I never really understood the purpose of old Range Rover Sport, with its dash set so high inside the cabin, that they were forced to paint a black line on the lower part of the windscreen to mask it off. I never got why they used Discovery underpinnings, and still called it a Range Rover, despite the fact that anybody who has been in/driven one of those will tell you there is a big difference in the way they feel/make you feel.
However, the new Range Rover Sport seems like a far more attractive proposition, with its nicer styling, extended wheelbase which addresses another concern old Sport owners had, and that’s very poor rear legroom.
In fact, there’s so much space inside that you can even specify a third row of seats, which fold away electrically into the boot floor. EVO Mag has just done what one of the first video reviews of it, which you can watch below.
The vehicle is deemed very competent, and a substantial improvement over its predecessor. Tested in Supercharged form, its performance is very good, but not mind-blowing, and despite called the Sport, a Porsche Cayenne is still realistically sportier and more entertaining to drive.
Furthermore, despite most of it being made of aluminum, it still weighs a lot more than the German SUV, and with less-sporty all-season tires (which are needed off-road) it lags behind when it comes to on-road sharpness and handling.
Still, it is concluded that thanks to its big Range Rover underpinnings, larger dimensions, stylish interior and exterior, wide range of proven engines, it is a big step up over its predecessor.
By Andrei Nedelea
VIDEO