In this in-depth test of the new 2023 Range Rover Sport, we are going to try to analyze the car for what we believe it to be: a luxury experience that goes far beyond a means of transport. This is the only way to explain why someone can spend €150,000 worth of the tested unit (a P510 in Autobiography finish), no matter how large and luxurious it may be.
We are talking about a car with 510 CV of hybrid power, with more than 100 km of official electric autonomy (WLTP), with all the space and equipment that we can imagine, and some other things that we cannot even imagine.
Range Rover Sport exterior design
The bases of car design are three, in this order, proportions, style, and details. But in a luxury product like this, all the elements are oriented towards a single goal: to project the maximum possible status.
In the case of the Range, simply because of its size it already commands respect, but also all the elements of its design manage to convey the idea of a luxury product.
The design is simple, without fanfare, and is based on a few
straight lines, rounded corners, and some giant wheels that lighten the large
volume of the set. I think we could consider it one of the most elegant cars in
the category without too much fear of being wrong, although these assessments
are always subjective.
Another important design detail in the Range Rover Sport is the
differentiation of the lower body, metallic and painted, from the upper body,
which simulates being a totally black glass dome, integrating the mirrors,
pillars, roof, and tinted windows in this color. There is nothing from the
waist up that is not glossy black and that gives it a very special appearance.
Range Rover Sport front seats
We continue in search of the luxury experience, this time in the front seats, and we are going to divide it into four blocks: space, quality, design, and technology.
The space in the front seats, the meter in hand, is enormous. But
the truth is that an attempt has been made to create an enveloping driving position,
through a very tall and very wide center console, combined with a windshield
that is also quite high, in such a way that you do not end up enjoying all the
volume that really exists.
When it comes to quality, everything is upholstered in soft leather, textile material, or first-rate plastics, giving an unmistakable impression of luxury.
It is worth putting here the downside of the abundant piano black on the center console, which will be a magnet for fingerprints and scratches, no matter how beautiful it is when it is new.
The air conditioning controls are striking, which unite the temperature, the control of the refrigerated and heated seats, and the airflow in a single circular control. Above they have a good touch and are beautiful.
The general style is minimalist, with few lines, rather straight, and few control elements in sight.
When it comes to technology, the dashboard is as big as the steering wheel rim allows, its resolution is magnificent and it has a huge margin of configuration to suit the driver.
The central screen is fluid, although not brilliant due to its speed, but above all its high-definition image quality and its pleasant graphic design stand out.
Obviously, it has all the security elements known to humans and all the comfort and assistance elements that exist on the face of the earth.
Back seat
We are going to divide the luxury experience in the back seat into 4 concepts: space, quality, design, and comfort.
Starting with the space, it should be remembered that the RR Sport has the same wheelbase and the same width as its older brother, the Range Rover, with which it shares practically the entire interior and especially the dimensions.
The car is huge, whichever way you look at it. There's ample knee room and more than ample width for 3 adult occupants, plus a flat floor with no transmission tunnel.
As far as quality is concerned, no expense has been spared in the rear seat: doors, materials, upholstery, air conditioning controls... everything gives off an indisputable Premium aroma.
If we focus on design, I would say that all the elements that surround us would fall into the category of the most exquisite taste, both in shapes and proportions. Even the color combinations are the most successful.
Finally, comfort would be the real strong point of the Range Rover Sport. On the one hand, it is one of the quietest cars on the market in any circumstance, thanks to its brutal acoustic insulation and also its enormous electric range (it works as pure electric on a day-to-day basis).
On the other hand, the air suspension and especially in
"Comfort" mode together with the huge tires, transport us floating on
the asphalt.
The icing on the cake is the 4-zone climate control, the heated and ventilated rear seats with electric recline, and the panoramic roof that gives us extra light and a feeling of spaciousness.
The luxurious backseat experience is fabulous.
The behavior of the Range Rover Sport
Continuing our quest for the luxury experience as the goal of the car and the test, we are going to analyze the drive in four sections: response, smoothness, control, and driving fun.
Starting with the answer, I can only say that this car comes out like a missile as soon as we step hard on the accelerator. Its overtaking capacity is infinite and its 510 CV is noticeable in forceful acceleration. It has more than enough power.
Smoothness is also guaranteed, thanks to perfectly cushioned controls and a progressive feel on all controls. Smoothness is the great constant at the controls of the Range Rover Sport.
Regarding the feeling of control, the nuances begin. When we drive at legal speeds without sudden movements, as this car cries out, the feeling of control and safety is absolute.
Doubts arise when we intend to put its 2,700 kg in a closed curve at high speed. At that moment, the feeling of control can come to be called into question, because the electronics and the 4-wheel steering do their best to keep us in the dark, but physics does not quite agree.
I think it's safe to say that the Range Rover Sport is not a fun car to drive. It can be nice, quiet, and comfortable to the max, but not fun. Its enemies in this regard are the already mentioned masses in the first place and the poor communication of the leadership in the second. Such a big car cannot be agile and you certainly cannot play with it by pushing it to the limit of grip or trying to round corners with the accelerator.
If you are looking for a sporty and dynamic car, keep looking.
Range Rover Sport boot
The Range Rover Sport boot has 647 liters of capacity, it is a large boot, but that data is irrelevant. The only thing that matters is that the golf clubs fit, and there is plenty of room for at least 4 sets in the bottom.
This would be the main difference with its older brother, the Range Rover, which in its greatest length is what it extends is the rear overhang (but not the passenger compartment) taking it up to 818 liters, 171 liters more. But they are colossal dimensions in any of the cases, gigantic trunks in which anything we reasonably want to transport could fit.
Range Rover Sport consumption
The consumption of a plug-in hybrid is difficult to measure, especially when the battery is as large as in this case. What we have done is exhaust it in electric mode, to verify that the real autonomy is around 85 km, and then measure consumption once exhausted.
In this case, we find ourselves again with the enormous mass as ballast for consumption. Once the battery is exhausted, we go above 11 l/100km, a very high but reasonable figure in a car like this with a gasoline engine. It should be remembered that PHEVs when they run out of battery behave like simple hybrids and the regeneration of electrical energy can do little beyond stopping and starting the car a few meters.
The important thing is to know that we will be able to move in electric mode on a day-to-day basis with almost no limit and we will only have to resort to thermal horsepower to travel, which, then yes, will cost us much more than in a diesel.
Range Rover Sport 4×4 behavior
When you go to a 5-star hotel, the most important thing, beyond the design, the space or the equipment, is the feeling that all the staff are there to make your life easier and that you get everything you could wish for. That is the quintessence of luxury. Will the Range Rover be able to give us something similar?
No one in their right mind would put a car like this, set at €150,000, in a demanding 4×4 area beyond a snowy road. But we have wanted to push it to the limit to see if it can offer us that luxury experience equivalent to a five-star hotel: we are going to ask it for something extraordinary and let's see what it offers us.
The 4×4 test takes place in the Ocaña Raid Aventura circuit, in
Toledo, and consists of climbing from the lowest part to the top, going through
extremely difficult obstacles that, above all, are summarized in two ramps with
60% of inclination on dry land and with large sinkholes.
The result is predictable, considering that this car has the same traction system as a Land Rover Defender with automatic center and rear differential locks and perfectly calibrated traction control with up to 6 4×4 driving modes. The slippage is minimal, the mechanical suffering seems non-existent and the ability to climb, despite its weight, is colossal.
Perhaps the best of all, in addition to the capacity itself, is the silence and comfort with which it takes us from obstacle to obstacle, making it seem that there is no difficulty.
This car is definitely a five-star hotel that gives us anything we ask for.
Conclusions
Is it real and is the promised luxury experience worth what it costs?
Throughout the test, I think it has been demonstrated that the luxury experience is real and seamless. It is an impressive car.
What I have the most doubts about is whether it is worth
spending €150,000 all at once, or more than €2,000 a month on a lease, on this
or any other car, whatever it is. These are difficult figures to justify except
for those who are looking for this compendium of qualities drenched in the best
luxury sauce and have, for practical purposes, no budgetary limit to get what
they want. In that case, yes.
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