KCR WINTER 24:25 Magazine FINAL 1 - Flipbook - Page 96
Ooo昀昀昀昀f is the word that the Range Rover Sport inspires at 昀椀rst sight.
It really does look great. We tested the Dynamic SE 3.0 Petrol Plug In
Hybrid to 昀椀nd out what’s its really like.
Clean, strong and dynamic lines 昀氀ow throughout the body. The reasonably priced Varesine Blue option at £895 is a great 昀椀t for this latest
model as we feel it highlights the lines of the vehicle and its sporting
character without being too shouty. Coupled with the 22-inch satin dark
grey wheels and the black exterior pack our test vehicle really did look
remarkable.
Stepping up into the Sport made is made easy thanks to the standard
air suspension access ride setting. The cabin Is much like the outside.
A real special place to be. The two pilot-feeling seats up front with the
Range Rover special individual armrests are supremely comfortable.
You really do sink into them and they feel super plush. But importantly
they remain supportive on long adventures. The Interior undoubtedly
feels modern due to the lack of buttons aside from the start/stop button.
Which takes some getting used to there is no denying it. But it was felt
that a lot of e昀昀ort has been made to display things clearly on the large
central screen. Technology is excellent with crystal clear infotainment
graphics, heated steering wheel, Bluetooth, wireless charging, Apple/
Android phone interface, pixel LED headlights, adaptive cruise with
steering assist and the list goes on. A unique highlight was the o昀昀road
clear view camera, which projected a clear view onto the screen of what
is under the bonnet and near the front wheels, meaning you could see
exactly how to dodge potential tyre-busting rocks o昀昀road or high curbs
in the city. A fantastic feature.
Space inside was plentiful and the back seats felt more accustomed to a
full-size Range Rover than what you may expect. A really nice surprise.
Rear passengers on the test vehicle were treated to electronic reclining
seats, individual climate control, seat heaters and sun blinds. A true luxury feel. Moreover, the test vehicle had the full non-leather upgrade. A
speci昀椀cation that would have been unnoticed if it was not on the speci昀椀cation sheet. It looked, felt and even smelt great. Remarkable. An option
we would choose. The boot is also unquestionably large and loading is
made easier with the ability to lower the rear air suspension and fold the
rear seats electronically.
With a 3.0 twin-turbocharged petrol and the plug-in hybrid electric
motor, performance is close to breathtaking. The electric motor’s torque
aids when pulling away and of course, the four-wheel drive system
means the wheels remain in control. 0-60 is completed in just 5.3
seconds with the combined 460hp. It really does feel sporty, e昀昀ortless
and sounds surprisingly good too, especially from the outside. At speed
the Range Rover Sport remains super re昀椀ned in all areas, pampering its
passengers whilst delivering excellent performance. The dynamic drive
mode and putting the gearbox into sport enables the ultimate experience as well as being visually appealing with the dials changing to red.
Handling is also impressive for the dimensions and grip is excellent.
Corners can be taken con昀椀dently with quite some pace. The testers were
truly impressed with the dynamic ability. A ‘Sport’ it truly is.
What’s more the hybrid battery enables up to a claimed 72 miles of pure
electric zero-emission driving. A signi昀椀cant increase over the previous
generation Range Rover Sport. This makes the plug-in hybrid properly useable. Doing so accentuates the Range Rover’s re昀椀nement and
provides a truly smooth, peaceful and calming drive. It really suits the
vehicle very well indeed. Land Rover claims the vehicle can achieve up
to 368mpg. Undoubtedly this is unrealistic to many in the real world but
thanks to that useable electric range if you charge the battery a lot you
start to believe how this may be possible.
Being a Range Rover o昀昀-road capability is embedded as standard.
Features such as adjustable height air suspension, Lands Rovers renowned Terrain Response 2 system, Hill Decent Control, Low traction
launch and a high/low range transfer box its capability continues to be
legendary. More useable on road is the 900mm water fording ability, of
which depth can judged by the onboard wade sensing programme that
provides a visual diagram of the current water depth. Also worth noting
is that the plug in hybrid can still tow an impressive 3,000kg.
All this capability and luxury costs £93,145 for the Dynamic SE PlugIn Hybrid P460e, with our test vehicle with options costing just over
£105,000. A lot of money, but experiencing it makes you feel its worth.
A special SUV. Visit: https://www.landrover.co.uk/range-rover/index.
html
By Luke Penny
