Despite offering one of the most premium cabins in its SUVs, Land Rover is still not recalled as a luxurious brand. It is, however, synonymous with reliable, tough off-roaders. But, if you have spent some time with any of the latest models, you will realize that the brand has come a long way in terms of spoiling and pampering the customer. It can give the big three Germans a tough fight in this aspect. And the Land Rover Range Rover Sport further strengthens this faith. Just like any other model in its lineup, the Range Rover Sport will definitely age gracefully and blend well with the upcoming new crop of EVs that look like they belong to another planet. But is the Range Rover Sport all about the aesthetics and luxuriousness? We laid our hands on it and our answer is...of course not!

Exterior Design

Up front, the Land Rover Range Rover Sport looks absolutely stunning. The elements on the surface look boxy on the onset, but overall it has a rather rounded, well-finished face. Fire up the engine and the Range Rover Sport roars to life with the signature LED Daytime Running Lamps turning on. If you are a sucker for looks on your vehicle, this will make you go weak in the knees. Every brand out there has its own set of trademark DRLs, but for me, BMW’s Corona Rings, Volvo’s Thor Lights, and Land Rover’s DRLs make it to the top three. In a world where huge grilles have become the norm, the Range Rover Sport stands out. The honeycomb mesh in between the headlights looks quite good. There is a silver border on all three sides except the top. This design continues on the hood in the form of two creases that create a bulge to break the plain-Jane look. Even the washers are hidden from the view, thus sticking to the clean look the SUV carries all around. The Land Rover logo is placed on the side, whereas ‘RANGE ROVER’ is slapped on the tip of the hood.

The air dam at the bottom is huge and is complemented by a faux skid plate, which does not gel well with the aura of the SUV. It feels too plasticky on an otherwise good-looking vehicle. The conventional fog lamp housing is replaced by the same honeycomb mesh design, albeit in a smaller pattern. All the trims are offered with fog lamps except for the base trim. Since the headlamps and grille are slim, they look quite aggressive. Coupled with the black inserts on the bumper, this SUV comes with a very sporty vibe. The front parking sensors are also placed over here. Land Rover has integrated them well on the black panels and they don’t stick out like sore thumbs on an otherwise clean body. If I were to nitpick, I’d say the headlight washers spoil the look to an extent. But I’m glad Land Rover at least offered them. Moving further down, you can find two flaps under the body that help with the SUVs aerodynamics.

A crease runs from the top end of the headlights on the side all the way till the rear and connects to the taillights the same way. The door handles are also integrated in a way that this crease intersects with them. Kudos to Land Rover for paying such attention to detail. All the pillars, as well as the roof, are blackened out. The sloping roofline ends with a spoiler on a sharply raked rear windshield. The front fenders are actually quite short, thanks to the stout stature of the SUV. Due to this, even the wheel arches are not flared as such, but they do have a subtle bulge. However, Land Rover has side skirts finished in gloss black running below the doors. I’m a little befuddled as to why the gloss black was chosen as a finish when this area will be on the receiving end of the harsh.

Just like most of the other models in the automaker’s portfolio, the rear overhang is much larger than the front. The base trim rides on 19-inch, five split-spoke wheels with a silver finish. The second from bottom HSE trim comes with the 20-inch wheels, whereas the top three trims are offered with 21-inch wheels. These are offered with a Gloss Black, Silver, and Diamond turned finish, respectively. If you opt for the black package that wraps your pillars, wing mirrors, and roof in black, the Gloss Black wheels would look smokin’ hot. Speaking of the wing mirrors, they are fixed to the A-pillar instead of the doors, which seems to be a trend of sorts these days. The turn signal indicators are integrated into them. I find them to be a tad bit small, but they still give a good view of the action behind. The A-pillars are slim and do no cause any blind spots.

The rear is quite busy on the Land Rover Range Rover Sport. As I mentioned earlier, the taillights are assembled pretty much like the headlights; with parts of them creeping into the sides. These LED taillights look great in action. However, they do not delve into the tailgate. Thank God the automaker decided to skip any bits of chrome on the body except for the badges. The ‘RANGE ROVER’ moniker finds its way above this strip, whereas the model and variant name are found below it on the left-hand side. The bumper also houses two tailpipes in a rectangular housing finished in silver, similar to the strip. The rear windshield is a short unit, similar to the Evoque’s. Coupled with the thick D-pillars, the rearview from the inside is hampered to a large extent. But, in terms of looks, the SUV has enough to seek attention on the roads.

Land Rover Range Rover Sport exterior dimensions

How Big is the Range Rover Sport?

The Land Rover Range Rover Sport is 192.1 inches long, 87.4 inches wide, and 71 inches tall. It has a front track of 66.6 inches and a rear track of 66.4 inches. If you own a single car garage, this is going to be a tight fit. A larger single bay parking spot would do fine, but two-car parking would be more comfortable. Not just for the length, but also because of the width. If we were to compare these specs with its immediate rivals – the Audi Q8 and the Mercedes GLS – this SUV is the shortest in terms of length, but is also the widest.

Land Rover Range Rover Sport vs competition - exterior dimensions

Since it has off-roading in its DNA, the Range Rover Sport boasts some impressive specs in that department as well. It has the best departure angle of the lot at 28.5 degrees, and an approach angle of 29.1 degrees; only bettered by the Mercedes GLS. The ramp angle is rated at 25.7 degrees. As for the wading depth, the Range Rover Sport excels as it can go up to 33.5 inches deep before you are in any sort of trouble. Not even a Jeep can ‘ford’ (pun intended) so much water.

Land Rover Range Rover Sport vs competition - off-road angles

Interior Design

Like I mentioned in the introduction, the automaker is not known to build luxurious cars, but the notion is changing now. The Range Rover Sport has all the bells and whistles you can ask for. It exudes class and sophistication all around the cabin and can give even the three Germans a run for their money. Starting from the front, the SUV comes with a massive dashboard. In all honesty, the first impression it gives is how much space could have been freed if not for this Brobdingnagian design. Despite the presence of screens and touch stuff all around, the console feels very cluttered. It is too plain and makes it look even bigger. The company could have at least embossed the brand name on it. With that said, everything is soft touch and feels premium. The door pad is a mix of beige and black. The power window switch is placed at the top, but a little too ahead for my liking. If you, as a passenger, have a laid back position with the seat gone back all the way and reclined comfortably, reaching this would be a stretch. The door pad itself, on the other hand, comes with switches for the memory seat function and door lock. A speaker is placed on the beige portion, whereas a tweeter can be found right next to the A-pillar. The footrest area is all carpeted in black, which is a smart move considering what a pain-in-the-ass maintaining beige would be.

Moving to the driver’s side, this is where it all feels cluttered. If by any chance you are a fan of Tesla’s clean design, this cabin will put you off. The power window buttons for all the doors are placed at the top of the door pad, whereas the memory seat function switches, speaker, and tweeter are in the exact same position as the passenger side. But there are so many buttons on it. The right side set has the cruise control and heated steering wheel buttons on them. The left side set comes with the MID toggle switches and telephonic controls. Although there is an ease of convenience, the buttons do not offer tactile feedback and nor are they separated. Unless you get used to the placement, you will find yourself fidgeting with the controls. The horn pad at the center is huge and comes with ‘RANGE ROVER’ lettering. The instrument cluster comes with a nice leather cowl at the top.

Coming to the center console, Range Rover has offered a waterfall design over here. While this is inclined at a good angle for the driver to see when driving, visibility under direct sunlight is compromised. The dual-zone AC controls are here in the form of knobs and touch. Is Land Rover playing it safe by offering both the options to customers? Anyway, below this is the gear lever and drive mode selector on the driver’s side and a pair of cup holders on the other side. This section can be closed when not in use. Finally, this section ends with a huge armrest that is wide enough to cater to both the front passengers.

Things obviously keep getting better as you move up the ladder. In terms of safety, the Range Rover Sport comes packed with Blind Spot Recognition, Driver Condition Monitor, and Traffic Sign Recognition with Adaptive Speed Limiter, to name a few. The top-trim comes with features like:

-* Black Contrast Sliding Panoramic Roof

-* Semi-Aniline Leather Seats

-* 22-way Heated and Cooled Front Memory Seats with Heated Rear Seats

-* Heated Leather Steering Wheel

-* Premium Carpet Mats

-* Soft Door Close

-* Three-Zone Climate Control

-* Grand Black Veneer

-* 360-degree Surround Camera

-* Meridian Surround Sound System (825W) with 19 Speakers

-* Configurable Ambient Interior Lighting

-* Auto-Dimming Interior Rear View Mirror

Despite being the widest in the class, the automaker was not able to convert this into making a spacious cabin. Don’t get me wrong; it’s not cramped by any means, but provided that it is much wider than the Audi Q8 and the Mercedes GLS, it is on par with these SUVs instead of being a lot more spacious. The center console is unnecessarily wide and all the extra width gets used up over there. To put things into perspective, the Range Rover Sport offers front shoulder room of 60.7 inches compared to Q8’s 59.5 inches. However, it is almost nine inches wider than the Q8. No complaints in the other departments. The Land Rover Range Rover Sport offers headroom of 39.5 inches and legroom of 42.2 inches at the front, with rear headroom and legroom of 39.1 and 37 inches, respectively.

Land Rover Range Rover Sport vs competition - interior dimensions

How Much Cargo Room Does the Land Rover Range Rover Sport Have?

This is slightly smaller than the Audi Q8’s 30.5 cubic-feet, but a lot larger than the Mercedes GLS’ 16 cubic-feet. That’s because the GLS is a three-row SUV. So, when you fold the second row in the Range Rover Sport and the Q8, and the second and third-row in the GLS, they offer 59.5 cubic-feet, 60.7 cubic-feet, and 93.8 cubic-feet, respectively. This was expected because the Range Rover Sport is the shortest vehicle.

The rear seats split in a 60:40 ratio, so that extends the flexibility to an extent. There is no storage under the cargo area as such expect for storing knick-knacks like your cleaning dusters. There are hooks on either side to tug your handbags into so they don’t wander around like toddlers in a play area. The tailgate can be operated electrically.

Land Rover Range Rover Sport vs competition - cargo room

Is Range Rover's Infotainment System Easy to Use?

The SUV comes with a new system known as Touch Pro Duo, that is the most advanced infotainment system the automaker has ever built. In simple words, this is a set of two 10-inch touchscreens placed on the center console. At least you won’t have to take your eyes off the road to control the basic things like the AC temperature. Like I mentioned earlier, the angle does not offer great visibility under direct sunlight, and also fingerprints are more visible here. Fingerprints on the glossy surface are as bad a combination as pineapple on pizza. The instrument cluster is also a part of this system and it comes with the speedometer on the left, tachometer on the right, and a display in the middle that puts out details like maps and media.

Coming to the User Interface, Land Rover has a long way to go. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay come as standard, thankfully. The spaces between the icons is a little too less and you will end up hitting the wrong icon more often than not. Fortunately, the system offers customization options. This way, you can arrange stuff as per your convenience. The infotainment screen at the top can be customized to set a variety of wallpapers to give a sense of personalization. The default layout does provide clarity of options for access to entertainment media, a Bluetooth-connected phone, or navigation. The lower screen is used for climate controls, drive adjustments like suspension height, and even seat heating and massaging functions. In case your top screen is being used for navigation or other ‘important’ stuff, the media details can be displayed on the lower screen with a single touch.

Range Rover Sport and Car Seats

This is the section where the Range Rover excels. The seats, in general, are supportive and comfortable with sufficient bolstering on either side. In the base trim, the seats are offered with a 14-way adjustment, whereas in the top trim they are 22-way adjustable. The seats are ventilated and have a memory function as well; even for the passenger. This may seem silly, but I’d have preferred beige seatbelts as well. I’ve got that in my current car and it looks better than the black belts. The headrests are wide and very comfortable as well. The front seats also have back seat pockets.

The Land Rover Range Rover is strictly a four-seater, or maybe a five-seater if you seat a person you hate. The other two seats are similar to the front and are reclined at a comfortable angle as well. The middle seat is a small bench, which means you barely have any thigh support. The seat belt buckle is also part of the small seat, so that intrudes as well. But at least there’s a three-point seatbelt that may never get to hug any passenger. The center armrest pokes out of the back, which means you have a fixed headrest that is placed quite low. There is no transmission tunnel hump per se, but the rear HVAC controls intrude out quite a bit, so there’s no legroom. Coming back to the armrest, it is not self-holding, which is a little surprising. Land Rover has instead provided extra cushioning at the base that makes it sit at a 180-degree angle (this is the same piece that makes for the headrest for the middle passenger).

Land Rover Range Rover Sport Performance

The Land Rover Range Rover Sport comes with a multitude of engine options. The SUV is available in six trims and is offered with four different engine options to choose; two of which are available in two different states of tunes each. So, in total, you have six engine options to choose from. You cannot expect it to perform very well, but it just about does the job. But, thanks to the all-wheel-drive system and the fantastic ZF eight-speed transmission, the engine does not feel like an underperformer. The other engine on the base trim is a 3.0-liter, in-line six-cylinder engine that produces 355 horses and 365 pound-feet of torque. This mill is offered on the HST trim in a slightly more powerful avatar as well, where it develops 395 ponies and 406 pound-feet of torque. Even if you opt for the base trim, we’d strongly suggest you go for the gasoline engine, unless you plan to take this beast out on long highway drives often.

The next engine is a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder plug-in hybrid mill that makes 398 ponies and 472 pound-feet of torque. You can expect this mill to be the most efficient of the lot, but the figures are yet to be announced. All we know is that it will travel 22 miles in pure EV mode. However, this engine will do well considering that many people would use this SUV for city drives. This engine also has ample power to keep you happy when your adrenaline rush kicks in. The final engine in the Land Rover Range Rover Sport is the 5.0-liter, supercharged V-8 gasoline engine that is available in two power tunes. In the first avatar, it makes 518 ponies and 461 pound-feet of torque. The second skin makes 575 horses and 516 pound-feet of twist, thus crowning itself as the most powerful engine you can have in the SUV. All the engines are mated to a ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic transmission.

For folks looking to go berserk with their Range Rover Sport, things don’t get better than this. Imagine how intimidating it would be for someone watching you whip this 5,000-pound beast to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds. The powerful state is available only in the top-trim, so even if you think the base trim’s features fit your bill, you will still have to shell out 40-odd grand extra just to avail this mill. With that said, all the engine options are offered with an all-wheel-drive system and eight-speed automatic transmission. This ensures that the ride and quality aspect is up to the mark irrespective of which trim you choose. And, being an off-roader at its core, the Range Rover Sport has no qualms there.

I’m mentioning the gear lever in this section instead of the interior because, well, it’s got to do with the engine. If you are plonking almost 100,000 bucks on a vehicle, this is not the lever you would expect. Check out the ones on the three Germans; each of them is a delight to hold. The lever on this is good for a sub-$40,000 vehicle, not at this price point. The SVAutobiography comes with a transmission knob, which I’m not a fan of. Come on Land Rover, you are operating at the extreme ends of the spectrum in this department. The Land Rover Range Rover Sport also comes with something known as Adaptive Dynamics that, in the automaker’s words, “delivers the perfect balance of ride and control by offering continuously variable damper settings. Monitoring vehicle movements up to 500 times a second, the system responds to your inputs and the road conditions to ensure a comfortable, composed drive”.

Land Rover Range Rover Sport vs competition - drivetrain specifications

How Much Can the Range Rover Sport Tow?

Depending on the engine you choose, the Land Rover Range Sport can tow anywhere between 5,511 and 7,716 pounds. This is more than enough for an SUV of this magnitude. In fact, it trumps the Q8 and the GLS in this department, the two of which can tow up to 7,700 and 7,500 pounds, respectively.

How Fast is the Range Rover Sport?

This 3.0-liter, V-6 engine found under the hood of the base trim sprints from 0-60 mph in 7.2 seconds before losing its breath at 130 mph. With the 3.0-liter, six-cylinder mill, it does the 0-60 mph sprint in 6.2 seconds and a top speed of 130 mph. The second avatar of this engine zooms to 60 mph from a standstill in 5.9 seconds and has a top speed of 140 mph. Coming to the only plug-in hybrid engine in the lineup, it runs to 60 mph in 6.3 seconds and tops out at 137 mph. The biggest engine of the lot sprints to 60 mph from a standstill in five seconds and the speed governor kicks in at 130 mph. In the 575 horsepower avatar, the beast gallops to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds and goes all the way to 176 mph.

Range Rover Sport Fuel Economy

In terms of fuel economy, Land Rover has not released figures for all the engines. However, the base trim with the V-6 diesel mill offers a combined economy of 24 miles per gallon. In the 5.0-liter V-8 gasoline engine, it delivers 19 mpg and 16 mpg combined, depending on which state of tune you choose. Land Rover says the SUV can drive up to 22 miles in pure EV mode. Interestingly, the automaker has offered fuel tanks of different sizes, varying from 22.7 to 27.6 liters. Of course, the gasoline engine with the least fuel economy comes with the biggest tank, and vice versa.

Land Rover Range Rover Sport vs competition - fuel economy

Land Rover Range Rover Sport Pricing

The Land Rover Range Rover Sport starts at $68,650. This is for the base SE trim without any add-ons. The Audi Q8, on the other hand, starts at $67,400, and the Mercedes-Benz GLS is the most expensive of the lot and starts at $70,150. Here’s the trim-wise pricing:

Land Rover Range Rover Sport prices

Land Rover Range Rover Sport Options

Land Rover has nicely spaced out each of its trims. In fact, you can opt for packages on the lower trim and save money instead of opting for the higher trim. On the base SE trim, Land Rover offers two packages - the Drive package that adds a blind-spot monitor, a driver-condition monitoring system and traffic sign recognition, while the Park package adds 360-degree parking sensors and rear cross-traffic alert. The HSE variant will offer you all these plus stuff like a panoramic sunroof. Here, you can opt for the Off-Road package that adds a low-range transfer case, aero kits, and additional terrain modes.

Land Rover also offers some packages on all the trims, such as the Drive Pro which includes adaptive cruise control, high-speed automatic emergency braking, and a blind-spot monitor with lane-keeping assist. Then there’s the Park Pro package that adds automatic parallel and perpendicular parking. If you wish to opt for individual items, you can separately purchase the 23-speaker audio system, front-seat massage functions, ventilated rear seats, and the Wade Sensing system (which requires a 360-degree camera and blind-spot monitor and alerts drivers when the Range Rover Sport approaches its maximum wading depth).

The best of the lot, however, is the SVR kit that can be availed with the top-of-the-line trim and includes a sport-tuned suspension, sport seats, and special interior and exterior styling and trim details. Summer performance tires are offered as a no-cost option.

Land Rover Range Rover Sport Competition

Audi Q8

Audi’s flagship SUV and a distant cousin of the Lamborghini Urus, the Q8 is a more luxurious Q7 in a nutshell. It is a five-seater that also looks sportier than the Q7. One aspect that differentiates it from the competition is the lack of a sloping roofline at the rear, and I’m happy about that. Since we have listed out the dimension comparison specs already, I won’t be repeating them again here. It comes with a plethora of features that make it a premium offering. The highlight, however, is the number of screens that dominate the cabin. The 12.3-inch instrument cluster behind the steering wheel that Audi calls the ‘Virtual Cockpit’ is complemented by the 10.1-inch touchscreen that handles your infotainment and navigation needs, and an 8.6-inch screen below the 10.1-inch screen for your climate controls. The overall experience feels much better here than the Touch Pro unit on the Range Rover Sport.

Coming to the performance aspect, Audi offers a single option on all the trims of the Q8 – a 3.0-liter, turbocharged V-6 mill that makes 335 ponies and 369 pound-feet of torque. It is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and Quattro all-wheel-drive system. It delivers 19 miles to the gallon with combined city and highway usage. If the engine is your top priority, look elsewhere. A single option on offer is not acceptable when Land Rover offers four different mills on the Range Rover Sport.

Read our full review on the 2019 Audi Q8

Mercedes-Benz GLS

This SUV looks calm, yet the most intimidating of the lot. If I were to relate it to a Pokemon, the GLS is the Snorlax of the SUV world. It has a relaxed demeanor on the onset, but don’t confuse it to be a slouch. It looks simple and straight-forward with no gym-built body and should perhaps age well compared to the rivals. Being luxurious SUVs, we don’t have to talk about the standard features on offer. But, we are comparing the screens in all of them as that’s the highlight of these SUVs. The Mercedes-Benz GLS comes with a pair of 12.3-inch screens paired together. The two screens are the instrument cluster and the infotainment system, horizontally stacked on the dash in a single frame. It looks like something pulled out of the game. The infotainment system supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and navigation as well.

Speaking of the powertrains, the GLS is offered with two 'regular' engines and one AMG mill. First one is a 3.0-liter, V-6 engine that makes 362 horses and 369 pound-feet of torque, that takes 6.5 seconds to sprint to 60 mph from a standstill. The second engine is a 4.7-liter, V-8 bi-turbo mill that churns out 449 horses and 516 pound-feet of torque. 5.2 seconds is what it takes to hit the 60 mph mark. In the AMG avatar, you get a handcrafted 5.5-liter, V-8 bi-turbo engine that develops 577 ponies and 561 pound-feet of twist. This engine swooshes to 60 mph from a standstill in just 4.5 seconds. I still can’t believe that the Range Rover Sport is the fastest among the three.

Read our full review on the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS

Is the Range Rover Sport Right for Me?

It matches the finesse of any luxurious SUV out there, has the pizzazz in terms of looks, and comes with multiple engine options to choose from. Ultimately, it boils down to what you’re looking for. The base trim offers higher towing capacity, higher mileage, but the performance is compromised. The bigger engine in the higher trim will give you the performance, but not the fuel economy and it breaches the six-digit figure. If you are looking at a mixed bag that comes with all the creature comforts and a little more, we’d recommend you the HSE trim. It starts at $75,000 and you have three engine options to choose from – a diesel, gasoline, and a plug-in hybrid mill.

Final Thoughts

If only the price was $10,000 lesser on each trim, it would be a value-for-money proposition. The three Germans have made this segment their own and are comfortable co-existing. But, for an off-roader brand to make a mark in these competitive times, you must offer something that's mouth-watering. The 575 horses and 4.3-second figures are tempting, but shelling over $100,000 for that? Not many people would do that. The SUV was in controversy recently, as well. A few months back, around 29,000 examples of the Range Rover Sport were recalled for faulty doors that may open unexpectedly. Such news can dent a reputation and play a role in decision-making. Hopefully, Land Rover starts rolling out niggle-free cars soon.

Further reading

Read our full review of the 2018 Land Rover Rainge Rover

Read our full review on the 2018 Land rover Range Rover Sport.

Read our full article on the 2018 Land Rover Range Rover P400e.

Read our full article on the 2018 Land Rover Range Rover Sport P400e.