The Range Rover Sport (Rangie Sport) sits in between the smaller Evoque and the flagship Range Rover, allowing the Rangie Sport to open up the English marque to a new breed of luxury SUV buyers while giving the Range Rover its unique space at the top of the tree.
A new Rangie Sport was introduced last year, boasting the loss of 420kg, thanks to extensive use of aluminium in its construction.
And if humans could go on a weight loss program as successfully as this car, fitness and slimming centres would be out of business.
Up close and Personal
Unless the Rangie Sport was parked next to a Range Rover, you could easily mistake it for the latter. But look a little closer and you will realise that the Rangie Sport is much sleeker than its bigger sibling, thanks to its Evoque-like styling inspiration.
Hop inside and you'll find that the Evoque and Range Rover theme has been carried over into the Sport's cabin.
A new Rangie Sport was introduced last year, boasting the loss of 420kg, thanks to extensive use of aluminium in its construction.
And if humans could go on a weight loss program as successfully as this car, fitness and slimming centres would be out of business.
Up close and Personal
Unless the Rangie Sport was parked next to a Range Rover, you could easily mistake it for the latter. But look a little closer and you will realise that the Rangie Sport is much sleeker than its bigger sibling, thanks to its Evoque-like styling inspiration.
Hop inside and you'll find that the Evoque and Range Rover theme has been carried over into the Sport's cabin.
Everything is given an air of class, thanks to the abundance of leather trimming. Fit and finish of everything on board is first-class standard.
Being larger than its predecessor, there's now even more room inside and more seats too (diesel models only). Seven seats come as standard, though the last row is probably meant for children.
Which is why it'll make more sense to just keep the third row folded (by a touch of a button) - giving you 784 litres of cargo capacity which is expandable to 1,761 litres with both second and third rows flat.
Being larger than its predecessor, there's now even more room inside and more seats too (diesel models only). Seven seats come as standard, though the last row is probably meant for children.
Which is why it'll make more sense to just keep the third row folded (by a touch of a button) - giving you 784 litres of cargo capacity which is expandable to 1,761 litres with both second and third rows flat.
The Drive
Mated to a 3.0-litre turbocharged diesel unit that pumps out 288bhp and 600Nm of torque, the eight-speed automatic ZF-sourced transmission shifts through ratios similar to that of a croupier expertly shuffling a deck of cards.
This excellent partnership ensures the Rangie Sport Diesel gets to 100km/h from standstill in 7.2 seconds - matching its petrol twin's timing.
While the engine may be noisier than its petrol equivalent, it is impressively refined for a diesel, with clatter minimised. This is also further enhanced by the outstanding cabin insulation, which keeps wind and road noise at a distance.
This oil burning Rangie Sport also fares better in fuel efficiency as compared to its petrol sibling, returning 10km/L during our stint with it.
And thanks to its aluminium based construction, the lighter Rangie Sport is one tidy handler that gives an agile drive - justifying the Sport in its name.
Mated to a 3.0-litre turbocharged diesel unit that pumps out 288bhp and 600Nm of torque, the eight-speed automatic ZF-sourced transmission shifts through ratios similar to that of a croupier expertly shuffling a deck of cards.
This excellent partnership ensures the Rangie Sport Diesel gets to 100km/h from standstill in 7.2 seconds - matching its petrol twin's timing.
While the engine may be noisier than its petrol equivalent, it is impressively refined for a diesel, with clatter minimised. This is also further enhanced by the outstanding cabin insulation, which keeps wind and road noise at a distance.
This oil burning Rangie Sport also fares better in fuel efficiency as compared to its petrol sibling, returning 10km/L during our stint with it.
And thanks to its aluminium based construction, the lighter Rangie Sport is one tidy handler that gives an agile drive - justifying the Sport in its name.
The steering is also nicely weighted, quick, responsive and accurate, with subtle feedback from the road surface. And if the road surface gets a little too bumpy, the wonderful suspension is all ready to soak up those ruts effortlessly.
Conclusion
With the Range Rover Sport, you'll be impressed by the abilities of a thoroughly modern luxury SUV, be it the driving experience or its aesthetic qualities. In the case of the Range Rover Sport Diesel - efficiency plays a part too.
At $455,000 (as at 24th April 2014), the Rangie Sport Diesel costs $10,000 lesser than its petrol twin and is also the least expensive in the Range Rover Sport range. It will probably save drivers more at the pumps too, thanks to its oil burning nature.
And knowing that the car also has some competent off-road ability adds another big tick, even if there's still a hefty price tag.
