Our view: 2016 Land Rover Range Rover Sport

Source: Our view: 2016 Land Rover Range Rover Sport

Editor’s Note: This review was written in September 2015 for the 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Sport. In terms of content, little has changed in this year’s model. To see what’s new for 2016, click here or see a side-by-side comparison of the two model years.

The new SVR version of the 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Sport brings back the performance that pushed luxury to the back burner in the 2014 SUV redesign, but it does have some drivability issues.

The product of Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations Group, the very expensive 550hp SVR, tops a lineup that includes two other powertrains and four other trim levels. Compare them here and the 2015 and 2014 Range Rover Sports here. I will focus this review on the SVR. For a more comprehensive look at the Range Rover Sport read our 2014 review here. Note that the Range Rover (minus the ‘Sport’), Land Rover’s flagship model, is a separate model detailed here.

If the Range Rover Sport didn’t already look menacing enough, the SVR adds deeper bumper vents and a more angular lower crossbar. Four rear tailpipes, without decorative frame, bookend and new bumper diffuser. 21-inch wheels replace the 19s and 20s on lower fairings. If hyperbole is your tonic, Land Rover also offers 22s.

The new face is mainly functional; The larger front vents direct more air to the brakes and dual intercoolers. The face also affects few abilities. Approach and departure angles decrease slightly, but ground clearance remains the same, with a trail-ready 10.9 inches of maximum clearance in the standard air spring’s highest off-road mode.

The SVR’s supercharged V-8 engine goes far beyond what an SUV should be capable of, with endless power from 2,000 rpm and upwards along with a banging, hissing exhaust in the powertrain’s Dynamic mode.

If only it weren’t so difficult to get the SUV to exit. Despite Land Rover’s claims of quicker shift times for the SVR, the standard eight-speed automatic occasionally chases multiple gears during kickdowns and decelerations, or even refuses to downshift at full throttle. Pedal hard and the drivetrain responds eventually, and often violently, but waking the beast takes a moment.

The supercharged V-8’s massive torque (502 pound-feet from 2,500 to 5,000 rpm) is enough to pick up speed through even the transmission’s stubborn moments. Two sportier driving modes – an all-encompassing Dynamic mode and a separate Sport mode just for the transmission – also speed up response. But powertrains should respond well Originally. I call foul.

Make your way through the deceleration and the SVR pulls hard, traversing 60mph in just under 4.5 seconds, according to Land Rover. That’s a lot quick, albeit short of competing performers. Porsche says the Cayenne Turbo S will hit 60 mph in just 3.8 seconds, and Tesla says its forthcoming Model X will pass the mark in 3.2 seconds, which beats a supercar. However, if you think the SVR is slow, you need to have your head checked.

The handling of the Range Rover Sport SVR signals the biggest departure from smaller Range Rover Sports. Fly into a turn and the SVR resists body roll like a sports car – and resolutely not how smaller Range Rover Sport. The steering has some SUV-like wobble, and our test vehicle’s all-season Michelin tires gave up grip over initial understeer. But switch it to dynamic mode, apply a steady throttle, and you can drift the SVR’s rear end with surprising control. Get the hang of it and sweeping turns allow for easy four wheel drifts with a pleasing mix of playfulness and Attitude.

Unfortunately, there are some compromises in ride quality. The SUV is quiet and stable at highway speeds, but the suspension — an SVR-specific setup with active anti-roll bars and adaptive shock absorbers — drives busy. Bigger bumps reveal a level of harshness that seems out of place in a luxury SUV, even a sporty one, and Dynamic mode dials in the choppy feel on anything but glassy pavement.

The Range Rover Sport also offers a 340hp supercharged V-6 or a 510hp supercharged V-8. For 2016 comes a diesel V-6 with higher mileage. Full-time four-wheel drive and air suspension are standard, with adaptive shock absorbers optional on V-6 models and standard on the V-8. Regardless of the engine, maximum towing capacity is a decent 7,716 pounds.

The SVR’s padded sport seats pin you up to the shoulders, which drew mixed opinions. One editor hated them, saying they interfere with visibility and have the padding of a park bench. Others, including myself, have found them supportive and comfortable. True to the design, they hold you tight during hard turns.

Their one-piece design carries over to the outboard rear seats, whose fixed headrests obscure some rearward visibility. But sight lines are otherwise good, thanks to lots of glass around you, tall side mirrors and narrow roof pillars.

Like other higher-end Range Rover Sport trim levels, the SVR features upgraded cabin materials with real metal accents and a real leather-trimmed dashboard. The cabin is wide enough that the massive center console doesn’t restrict knee room for anyone but the tallest drivers. The rear seats offer good legroom and headroom, as well as a high seating position and excellent visibility, but adult passengers might find the lower cushions too short. The seats recline a tiny bit, but the SVR’s sculpted chairs are fixed. That differs from the other trims, which have rear seats that adjust fore and aft. An optional (and tiny) third row increases seating capacity to seven in the Range Rover Sport, but isn’t available on the SVR.

The electronics of the SVR are a bit cumbersome. Optional 12.3-inch simulated displays replace the physical displays, which have smaller bezels. They’re already starting to look a bit pixelated. Touch-sensitive controls flank the dashboard’s standard 8-inch touchscreen and require a concerted pressure to activate. When they finally respond, the menu changes are…slow.

Bluetooth phone and audio streaming are standard. Optionally, Land Rover’s InControl Apps run apps such as Glympse, Stitcher, Rdio and others on the dashboard of a connected compatible smartphone. Audio offerings culminate in a multi-speaker Meridian Signature Reference stereo exclusive to Autobiography and SVR.

The truck bed has a high loading height when the suspension is set to its normal level, but an Access Height mode lowers it significantly – and also makes getting into the SUV a lot easier. Square space in the rear, however, amounts to a modest 27.7 cubic feet of cargo volume. That’s more than the Cayenne, but the competitor Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class (formerly M-Class) has almost 40 percent more space.

The rear seats fold down in a 60/40 split to create a maximum volume of 62.2 cubic feet, but the bulky lower cushions create a noticeable slope in the load floor. According to Land Rover, the optional third row folds electrically into the floor without sacrificing cargo space.

Up front is a roomy glove box and a cooled center console, as well as a semi-hidden shelf beneath the center controls. There are also three tiers of door pockets, including one behind a trick armrest door.

The Range Rover Sport has not been crash tested.

Lane departure and blind spot warning systems are optional, as are 360-degree cameras and a parallel and perpendicular spot self-parking system (the driver pedals, but the vehicle takes over the steering). Optional adaptive cruise control includes a front collision warning system with automatic braking that operates even when cruise control is off.

See a list of standard safety features here and our car seat check on the SVR here.

With the SVR, Land Rover is addressing concerns that the Range Rover Sport has gone soft in its second-generation redesign. But it costs a pretty penny to get there. A loaded SVR costs more than $125,000, or about double the base Range Rover Sport SE. It’s opulent and capable, and some will prefer it to the German alternatives simply because of the Range Rover name. That’s an aura this Sport deserves more than its predecessor, as it shares many more components with Land Rover’s flagship SUV than it did before 2014. But the Range Rover Sport still has some issues, even in SVR form. Be sure to do an extensive test drive before you decide.

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