The Range Rover Sport is now in its third generation, introduced this year with a lot of redesign. There are now four powertrain options, a new infotainment system, and more. The legendary off-road capability of Rover is still there too. And just look at how gorgeous this new Sport is.
The new 2023 Sport is elegant, luxurious, and rugged. Our only real complaint about it is the price tag. The Sport is smaller than the standard Range Rover SUV, so it’s price is a bit lower. But at about $84,500 to start, the Rover Sport is still an expensive utility. And most buyers are going to be pushing into triple digits by the time expected accessories and comforts are added on. That’s at the higher end of price tags in the smaller two-row luxury SUV market.
But if you’re willing to pay those six digits, there’s a lot of awesomeness going on in this new Range Rover Sport. The interior is much improved over what was already a great setup. It’s much more tech-oriented with a curved 13.7-inch digital instrument cluster flowing into a 13.1-inch infotainment screen. And, to our liking, the climate controls and other daily-use things aren’t touchscreen-only, having their own switchgear below it. Those familiar with Range Rover will know how the push-pull-twist knobs work for that. The only thing missing for tech in the Range Rover Sport is natural language capability for infotainment commands.
Both the front and rear seating are spacious and easy to adjust. For the driver, pillar placement and the large amount of greenhouse means that visibility is really good. The heated windshield option is a huge bonus for those living where it’s cold. And cargo space is good for the Sport’s size. The standard air bag system makes it easy to adjust height for entry and exit as well as loading/unloading.
There are four models of the 2023 Range Rover Sport, each tied to a powertrain option. This starts with the P360 SE, which has a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine that produces 355 horsepower. An eight-speed automatic transmission is standard, as is all-wheel drive. This model comes with some other goodies too, like a Meridian sound system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the aforementioned adaptive air suspension system.
The P400 SE Dynamic is similar to the P360 SE, but the 3.0L turbo engine has a mild hybrid system added to boost power to 395 horses. The interior is accented with a two-tone color scheme and slight changes to the front and rear bumpers are made for a sportier look. This was our test drive model.
For those looking to more seriously off-road, the P440e Autobiography is the one to go with. This has that turbo-6 3.0 combined with a plug-in hybrid system for a total of 434 horsepower in output. It’s all-electric range is an impressive 51 miles per charge (per the EPA).
The P440e adds a two-speed transfer case for high and low-range gearing. This greatly improves capability off the pavement.
For hardcore off-road, you’ll need to get your hands on the P530 First Edition. Only 1,000 of these were made, so good luck with that. But this one has a powerful 4.4-liter V8 (523 HP), all-wheel steering, the Dynamic Response Pro active suspension system, and an active electronic differential on the rear axle.
The upside here is that if you cannot get the P530 or don’t want that powerful V8 as a daily driver (what?!), most of the off-road equipment it has can be added to any other Range Rover Sport package you purchase. Plus other things like adaptive off-road cruise control, a rear seat entertainment system, and comfort and convenience upgrades.
The Range Rover Sport SE Dynamic that we drove had most of the options added. This pushed its price tag to just over $100,000 after delivery. Whether or not that makes it worth it is up to buyer discretion. We thought it was phenomenal. And it’s one of the few truly off-road-ready models in the segment.
This review originally appeared on DriveModeShow.com.
