08 Apr 09
Newer, more economical engines, fresh design, extra kit and comfier cabins will be included in a three-model upgrade from Land Rover.
The Discovery, Range Rover and Range Rover Sport will all get the refresh and they will go on sale in 2010. Read on to find out what's changed...
Range Rover Sport
The Range Rover Sport gets two all-new engines this summer: the supercharged 5.0 V8 petrol (as in the Jaguar XKR) and the rather more economical 3.0 TDV6 diesel.
The 461lb-ft supercharged, direct-injection V8 takes the Range Rover Sport 0-60mph in 5.9 seconds, but it returns just 18.9mpg and emits a whopping 353g/km of carbon dioxide - an improvement on the engine it replaces, anyway. The TDV6 (443lb-ft) is the real-world choice, doing 30.7mpg and 243g/km, yet still capable of 0-60mph in 8.8 seconds; the TDV8 also continues.
The Range Rover Sport is now 'a leaner, lower, fitter-looking car,' according to senior design manager David Brisbourne - and it's also more reminiscent in its side profile of the original three-door Range Rover of the 1970s. Like the Discovery 4 and latest Range Rover, it gets a less cluttered front-end design, and an ever-more sumptuous interior.
The sporting character has been preserved, though, and handling sharpened up and it's sportier off-road, too, with new Dynamic and Sand Launch modes for the Terrain Response system, plus revised Rock Crawl mode.
New equipment on offer includes 360-degree cameras and blind spot monitoring, an ignition button and keyless entry, hard-disc sat nav and an audio system with full iPod integration.
The revised-for-2010 Range Rover Sport goes on sale in the UK in September 2009.
