Review of the new Land Rover Range Rover Sport 5.0 V8 Supercharged HSE

With the Range Rover Sport, Land Rover aims to do what it takes to bring classy performance on and off road. The top 5.0 V8 supercharged petrol version we look at here has the raw ability to live with its best rivals in the luxury 4x4 class, while improvements to the styling, cabin quality and technological systems are welcome too.

Land Rover's Range Rover is a lot of things but sporty? The towering luxury off-roader is far too posh to press-on down a twisting B-road: it rewards much more sedate progress. That doesn't mean car buyers seeking a plush 4x4 that's also light on its feet need to turn their backs on the Land Rover stable. In the Range Rover Sport, the marque has a product that combines the Range Rover's imposing looks and dauntless off-road ability with a bit of extra hustle. And never more sop than with the flagship 5.0 V8 supercharged petrol model.

Today's Range Rover Sport has a better chance than ever of doing a number on the premium brand competition, thanks in the main to its latest engines. We're looking here at the 503bhp 5.0-litre supercharged petrol unit, developed in-house in partnership with Jaguar. This pumps our 625Nm with the aid of its twin-vortex supercharger and advanced variable camshaft timing system and must now rank amongst the best powerplants of its type in the world. Sixty is just 5.9s away from rest on the way to 140mph.

"The Range Rover Sport is a decent place to start if you're after a car that really can deliver excitement"

The output of this engine is fed through the Range Rover Sport's six-speed automatic gearbox which has been revised to achieve faster shifting and take advantage of the increased engine torque that's generated by the latest V8. The gearbox features an intelligent Sport mode which adapts to driving styles and has wheel-mounted paddle shifters to bring an even greater level of control. The ride and handling of the car are governed by its Adaptive Dynamics system which continually optimises the settings of the adjustable dampers according to the road conditions to achieve the best possible levels of comfort and body control. Engineers have also tweaked the braking and steering systems on the latest Range Rover Sport with the aim of increasing feel and driver involvement.

There isn't too much scope for changing the look of the Range Rover Sport, the car's styling operating within the confines of the highly distinctive Range Rover house style. Having said that, while the uniform lines and upright stance remain, designers have worked to inject extra drama through the detailing. The front lights now use the latest LED technology in an interlocking circle design as seen on the Range Rover. The thin grill features twin bars fashioned from aluminium mesh and an enlarged air intake in the grill below helps the engines breathe. At the rear, there are also redesigned lights and the bumpers integrate more fluently with the flanks of the car at both ends. The desired effect of a more athletic appearance for the Sport looks to have been achieved.

The cabin design of the Range Rover Sport once appeared to be more closely aligned with the Discovery than the Range Rover but no longer. The dashboard still slopes down to merge with the centre console to create the trademark cockpit feel but the materials used and the clean lines of the controls have a far more upmarket effect. With high-tech infotainment systems controlled through a neat touchscreen interface, the Sport's complex systems should be more accessible. A neat display screen is also included on the instrument cluster, giving an at-a-glance rundown of key information for the driver.

Equipment is not in short supply at any level of the Range Rover Sport model range. All variants get alloy wheels, Dynamic Stability Control, a diesel misfuel protection device, touch-screen hard-disc drive navigation with a 4x4 interface and voice control, a nine-speaker harman/kardon audio system, an iPod/USB connectivity module, a Bluetooth phone system, and leather seat facings.

The most crucial single feature has to be the standard Terrain Response system. At least, it is for owners who intent to use the Range Rover Sport as its manufacturer intended. This is virtually akin to having a driving expert sitting alongside you, helping to get the best out of the vehicle, on or off road. The driver chooses one of five terrain settings via a rotary knob mounted on the centre console. There's a general driving programme plus one for slippery conditions (dubbed 'Grass/Gravel/Snow') and three specialist off road modes ('Mud and Ruts', 'Sand', 'Rock Crawl'). The latest system on the Range Rover Sport also includes a Dynamic mode designed to optimise performance on the road with sharper steering and firmer suspension with enhanced body control.

Land Rover has had its attention focused on environmental issues in recent times and the Range Rover Sport is reaping the benefits. Even this top V8 petrol engine is very efficient for its size and power output, considering it's fitted to a vehicle of the Sport's size and capability. The combined fuel economy for this model is 19mpg and that comes with CO2 emissions of 348g/km.

If you're after a car that really can deliver excitement on the road and capability off it, the Range Rover Sport is a decent place to start, especially in 5.0 V8 supercharged guise. The car's performance and economy have been improved dramatically by the introduction of the latest engines, while alterations to the cabin have thrust it in an upmarket direction. Greenpeace protesters might hate it but like all of us, they'd probably secretly like one.

TOP 5 RANGE ROVER SPORT DEALS

The results below show the top RANGE ROVER SPORT deals on buyacar

Land Rover Range Rover Sport 3.0 SDV6 HSE 5dr Auto Diesel Estate
Price £50,967 Read Range Rover Sport Reviews	Save £4,988
Land Rover Range Rover Sport 3.0 SDV6 HSE 5dr Auto [Lux Pack] Diesel Estate
Price £53,664 Read Range Rover Sport Reviews	Save £5,356
Land Rover Range Rover Sport 3.0 SDV6 Autobiography Sport 5dr Auto Special Editions
Price £59,724 Read Range Rover Sport Reviews	Save £6,931
Land Rover Range Rover Sport 3.0 SDV6 SE 5dr Auto Diesel Estate
Price £44,631 Read Range Rover Sport Reviews	Save £4,124
Land Rover Range Rover Sport 5.0 V8 Supercharged 5dr CommandShift Estate
Price £60,263 Read Range Rover Sport Reviews	Save £6,982
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