Range Rover Sport

What we liked
>> Genuine all-terrain capability
>> High-quality feel
>> Sonorous V8 engines

Not so much
>> Hefty weight exacerbates thirst
>> Not as nimble as BMW X5
>> Looks too similar to existing Rangie

OVERVIEW
Land Rover is currently in the midst of a product onslaught that will see its entire line-up renewed - barring the venerable Defender.

The ball was set in motion in 2002, when the current-generation Range Rover landed, bringing with it new-found refinement and luxury. It was followed earlier this year by the revamped Discovery 3, which heralded Land Rover's novel Integrated Body-Frame architecture - essentially an amalgamation of a monocoque chassis and a ladder frame.

Now, scarcely a few months later, the British icon has fired another salvo - the BMW X5-rivalling Range Rover Sport, a vehicle the company describes as the "Range Rover with a touch of Tabasco". Although it shares its name and styling with Land Rover's flagship model, the newcomer's underpinnings are essentially the same as those used by the Disco 3. However, the Sport's more compact dimensions were arrived at by lopping 140mm from the wheelbase. It also features a lower, squatter stance to help Land Rover with its objective of making the Sport its best handling model to date.

That said, there's no getting away from the fact that this is a 2.5-tonne vehicle -- more on that later.

The Sport is offered with a choice of three engines: a 2.7lt turbo-diesel V6 with 140kw, a normally aspirated 4.4lt petrol V8 with 220kW, and a supercharged 4.2lt V8 with 287kW. All models come with a six-speed automatic transmission.

Pricing kicks off at $85,000 for the TdV6, rising to $101,000 for the V8 and $136,500 for the Supercharged flagship. There's also a limited-run variant known as the 'First Edition', which retails for princely sum of $150,000.

FEATURES
The first clues to the shape the Sport would take were provided by the two-door Range Stormer concept that debuted at the 2004 Detroit Motor Show. However, the production version is more conservatively styled, closely resembling the look of the existing Rangie.

Where the Sport differs from its more stately sibling is in its slimmed-down nose, pronounced wheelarch flares and distinctive gills on the flanks. It also dispenses with the Rangie's bonnet 'castellations' and has a much lower roofline, which is particularly evident when the two are compared side-by-side.

Despite its resemblance to the Range Rover, the Sport has enough 'bling' factor to potentially sway buyers who might otherwise plump for a BMW X5, Merc M-Class or Lexus RX330.

Standard kit in the base model includes automatic climate control, full leather trim, six airbags, electric front seat adjustment and electronic park brake. Available for an extra outlay (or standard in up-spec models) are satellite navigation, premium audio with rear DVD screens, an integrated mobile phone, bi-Xenon headlights with cornering capabilities and adaptive cruise control (though not on diesel models).

The Supercharged model also scores 20-inch alloy wheels, twin stainless steel exhausts and extra brightwork on the body to further visually distinguish it from the lesser variants.

COMFORT
Land Rover's aim with the Sport was to endow it with a 'cockpit' feel inside - in contrast to the almost lounge-room ambience of the full-scale Range Rover. So where the big Rangie has big sofa-like pews, the Sport gains more contoured seats, and these do a better job of holding you in place when attacking twisty roads or when perched at odd angles in off-road situations.

There's also a more car-like theme in the way the driver is ensconced by the centre console and instrumentation. All controls and switchgear are within easy reach and the steering wheel adjusts for reach and height, so finding a comfortable driving position doesn't present an impossible challenge.

The instrument cluster, dominated by the large speedo and tacho, is well laid out, as, indeed, is the whole interior. The quality of materials used throughout is first-class, and the standard of fit and finish is also beyond reproach.

Leg and headroom is adequate in both front and rear, even though the cabin doesn't feel quite as spacious as one might exprct. Also smaller than expectations is the luggage area. Incidentally, the Sport has a conventional one-piece tailgate, unlike the Range Rover's traditional two-piece unit.

Occupants are well isolated from road-surface undulations and wind and road noise is well suppressed, allowing those within to bask in the V8's pleasing growl (unless, of course, they're riding in the turbo-diesel V6).

SAFETY
In addition to the six airbags (front, side and curtain) that help protect occupants in a collision, the Sport's safety arsenal includes a host of active safety gear designed to reduce the odds of a bingle occurring in the first place.

Anti-lock brakes are supplemented by electronic roll-over mitigation and traction and stability control. None of these features can be disengaged, in contrast to some rival vehicles, which give the driver the option. On the whole, the electronic nannies are relatively unobtrusive, except when belting around a racetrack, as we did at the media launch.

Adaptive cruise control, which maintains a constant distance to the vehicle in front, is offered as an option.

MECHANICAL
The engine line-up kicks off with a 2.7lt turbo-diesel V6 sourced from Land Rover's Premier Automotive Group stablemate Jaguar. Pumping out 140kW of power at 4000rpm and 440Nm of torque from 1900rpm, it eschews the twin-turbo set-up used in Jaguar cars in favour of a single turbo for better low-speed tractability.

Land Rover claims it can knock off the 0-100km/h split in 12.7sec - hardly earth-shattering, but it's about as good as could be expected when the vehicle's 2.5-tonne bulk is factored in.

Further up the scale is a 220kW/425Nm 4.4lt V8 that's also Jag-sourced (it's a bored-out version of the XJ's 4.2 unit). It's a bit sprightlier than the diesel, as evidenced by 0-100km/h dash in a respectable 8.9sec.

The range-topping 287kW/550Nm supercharged engine makes an even better fist of shifting the Sport from A to B in quick time and its 7.6sec 0-100km/h split isn't too far shy of the significantly lighter Mercedes ML55 AMG.

All engines are mated the excellent ZF six-speed (6HP26) automatic transmission with sequential-shift capabilities and a Sport mode. Its clever software blips the throttle on downshifts to match road speed with engine revs.

The centre E-diff biases drive in a 50:50 front/rear distribution set-up in normal circumstances, but the torque split is varied automatically when required.

Electronic air suspension is standard across the range, enabling ride height to be tailored to conditions.

The clever Discovery-sourced Terrain Response system - controlled via a knob on the centre console -has five settings: normal, grass/gravel/snow (slippery conditions), mud and ruts, sand and rock crawl.

COMPETITORS
The Sport has its work cut out to make a dent in the increasingly congested luxury SUV segment.

The BMW X5 and Mercedes M-Class currently dominate the category, but the Lexus RX330, Volkswagen Touareg, Porsche Cayenne, Volvo XC90 and Honda MDX are also well entrenched in the battle. Jeep's latest Grand Cherokee with it's improved dynamics and 5.7lt HEMI V8 adds even more choice.

Land Rover acknowledges the challenges posed by all these rivals, but points out (rightly so) that none of the others offers the breadth of capability that its contender boasts.

The pricing equation sounds about right. Retailing for $85,000, the TDV6 is more or less level pegging with the BMW X5 3.0d, while the $101,000 V8 comfortably undercuts the X5 4.4i. The Supercharged ($136,500) is also not exorbitantly expensive when one considers that the X5 4.8is costs $155,000.

ON THE ROAD
Land Rover claims the Sport is the best handling vehicle it's ever produced - and this claim isn't without merit.

The newcomer can be hustled along at a better clip than any of its forebears could have managed. This became particularly evident at Queensland's Darlington Park raceway, where CarPoint had the opportunity to cut hot laps - both in the driver's seat, and riding shotgun with V8 Supercar ace David Besnard.

It's probably not the most obvious exercise for an SUV, but the Sport was up to the challenge of lifting its skirts and scooting around the tight circuit - albeit with somewhat smoky Brembo brakes (standard on the Supercharged) by the end of it all. However, it's worth pointing out here that there's no getting around its 2.5-tonne bulk. The Dynamic Response hydraulically controlled swaybars help disguise the Sport's sheer mass, but it still can't match an X5 for nimbleness.

On the flip side of the coin, the Sport can go places where an X5 driver could only dream of venturing.

The Terrain Response system is brilliant (it's almost idiot-proof). Just twist the knob on the centre console to the appropriate position and the electronic wizardry optimises engine, suspension and transmission settings. All that's left to do is brake, accelerate and steer. If it's a steep descent you're tackling, just press the Hill Descent button and your feet become totally redundant, as steering input is all that's required.

Just remember the road-biassed low-profile rubber. While the big alloys (18-inch on the diesel and V8, 20-inch on the Supercharged)look great on the road, the wheels and rubber are ttypically easily damaged off-road. At least the Sport

To sum up, the Range Rover Sport is an accomplished all-terrainer, in the truest sense. Where some rivals are unashamedly road-biased, the British bulldog has stayed true to the Land Rover ethos of delivering genuine ground-covering capability. It's heavy and thirsty... yet it's also desirable.