JOKER
Member Since: 16 Dec 2008
Location: Further here than there
Posts: 163
|
Land Rover Range Rover Sport 5.0 Supercharged (2009 onwards)
We head to Scotland to drive the new-look Land Rover Range Rover Supercharged 5.0-litre V8
What - Land Rover Range Rover Sport 5.0 Supercharged
Where - Scottish Borders, UK
Date - August 2009
Price - £61,995
Available - September
Key rivals - Porsche Cayenne, BMW X6, Mercedes ML 63 AMG
Gallery: Land Rover Range Rover Sport
Summary
The fastest Land Rover ever does it all, both off and on-road. A very impressive machine from the 4x4 masters.
We like - Performance, interior, handling, sporting feel
We don't like - Price, fuel economy, excessiveness?
First Impressions
Land Rover engineers were given a very different challenge to normal with the Range Rover Sport. Develop something mighty off-road, as all Land Rovers should be. But make sure it lived up to the 'Sport' tag on-road, too. Its achievement, at launch in 2005? Impressive, we reckoned, back then.
The firm doesn't stand still, though. For 2010, it's facelifted the Range Rover Sport - with new (even faster) engines, overhauled suspension, tweaked styling and a brand-new interior. It's taken the bits buyers loved, and made them even better. While solving the areas they didn't. Making it a winner? We were first to find out...
Performance
Land Rover showed us a video. It's on YouTube; it shows an old 4.2-litre Supercharged in a 0-100mph-0 sprint against the all-new (Jag XFR-sourced) 5.0-litre. In the time it takes this new car to complete the run... the old car is still accelerating. It STILL needs to go from 85mph to 100mph, then stop.
That's how much faster this one is. And boy, does it... not feel it on the road. Such is the refinement Land Rover's built in, the ability to hit 60mph in under 6 seconds becomes almost second nature. Thank its total lag-free response for this; your benchmarks are fast redefined.
It's refined, too, and quite brilliantly smooth. But plain damn fast. There is no power curve as such, no need to rev it to get snappy overtakes. The monstrous supercharger is awake whenever you want it. Let it really rev, and wave goodbye to Porsches/your licence.
The automatic gearbox has six speeds, but you rarely notice it changing between them. For real interaction, use the Land-Rover-first steering wheel paddle-shifters. Yes, F1 tech comes to an off-roader. And how entirely in keeping with the whole gig they are..
Ride and Handling
The Range Rover Sport handles exceptionally well. The power never fazes you, as it really is like a big hot hatch. Crisp, sharp steering, lots of front-end bite and a remarkable ability to change direction mean physics are seemingly abandoned. This is a 2.7 tonne vehicle, that drives like a Golf GTI.
It's amazingly precise and quickfire through twisting sequences, allowing the driver to place its considerable size with utmost precision. The steering, sharper and faster than the Discovery, responds to wrist inputs, giving you bags of confidence. The tyres live up to the grip promise their massive size suggests, too.
It is tauter than a Discovery and Range Rover, with the body kept in tight check. But, despite being firm, it is not uncomfortable because it is still very compliant. It remains free from harshness despite the unforgiving profile of the tyres. Another blinding achievement.
Much more than variable damper technology is at work here; this is tuning from experts - an engineer admits this vehicle benefited from much Jaguar learning. That the ride remains so totally controlled, and the body always well planted and reassuring, also shows Jaguar genes.
Interior
It's another all-new interior for a 2010 Land Rover. Compared the old Range Rover Sport dash, this is a quantum leap. In come soft-touch materials, simpler controls and a less angular, button-laden layout. It looks less plasticky, with some almost watch-like detailing in places.
It seats only five, but all with room, and the hatch tailgate has a separately opening rear glass if you want to keep your hands clean. Mind you, it's easy to forget this up front. The deep-seated, cockpit-like feel is not dissimilar to a Bentley Continental. It really is special, and adds to the drama.
Economy and safety
Fuel economy has been upped, despite all this considerable extra performance. By Bentley standards, the Range Rover Sport is pretty economical, averaging 18.9mpg. But that's still, well, sub-20mpg. CO2 emissions are equally unearthly, at 353g/km. Green sorts will prefer the 30mpg TDV6.
Massive tyres and an array of standard safety aids mean the Supercharged model has seemingly limitless grip. The four-wheel drive traction and balance makes it seem almost impossible to lose control. It inspires huge confidence, particularly in grimy weather. Pedestrians will be less well off though, obviously...
It's hard to find fault with the Range Rover Sport Supercharged. OK, it's expensive and inefficient. That's inevitable. But if you have the cash, give it a try. In some areas, it's amazing. Overall, it's exceedingly desirable. Not a car of the future, sure. But one that, today, offers a lot to like.
|
Tue Sep 08 2009 8:30am
