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The Range Rover Sport has long
remained true to its core value of delivering a remarkable
combination of on and off road capability. The new features and
refinements of the MY10 Sport can only expand its appeal and the
passion of dedicated RRS drivers.
Design
The Range Rover Sport is, without doubt the prettiest of the
Land Rover bunch with its instantly recognisable silhouette and
elegant lines, all culminated by a purposeful yet refined
stance. The 10MY Sport receives Land Rover’s designer wardrobe
makeover with elegant exterior enhancements that clearly
separate it from its 2009 predecessor.
The ultra modern rear tail light
treatment and eye-catching diamond tiara LED encrusted
headlamps, might have some of the Range Rover traditionalists
thinking it’s a little garish! Yet if you stand back and take in
the bigger picture, it’s easy to see that the 10MY sport has
undergone the nip and tuck enhancements of an expert designer’s
knife removing superfluous square edged accents to achieve
refined smoother lines on the newly sculptured front fenders,
front and rear bumpers and a modern new two bar front grill
proudly displaying the black over silver Land Rover badge. The
subtle changes successfully complement established signature
design cues and give the Sport its uniquely aggressive but
stylish shape.
Engines
This model launches no less than three new engines on the
options list.
There’s the silky naturally
aspirated high tech 276kW LR-V8 5.0l as we previously tested in
a Discovery 4. This is exactly what a 4x4 V8 petrol should be -
smooth, quiet, and happy to pin you to the seat when the pedal
hits the carpet. Whilst a thirstier model than the diesel, the
V8 still impressively returns a whisker under 14l/100km. It’s a
tough call, but I suspect a large percentage of buyers would
find the not insignificant price hike to the very sweet petrol
V8 too bitter a pill to swallow. Even with the petrol copping
some additional accessories, given the 3.0l diesel’s outstanding
performance, fuel economy and driving characteristics it may
well be the day of the diesel.
Then there is the tattooed street
fighter in the corner, opening wall nuts with a sledge hammer…
Yes, it’s the eye watering thrust of the monster 375kW LR-V8
5.0l supercharged petrol. Seriously, 375kW of force fed after
burner hurtling over 2.5 tonne of 4x4 towards maximum legal
street speeds in times that would make a race horse burst into
tears…! Now I’ve not yet driven this sophisticated road going
version of the Harrier Jump Jet so I’ll reserve comment until I
get the opportunity to access this direct injected double
espresso full strength caffeine jolt in a real world
environment.
There’s still that little lion
hearted 3.6l TDV8 with its sultry exhaust note, a very
respectable 200kW of power and 640Nm of torque, but sadly the
performance of its younger sibling 3.0l V6 is so good it seems
to make this once proud V8 rather redundant. This very assertive
LR-TDV6 3.0l twin turbo was in our standard Range Rover Sport
test vehicle.
The original 2.7L single turbo V6
diesel was impressive with its ability to deliver on any request
put before it without complaint and it always gave the
impression you were driving a much larger capacity engine. But
LR’s new 3.0L twin turbo has not only raised the bar for
acceptable diesel performance in this capacity class, they've
moved it to a whole new playing field. It produces a tire
torturing 600Nms of torque with 500 of them rushing to make your
acquaintance as you move off idle. The mid range punch and
quietness would embarrass most 6 cylinder petrols, yet it slurps
delicately at an indicated drinking rate of 9.2l/100km.With
180kWs on tap that’s effectively a 36% increase in torque and a
29% increase in power over the outgoing 2.7.
You’ll find yourself checking
under the bonnet in disbelief…but I reckon the competition will
be scurrying back to their engineering departments and
feverishly re-working their plans before the next Board meeting.
This new high tech V6 Diesel runs
an interesting twist on the standard parallel twin turbo theme
in which one turbo feeds each bank of the V configuration. In a
first, LR has increased efficiency by introducing a parallel
‘sequential’ turbocharger system. In a “why didn’t we think of
that before move” the variable-geometry primary turbocharger
responds rapidly developing boost pressure at low engine rpm
eliminating lag and providing a crisp throttle response. The
second fixed-geometry turbo remains dormant until revs climb
above 2,500rpm before it grunts on in. The result is an engine
which produces outstanding levels of torque yet brisk throttle
response at low rpm.
Performance
This engine never ceased to impress me, from the moment you
touch the keyless start button your first impression is the
effectiveness of the noise suppression. Outside there is a
subdued diesel rumble, more than a stereotypical commercial
diesel chatter. Inside the cabin with windows up, you might
think it’s stalled, if it weren’t for the tacho needle providing
evidence of activity.
This V6 diesel is nothing if not
unbelievable in the way it’s oblivious to the sheer bulk and
weight of the vehicle surrounding it. It just up and goes –
rather like the family dog dragging the kids along for a run.
Engage drive and release the electronic park brake and that huge
torque delivery plays effortlessly with the weight of the
vehicle. Mind you, it won’t roar into life and lift the weight
from the front wheels, creasing the rear side walls under brutal
acceleration (we’ll leave that to its force fed big brother).
What is experienced, due to the revised ZF HP28 6-speed doing a
superb job of picking the perfect ratio for any given engine
rpm, is a torque curve so linear you can almost watch the tacho
and speedometer needle move in harmony.
Whether in stop start peak hour,
open road cruising or downshifting past that slower vehicle, the
6 speed auto responds with quick smooth accurate shifts in the
standard auto mode. An intelligent sport mode will even sense
and adapt the characteristics of the transmission to complement
different driving styles.
I was impressed with the ZF in
the V8 petrol but LR has done a brilliant job of calibrating it
to exploit the full potential of the diesel’s large torque
reserves. It engages the transmission's lock-up clutch much
earlier in each gear, reducing slip through the hydraulic torque
converter, and improving both fuel consumption and CO2
emissions. There’s even a steering wheel mounted paddle-shift on
the supercharged big brother.
The
Ride
I The term Sport and 4x4 capability seem an odd juxtaposition…
it’s like having an unsinkable boat anchor. Sounds handy, but
kind of defeats its intended purpose.
If past history and the previous
limitations in mechanical application and technical design
taught us anything, it was genuine off road prowess was at the
opposite end of the pendulum for spirited on road driving
dynamics and never shall the two meet. Manufacturers walk a fine
line and have to make decisions based on their target audience
as to which side of the line they fall.
The bold innovation of Terrain
Response allowed LR to overcome the limitations that plagued a
fixed off road mechanical design. L R continue to fine tune this
approach, further increasing levels of on road finesse yet
anchoring their core off road ability.
Through a comprehensive programme
of chassis system modifications the RR Sport’s on road prowess
and dynamics have been significantly improved, whilst furthering
the capabilities of its all terrain system.
The standard Sport is superb on
the hard top longer hauls, and really comes into its own on
those long sweeping country roads. Truth be known, it’s far
better than a vehicle of these dimensions and weight has a right
to be, providing a feeling of muscular athleticism rather than
the heavy bulky mass that it is. The steering is nicely weighted
allowing finger tip adjustments as you point and shoot through
the bends.
The suspension feels taught
offering good control over body roll, but not too firm to be
intrusive on ride quality and the air suspension does a great
job of soaking up various road surface irregularities. Cabin
noise is well suppressed and engine noise is all but none
existent at cruising speeds with a slight hum of wind over the
wing mirrors at speed.
The larger braking system now
wearing 360mm front / 350mm rear discs provides a sure footed
feel and can wash off road speed with seemingly little effort.
With such efficiency, low speed light brake application calls
for a gentle touch.
There’s also a new setting on the
TR system (not fitted to our test vehicle) which adds an option
called “dynamic response”. The more enthusiastic driver is
rewarded with a greater sense of involvement with the road,
completely oblivious to the technology and complexity beneath
them that is constantly adjusting a range of driveline and
steering parameters based on real-time information received from
various systems in the vehicle, body and wheels in order to
increase body control.
The steering is light at low
speeds and takes little effort to maneuver it around most
objects. But reality rapidly returns back in town, this is still
a big vehicle and its dimensions become all too evident in tight
traffic or those city compressed car park bays.
Off-road Ability
Eager to test the Sport’s claims of improved off road
performance, we headed for the sand. With dubious expectations
of having any real assistance or relevant increase in foot print
length as we aired down to around 20psi on those ridiculous road
biased 19’ tires, we nosed the Sport into the soft sand. With
the TR now set for sand mode, you could immediately feel the
changes to throttle response with a strong engine torque whilst
the traction aids backed off to allow more wheel spin. Being
able to raise the vehicle height at the press of a button for
extra underbody clearance was a definite benefit, especially in
the deeper ruts.
  
Whilst the track deteriorated and
the sandy surface now looked remarkably like a lunar landscape,
we still felt extremely relaxed in the cabin as the Sport
competently set about dealing with large dips and rises. The
Sport displayed an almost obstinate attitude refusing to succumb
to several power sapping sections where the sand become so soft
and deep it would have been hard to walk on let alone drive 2.5
tonne of vehicle through on low profile road tires! Yet the
relentless torque and sufficient momentum saw us maintain good
floatation across those deep bowls of almost white powder.
However, the Sport did throw us a curve ball on one instance as
we crossed the last small section of very soft sand. More on
that later.
There is no electronic substitute
for the skills of an experienced driver. You can get any vehicle
bogged and the Range Rover Sport is no exception. No amount of
electronics can overcome driver foolishness – but what did
impress was the depth of capability the electronic tools
provided to perform well in tough conditions, straight off the
showroom floor.
After agreeing it was
surprisingly good on sand, it was time to test its metal on some
rocky climbs and slippery gravel tracks. Now with this much
power on tap and so easily dispersed, surely it would be a
handful on ball bearing gravel? Actually, no. To our disbelief a
quick flick of the terrain response dial to ‘grass, gravel and
snow’ saw the Sport launch off the mark with not a hint of
traction loss and acceleration that would cause a greyhound to
book himself in for a check up with the local vet.
With good wheel articulation,
thanks in part to the cross linked air suspension control, when
in low range the Sport made short work of all but the most
difficult washouts and rock ledges. What was impressive was how
smooth and relatively quiet was the hill descent control, making
the competition’s versions completely agricultural by
comparison. Just as effective was the engine braking in first
gear allowing us to tip the nose of the Sport over slippery and
tight turns on loose rocky descents.
The LR boys wanted to ensure
durability in off road driving conditions even if many Sports
will live largely on the blacktop. Both the petrol and diesel
variants receive Land Rover’s additional enhancements featuring
a deeper sump to accommodate extreme angles off-road and water
proofing for drive belts, alternator, air conditioning
compressor, power steering pump and starter motor.
The Sport never seemed phased by
whatever we threw at it, always remaining stately in its
execution of duties. That being said, the Sport won’t match a
modified purpose built off road worrier – but why on earth would
anyone expect it to? But it does provide a smooth on road (dare
I say it) sporty feel whilst demonstrating an off road
capability that would surprise the majority of genuine 4x4
enthusiasts. The Sport rightly deserves a reputation as a
genuine Sports tourer in a market of polished pretenders.
Reliability
If there’s one thing that remains consistent in people’s minds
it’s the reputation of any product as being unreliable. Past
Land Rover’s have not enjoyed wide spread acknowledgement of
reliability, more tending towards a reputation of a finicky
temperamental breed. However, a number of recent surveys
indicate Land Rover have been making significant inroads to
reasserting itself as a quality manufacturer of premium off road
capable vehicles with the very latest in automotive technology
and environmentally friendly manufacturing processes.
On our particular vehicle, the
passengers’ side middle row seat release button allowing the
backrest to pivot forward came off in our hand, and the sliding
segmented centre console cover was separating on the leading
edge. Obviously these are minor items that would be quickly
addressed during normal service/warranty maintenance, but
embarrassing for a vehicle of this caliber.
However, what was of concern was
an intermittent loss of engine power during our soft sand
testing. Needing to traverse some short but very soft sections
the V6 diesel would respond rapidly with a smooth strong
delivery of torque climbing to 3000rpm but on the very last
section of our test, engine power was cut without warning seeing
the tacho rpm drop back to 1500 then power on again until
reaching 3000rpm. This happened repeatedly. We managed to get
through this very soft section but not without some trepidation
that the Sport may stop all together.
Having stopped on firmer ground,
we carried out all the standard vehicle inspections, both under
bonnet and underbody, looking for any visual signs that may
indicate a problem. The internal information display showed no
recorded errors, and we had no warning lights. We decided to
shut everything down, and restart the vehicle. From that point
forward the vehicle’s operation for the rest of our journey was
flawless. Even similar soft sections in a straight line
presented no issue for the big Sport.
Interior Styling
Finally, an interior befitting a vehicle of this caliber. The
RRS retains the feel of sitting in the cockpit of a jet fighter
due to the raised console, and everything neatly falls around
you. Some may find it initially a little claustrophobic when
compared to the D4 or bigger Range Rover, but this quickly
disappears as you mould yourself into the superbly comfortable
electric fully adjustable seats with comfortable arm rests. Some
taller drivers will be aware of the roof lining with the sunroof
fitted.
Brushed satin metal highlights
and elegant wood paneling adorn the cabin, with rich leather
seating and soft touch surfaces completing this truly opulent
and luxurious executive office.
There’s a commanding visibility
of the road ahead and rear reversing sensors to protect the
extremities when backing up. One blinding omission that’s
inexcusable in a vehicle of this price bracket was the absence
of a standard reversing camera – it’s only incorporated into the
expensive option of the 5 camera surround system.
A new larger centrally mounted
screen with improved graphics and touch control functionality
now incorporates the audio controls for the superb Harman Kardon
stereo, Satellite Navigation and off road 4x4 display
information. But the racked angle of the touch screen and
polished vent surrounds can catch the over head sunshine from
the sunroof, causing a brief uncomfortable glare.
The game console type multi
directional buttons are perfectly positioned on the steering
wheel providing audio controls, vehicle setup information and
settings via the instrument panel multi-function display. There
are also large easy to use buttons for cruise control, and the
blue tooth phone system operation. Tilt and rake for the
steering wheel are electronically controlled by a neat four way
toggle on the lower left side of the steering shroud.
There’s even a voice command
button allowing you to control a number of the vehicle systems
and settings as long as you’re prepared to take the time and
learn the required lingo. There’s good rear seat leg room whilst
the Sport provides a good sized luggage area behind the rear
seats which becomes a very substantial loading space when the
rear seats are folded flat.
With the rear hatch lifted,
loading gear into the Sport is a breeze, whilst the pivoting
glass window offers quick access to the back for bags or smaller
items.
Some of the standard features on
our test vehicle included were dual-zone climate control air
conditioning plus full iPod integration with a USB input,
digital radio and CD player. There’s no less than eight airbags
to keep you and your passengers safe, whilst the keyless entry
and push button stop start with auto sensing wipes and driving
lights all add to the driver pampering.
Conclusion
Unlike the Range Rover or D4 which provide effortless
comfortable long distance touring capability, the Sport somehow
invites driver participation; it feels more interactive in its
driving dynamics. Given the Sports selection of available power
plants; its striking good looks, spirited performance and an
interior dressed to impress its hard not to agree that this 2010
Range Rover Sport is set to continue its tradition as the
consummate choice for a genuine off road capable luxury
performance Sports Tourer.
submitted by Ray Cully
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