Land Rover has completely renewed one of the most successful models for the British brand. We are talking about the Range Rover Sport, which with over 1 million units sold worldwide Since its launch, it has become in its own right a vital pillar of the Range Rover brand. Now comes its new generation, with a more refined and elegant design but also more imposing; a leap in quality inside; and of course, plug-in hybrid versions with great electric autonomy.
The design of the new Range Rover Sport 2023 dispenses with the superfluous, the frills, following the new philosophy of the brand. A clean design, with few edges, and very horizontal strokes. It is a more elegant design than the previous model, and certainly more imposing. ‘Awesome’ is perhaps the word that best describes the first impression the 2023 Range Rover Sport makes.
The front is clearly divided into three “heights”, which in person are much better resolved than it may seem in images. The side view is unmistakable, although the new Range Rover Sport has a steeper windscreen than before and a slightly more steeply sloping roof at the rear. By also adding flush door handles, the drag coefficient (Cx) has been reduced to just 0.29.
With 4.95 meters in length and a wheelbase of 3 meters, the front and rear overhangs are very short. Having the side skirts painted in body color adds to the feeling of being a lower car, although it’s not very low (it’s 1.82 meters tall). The sporty character is emphasized by the huge wheels, which can be up to 23 inches, behind which are housed brakes of equally impressive size.
The back is more minimalist if possible. The tailgate barely has a couple of edges. A black stripe with Range Rover lettering joins both drivers, with the brand’s logo on the right side. The license plate is located in the lower part, just above the exhaust outlets, and the rear lights feature Surface LED technology. A curious fact is that this new Sport mounts the largest rear spoiler ever seen on a Range Rover.
An interior more luxurious than ever (and of course, more technological)
Inside there is a significant leap in perceived quality (and actual quality) of the finishes, placing the Sport very close to its big brother, the luxurious Range Rover. The seats could well be luxurious armchairs in the living room of a house and we find very high quality leather not only in their upholstery, but also in the dashboard or the doors.
In strictly design terms, at first glance it may seem almost identical to the Range Rover but there are some differences. On Range Rover Sport, the steering wheel has three spokes and the center console is floating and has a curved design (in the Range it is straight and it is not floating). As in its big brother, the floor of the cabin is completely flat, which gives us a clue about the future: the MLA platform is ready to make an electric Range Rover Sport, which will arrive in 2024.
The attention to detail is also reflected in the careful design and feel of the steering wheel paddles, the active noise cancellation system or the curious folding mechanism for the roof handles, similar to scissor-type computer keyboards. Another good news is that Land Rover has decided to keep physical controls for functions such as temperature regulation and volume control of the sound system.
The driving position is 20mm lower than the outgoing model, while at the rear there is 31mm more legroom and 20mm more knee room compared to the outgoing Range Rover Sport. Also, the cabin is 3 dB quieter than the previous model.
The technological load is at the level that can be expected today in a car of more than 100,000 euros. The Pivi Pro infotainment system features a 13.1-inch haptic-responsive touchscreen and comes with Amazon Alexa built-in. The interior rearview mirror has ClearSight technology (it can function as a conventional rearview mirror or as a digital display showing the image of a rear-facing camera). It even has a camera system that makes the hood “invisible” when driving off-road.
Of course, practically no driving assistant is missing: from an adaptive cruise control capable of keeping the vehicle centered in the lane at speeds of up to 200 km/h to the Lane Merge Assist function, which completes overtaking autonomously if we indicate it with the turn signal (provided it can be done surely, logically).
Two plug-in hybrid engines with impressive electric range
The new Range Rover Sport will be marketed with two plug-in hybrid mechanics, two micro-hybrid diesels and a gasoline thermal. The two plug-in hybrid versions are called P440e and P510e, whose number refers to the total power of the mechanical assembly. A fully electric version will be added in 2024.
The plug-in hybrid versions combine a 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder petrol engine with 400 hpa 143 hp electric motor and one battery with 31.8 kWh usable capacity (38.2 kWh gross). Both versions use the same petrol engine and electric drive, as well as the same eight-speed ZF automatic transmission. The difference in power and torque is due exclusively to software management.
The Range Rover Sport P440e It has 441 hp of maximum power (324 kW) and 620 Nm of torque. homologous 114 kilometers of electric autonomy in WLTP cycle. According to Land Rover, in real conditions almost 90 kilometers can be covered in fully electric mode, although it will logically depend on the type of driving of each client. The P440e does 0-100 km/h in 5.8 seconds and reaches 225 km/h top speed (top speed in electric mode is 140 km/h). Thanks to its large battery, the approved average consumption is just 0.8 l/100 km with CO2 emissions of 18 g/km. Of course, it has a Zero label from the DGT.
The Range Rover Sport P510e raises the bet to 510 horsepower and 700 Nm of torque. It can go from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.4 seconds and has a top speed of 242 km/h. In this case, the combined autonomy in electric mode is 113 kilometers, according to the WLTP cycle.
Given the large capacity of its battery (greater than that of some fully electric models such as the Honda e), Range Rover Sport plug-in hybrids have a fast charge of 50 kW in direct current. You can recharge up to 80% in 40 minutes with a 50 kW fast charger. On a home wall charger (7.2 kW AC), a full charge requires five hours. By the way, the battery is also noticeable in the weight of the vehicle: the P510e marks 2,810 kg on the scale.
Chassis loaded with technology to have the best dynamics on asphalt and off it
The philosophy of the Range Rover Sport (as its name suggests) is to offer a driving more focused on the asphalt than the rest of its models, a more refined driving dynamics and, if it can be said, more sporty. And to achieve this, Land Rover has put all the meat on the grill.
The Range Rover Sport 2023 chassis is a true compendium of mechanical and electronic technologies whose objective is to have great driving dynamics on asphalt while still having good off-road capabilities. Thus the things, the Range Rover Sport equips four-wheel steering, active stabilizer bars with eARC active roll control system, electronic active differential with torque distribution in curves (standard on the P510e), air suspension with double-valve shock absorbers, intelligent all-wheel drive…
To all this we must add a chassis with 35% more torsional rigidity and enormous brakes with 400 mm diameter discs on the front axle (almost 16 inches) and 370 mm on the rear wheels.
With the suspension in the off-road position, the new Range Rover Sport has 274mm of ground clearance; 33º entry angle, 24.5º ventral angle and 30º exit angle. The maximum wading depth is 900 mm. Plug-in hybrid versions can tow trailers up to 3,000kg (braked).
Range and prices in Spain of the Range Rover Sport 2023 plug-in hybrid
Unlike what happens in other plug-in hybrids on the market, in the Range Rover Sport the PHEV version will be the access to the range. This makes it, now more than ever, the most interesting option in the range. The range part from 102,700 euros (P440e S). The most powerful P510e is combined only with the top-of-the-range finish and you will have to pay at least 141,650 euros.
- Range Rover Sport P440e S: 102,700 euros
- Range Rover Sport P440e SE: 109,300 euros
- Range Rover Sport P440e Dynamic SE: 112,550 euros
- Range Rover Sport P440e Dynamic HSE: 121,500 euros
- Range Rover Sport P510e Autobiography: 141,650 euros
- Range Rover Sport P510e First Edition: 145,500 euros
Land Rover is already accepting orders for this model. Delivery to the first customers is scheduled for the coming months, with variable deadlines depending on the supply chain.
