Review: 3rd Gen Range Rover Sport

How close can you come to the experience owning a Range Rover without actually owning a Range Rover. The third generation Range Rover Sport launched in India in 2022 promises to do exactly that. Just how high is the luxury and sporty quotient in this new offering from Land Rover? We finally got a chance to get behind the wheel.

Design

Stealth-like grille gives the face of new RRS a mean look.

The design evolution of some recent new-gen models from the brand is just fantastic. The new Defender or for that matter the Range Rover are perfect examples of that. And we have to say the new Range Rover Sport is also not far behind. Once again the designers at Land Rover have hit it out of the park. The Less is more design philosophy has surely made the SUV more appealing than before. 

The Range Rover Sport looks subtle and elegant at the same time.

Features that stand out on the exterior are digital LED headlights with signature DRLs and image projection, stealth-like front grille, 22-inch wheels and black brake calipers. Then you have the flush style door handles which always look nice and the new sleek LED tail lamps that add to the wow factor. It’s ironic how an SUV almost the size of Range Rover looks so subtle and elegant at the same time. But maybe it doesn’t look sporty enough. 

Tech & Interior

The cabin on the new Range Rover Sport is an example of minimalism. 

The buttons in the cabin are few and far between and for many functions you’ll need to rely on the big 13.1-inch PiVi pro touchscreen system which is standard across all variants. Now on paper some of you may not like that idea, but once you start using this screen you get hooked onto it. Its big, offers amazing clarity and is extremely fast in responding. It’s like this big gadget you can play with even when the car is stationary, and you can also give voice commands for some functions.

22-way heated and ventilated front seats get memory & massage functions. 

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is standard, and you also get wireless charging on the SUV. The 13.7-inch driver display is interactive and comes with high-definition graphics. It’s good that you have multiple layout options here, something you’ll expect in a car of this segment. Features like cabin lighting and 2-zone climate control are standard while the top two trims also offer 4-zone climate control, a Panoramic sunroof and heads up display. The refrigerator under the front armrest comes as an optional extra while the 22-way heated and ventilated front seats with memory and massage function add to the premium feel.

Second row seats can be be reclined by a good 37 degrees.

For a car that is almost five meters long and comes with a wheelbase of close to three meters there’s ample space on the second row of the Range Rover Sport. The seats finished in semi-Aneline leather give good comfort and they can be reclined as well, by a good 37 degrees which is nice. The cabin is clothed in new moonlight chrome upholstery, while the Meridian audio speakers are hidden behind the rear doors, as well as on the headrests. You also get an air purifier here. There’s no standard side-step here so getting in and out might get difficult, but you can lower the height for an easier access. 

Dynamics

New RRS gets both Petrol and Diesel engine options.

The Range Rover Sport like all other cars from Land Rover in India gets both Petrol and Diesel engine options. This is unlike the petrol-only approach adopted by some of the brands’ rivals in the market. The one that we’re driving is the P400 Petrol that runs on a 3.0 litre 6-cylinder turbo engine that makes 400 bhp and 550 Nm. It’s paired with a mild-hybrid system and an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission which does its job well looking at the purpose for which the car is built. 

Engine paired with a mild-hybrid system and an 8-speed automatic transmission.

The Diesel D350 is not as powerful at 350 bhp but offers more torque of 700 Nm. But that’s for another day. Coming back to this Ingenium Petrol, the engine feels refined and eager at the same time and more or less does justice to the Sport tag this Range Rover comes with. You’re also armed with paddle shifts and the sport mode to makes the experience well a little sportier. 

Ride & Handling

The SUV is built on the brand’s new MLA Flex architecture. 

What also appeals on the new Range Rover Sport is its ride quality. Yes the matters are still on the stiffer side and some of the undulations are felt in the cabin but adaptive dynamics which comes as standard on the SUV, does the job for most part by controlling vertical movements. The SUV is built on the brand’s new MLA Flex architecture which offers higher torsional stiffness than the previous generation. Looking at that and its shape, it doesn’t really disappoint with its handling, and a whole lot of tech including integrated chassis control comes in handy here. But it’s appropriate to say that there’s still some room for improvement; after all this is a tall, bulky SUV. 

Off-Roading

You can raise the height of the vehicle depending on requirements.

If you do decide to take this close to  Rs. 2 crore monster for off-roading there’s the dependable Land Rover’s latest Terrain Response 2® system that changes its settings according to the surface the car is driving on. What also will help is the clear sight ground view monitor that lets you see areas hidden by the huge bonnet. Then there’s the new adaptive off-road cruise control feature which keeps the car moving even in difficult terrains. The SUV can also wade through 900 mm water which also is an impressive figure.

Safety

The Park Assist feature is also a good addition to the SUV.

The Range Rover Sport is also equipped with a few ADAS functions like Lane Keep Assist and Adaptive Cruise control that become even more crucial in a car of this size. The Park Assist feature is also a good addition and when it comes to safety and the SUV has also scored a 5-star rating in Euro NCAP crash tests.

Prices & Verdict

New RRS gets 1 Petrol & 4 Diesel trims.

The only petrol trim of the SUV, Dynamic HSE will cost you Rs. 1.68 crore while the Diesel ranges from Rs. 1.64 crore to Rs. 1.84 crore, ex-showroom. Probable rivals in the market are cars like the Porsche Cayenne, BMW X6 and the Audi Q8. At its price, the Range Rover Sport doesn’t offer you as many features as some of its rivals do nor does it feel as sporty as Land Rover would like it to be, specially looking at the last word in its name. It gives you that legendary SUV feel the brand is well known for. It’s a car that tries to perform too many roles all together and excels in most. This makes it a worthy counterpart of the famed Range Rover.