Land Rover Range Rover Sport 3.0 SDV6 292 CV HSE, test drive (Equipment, price and opinion)

After several days with the Land Rover Range Rover Sport test, we have reached the end of the review. Over these days we have told you everything about the engine, specifically a 3.0 SDV6 with 292 CV. It is the mid-range version and quite performance-oriented (we covered all of this in the first part of the test).

In the second part we analysed the exterior design of the Range Rover Sport, the interior and its good interior finishes, which can be personalised to our liking by picking from the options list. And now, in the third part, we turn to the equipment, safety and price, as well as our opinion of the Range Rover Sport.

Equipment

As far as equipment goes, as always we start with a review of the safety features that come as standard on any Range Rover Sport: front airbags, side airbags, curtain airbags, stability control, alarm, anti-rollover control, active head restraints, among others.

Optionally, there is also a range of safety features available, such as: blind-spot monitoring and lateral approach sensor (570 euros), traffic sign recognition (790 euros), adaptive cruise control, and an autonomous emergency braking system for collision avoidance (2,200 euros).

The equipment is structured across several trims: S, SE, HSE and Autobiography. As standard it is not especially complete, but of course, by using the options list we can equip it however we like. The base trim, called S, starts with: the Terrain Response system, automatic halogen headlights, rear parking sensor, rain sensor, 19-inch wheels, dual-zone climate control, cruise control and alarm.

The Range Rover Sport SE adds: a navigation system with hard drive, leather seats, anti-dazzle interior mirror, fog lights, 20-inch wheels and the Adaptive Dynamics system.

Our test unit, the Range Rover Sport HSE, adds xenon headlights with LED (adaptive ones are an extra), premium leather seats with electric adjustment, front parking sensors, rear-view camera, and an electric tailgate.

The top of the range is the Range Rover Autobiography, which adds the Meridian surround audio system with 800 W and 19 speakers, a virtual TFT instrument cluster, 18-way electrically adjustable seats with memory, heated and ventilated front seats, leather upholstery with AB detailing and optional two-tone finish, configurable interior lighting, and a chilled central glovebox.

Both the HSE and the Autobiography can be fitted with the ROAD/OFF-ROAD Pack, which includes: Terrain Response 2, a 2-speed transfer box (low-range), Dynamic Response (active anti-roll bars), torque distribution via braking and the Dynamic programme, at a price of 4,730 euros. There is also a Dynamic version of both trims, which fits red brake calipers, aluminium pedals and some other details to enhance the sporty character.

Our test unit, as an extra, also had the TFT instrumentation, the blind-spot warning in the mirror (which carries a fairly high price) and the front camera that helps at junctions with poor visibility. Inside, another option was LED ambient lighting whose colours could be changed.

The downside is that, once you add extras, the car practically ends up costing around 100,000 euros, from a starting price of 83,000 euros for the HSE trim.

2014 Land Rover Range Rover Sport prices

-Range Rover Sport TDV6 258 CV S 66,000 euros
-Range Rover Sport TDV6 258 CV SE 71,700 euros
-Range Rover Sport TDV6 258 CV HSE 79,000 euros
-Range Rover Sport SDV6 292 CV SE 78,200 euros
-Range Rover Sport SDV6 292 CV HSE 84,400 euros
-Range Rover Sport SDV6 292 CV HSE Hybrid 340 CV 95,100 euros
-Range Rover Sport SDV8 340 CV HSE 94,600 euros
-Range Rover Sport SDV6 292 CV Autobiography 97,100 euros
-Range Rover Sport SDV6 292 CV Autobiography Hybrid 340 CV 106,000 euros
-Range Rover Sport SDV8 340 CV Autobiography 107,700 euros
-Range Rover Sport 5.0 V8 HSE Dynamic 101,300 euros
-Range Rover Sport 5.0 V8 Autobiography Dynamic 113,700 euros

Assessment and personal opinion

The Range Rover Sport has been completely renewed, and the changes go beyond design. It now looks much more elegant while keeping the essence of an SUV, but the platform has also changed, the engines have been updated, and it is a car that bears little resemblance to its previous generation.

The first thing it has gained is dynamism, it still isn’t the king in this area, and it’s true that there are other more dynamic luxury SUVs (such as an BMW X6), but thanks to the Dynamic system the car behaves far more gracefully on the road than before and allows certain liberties for those who enjoy a livelier drive.

What hasn’t changed are its off-road capabilities. It is one of the few that still retains the ability to go almost anywhere and come out of any situation unscathed, thanks to its good traction system and its ground clearance (it is a tall car with good approach and departure angles for driving off the tarmac). Few owners will ever get the Range Rover Sport dirty off-road, but at least if we want to venture out, we can be sure it will behave like a proper Land Rover.

The interior is spacious, though the boot is partly held back by the full-size spare wheel, and it also offers seven seats as an option (I can’t assess them because our model had five seats). That said, to have it exactly to our liking you have to lean heavily on extras, and in the end the price climbs.

The standard equipment, in particular, seems rather meagre. Other premium models are also this sparsely equipped, but there are alternatives that come with more kit from the base trim. Optionally, though, it offers practically all the typical features of a car of this kind, with the usual safety package (blind-spot warning, emergency braking, adaptive cruise control…).

As for price, it sits slightly above the segment and this is not justified by the equipment. For example, a Mercedes ML starts at 61,675 euros, an BMW X5 at 58,250 euros, or the Audi Q7 (the most seasoned of them all) at 66,300 euros (with more power, 272 CV).

Photos | Test team