Land Rover Range Rover Sport (2005-) Review

On the road

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Land Rover has tried to achieve something extremely difficult with the Range Rover Sport - engineering a car with exceptional on- and off-road driving dynamics. Off-road, we can't really argue. We've seen and experienced what the Sport can do, and it's impressive stuff, with decent axle articulation and good approach, departure and breakover angles. Thank the standard air suspension, with Terrain Response, and the separate Integrated Body-Frame, for that lot.

Those off-road assisting mechanicals are pure Discovery 3, which means that the Sport shares a downside with its Land Rover sister model - a fairly breathtaking kerb weight, of between 2,455 (TDV6) and 2,675kg (TDV8). It's harder to criticise that, however, when you experience for yourself what the Sport can do. Its 'range of ability', Land Rover calls it, the way it can produce the goods both on-road and off, is virtually unmatched.

We've tried the Range Rover Sport with and without the Dynamic Response pack that the Supercharged version gets as standard, an option on other Sports, and it's definitely an option worth having; it makes a heck of a lot of difference on demanding roads. By stiffening the anti-roll bars when roll is detected, Dynamic Response keeps a firm check on the weighty body's movements during cornering, making the Sport feel a lot more agile and responsive than a standard version. Without it, body movements are not so well controlled in corners, ending up bettered by a margin by the BMW X5 and Porsche Cayenne. In fact, even with Dynamic Response, the Cayenne shades the Sport on a twisty road, while an X5 will at least run it close.

Although the steering system's the same with or without Dynamic Response, it feels that bit more accurate with it, although some of that may be down to the fact that vehicles with the system also get 20-inch wheels and low profile rubber. These cars also get Brembo brakes, but in general driving, you won't notice the difference - the standard items are powerful enough.

Performance is strong. But so it should be: the 'base' petrol motor is a 4.4-litre V8, with 295bhp, good enough to propel the 2480kg car to 60mph in 8.2 seconds, and on to a 130mph top speed. It makes a good growly V8 noise, too, not too intrusive, but not too distant. The Supercharged 4.2-litre car takes pace on to a different level though; its 384bhp good enough for 0-60mph in 7.2 seconds and a top speed of 140mph. Its V8 rumble is more muted, replaced with some supercharger whine, but it's not unpleasant.

The real peach though is the TDV8 turbodiesel, with 268bhp and a frankley obscene 472lb-ft of torque, makes it the best all-round engine to go for. It's very undiesel-like in its driving characteristics, it's free revving and actually sounds rather sporty. Passengers would be very clever indeed if they could tell the difference between this and the supercharged version on the road - it really is that good. 0-60mph takes just 8.6 seconds and top speed is 130mph.

The 2.7 TDV6 turbodiesel, musters just 188bhp with which to adequately propel its 2455kg kerb weight onto 60mph in 11.9 seconds and a top end of 120mph. It's got a decent lug of torque though, some 324lb-ft, which compares well to the 217 in the V8 and 283 in the supercharged car, though losing out to the TDV8.

All units drive through a six-speed automatic gearbox supplied by ZF. Similar to the unit used in the Aston Martin DB9, its shifts are slick and smooth and, on the Supercharged car in sport or manual-override mode, it even blips the throttle on downshifts, which smoothens the shifts and sounds good and sporty, too.