Driving review: Range Rover Sport
What is it about a Range Rover Sport that draws you in? Why do so many people aspire to own one? The reason is simple, it’s a vehicle not only with impressive heritage, but also one with a mighty sense of presence on the road.
It’s a strange relationship I have with this car, however. I love it, but I don’t necessarily want to be labeled a soccer mom whilst behind the wheel of it. I have found people assume I have a soccer team worth of kids in the back. Not that that’s a bad thing, but if you don’t have kids you don’t really want people thinking that you do? But if that is the only price to pay when driving in this lap of luxury, then so be it.
The design director for Land Rover, Gerry McGovern, says of the Sport, “It’s dramatic. It’s powerful. It’s got ‘drive me’ written all over it.” And he couldn’t be more correct. This car has sex appeal. It turns heads.
The ride is smooth and the 8-speed automatic transmission is just as refined and the corresponding roar from the V8 will leave you with a massive smile on your face. Under the bonner sits a 4,4-litre diesel engine that produces a whopping 700 N.m of torque. It will get you to 100 km/h in 6,9 seconds and on to a claimed top speed of 225 km/h.
It is little wonder the Range Rover Sport claimed first place in CAR magazine’s Top 12 Large SUV/Crossover category in 2014 and now in 2015 as well. It is by no means an inexpensive car, in fact, this particular model will cost you R1 424 283. But it is an impressive car and if you want to feel and look stylish lugging the kids around, you can’t really go wrong with a Range Rover Sport.