turner because of its looks. It also carries the panache of the Land Rover brand.
If you’re in the market for a luxury SUV that can perform on the streets and off-road, your choices are very limited and the Range Rover brand is at the top of that limited list. Have a look at all the different trims available on the RR Sport at landrover.ca.
2015 Range Rover Sport HSE Review Photo Gallery
