By Cars.com Staff
Cars.com National December 30, 2008Vehicle Overview
Land Rover's venerable Range Rover can tackle tough offroad terrain that would foil less-capable SUVs, yet it still has the cachet to warrant a front-and-center parking space at an upscale hotel. Much of the Range Rover's style and offroad-ready hardware has carried over to the automaker's less expensive Range Rover Sport. To be clear, the Range Rover is unrelated to the Range Rover Sport, which shares its platform with the LR3. The Range Rover Sport comes in base HSE and Supercharged trims; it competes with the Hummer H2 and Porsche Cayenne.
New for 2009
The Range Rover Sport's changes are limited to the addition of new paint colors and a luxury interior package.
Exterior
The Range Rover Sport features an upright grille that's flanked by standard high-intensity-discharge headlights. Other design features include a downward-sloping roofline, side vents in the front fenders, and rocker panel moldings.
- Standard 19-inch alloy wheels with low-profile tires
- 20-inch wheels optional on HSE, standard on Supercharged
- Optional adaptive headlights swivel to better illuminate turns
Interior
The Range Rover Sport's five-person interior is trimmed with simulated metal pieces; real wood trim is also available. Heated leather seats are optional, and there are adjustable inboard armrests. Interior cargo room measures 33.8 cubic feet and grows to 71 cubic feet when the 65/35-split rear bench seat is folded.
- Standard DVD-based navigation
- Optional Sirius Satellite Radio
- Optional rear-seat six-DVD changer
- Standard MP3 compatibility
Under the Hood
Two engines are offered.
- HSE models use a 300-horsepower, 4.4-liter V-8 that makes 315 pounds-feet of torque
- Supercharged versions have a 390-hp, supercharged 4.2-liter V-8 that develops 410 pounds-feet of torque
- Both engines drive a six-speed automatic transmission
- Both can tow up to 7,716 pounds when properly equipped
Safety
- Standard antilock brakes
- Standard side-impact airbags for the front seats
- Standard side curtain airbags
- Standard electronic stability system with rollover mitigation technology
- Standard front and rear parking sensors
- Standard rear-seat child-safety seat anchors
- Optional adaptive cruise control maintains a preset distance between the Range Rover Sport and a car in front of it
Additional Reviews
Cars.com Expert Reviews
| Bill Jackson | Cars.com National | December 1, 2008 |
| Cars.com Staff | Cars.com National | December 30, 2008 |
Affiliate Reviews
| Warren Brown | washingtonpost.com | March 15, 2009 |
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