After much build up and hype, the brand new Range Rover Sport was revealed at the New York Auto Show and details have finally been released.
Gaining the family face first introduced in the form of the Evoque, the new Sport complete’s the Range Rover portfolio in the new design.
What’s new?
A five + two setup now makes up the seating of the RR Sport, they’ve reportedly shaved 420kg off the weight with an aluminium design, reduced CO2 emissions by 15% and as a result, improved the fuel economy. It’s 62mm longer at 4850mm in length, and has a 178mm longer wheelbase in a bid to increase occupant space to seven. The width has increased by 55mm as well.
At those dimensions, it’s still 55mm lower (with ground clearance at 278mm at its max) and 149mm shorter than the new Range Rover, making it clear that this is still a luxury cruiser rather than a serious off-roader.
Said to be significantly different to the Range Rover, the Sport’s makeup only shares 25% of its parts with it’s more off-road orientated sister. The air suspension system allows 115mm of movement, and can remain at a higher, off-road setting at higher speeds than before (up to 80 km/h).
Two full-time four-wheel drive options will be made available. The first has a transfer case with low-range gearing, a 50/50 rear torque split and diff locks. The second, lighter option has a single, automatic gearbox with a Torsen differential that uses the traction control system to maintain grip. The rear-wheels do most of the driving, but only by a slight margin.
Two engines are set to be made available for now, and there’s talk of a hybrid and two more diesel engines to join the line-up in time. A supercharged 5,0 litre V8 producing 375kW petrol engine as well as a 3,0 litre SDV6 diesel engine that pushes out 214kW will be the first on dealer floors. The expansion includes a detuned 3,0 litre diesel and a high performance 4,4 litre SDV8 diesel mill producing 249kW, as well as a diesel hybrid model in development.
Transmission for the new RR Sport is the now-familiar ZT eight-speed, likely to be similar to that in the new Volkswagen Amarok.
The RR Sport goes on sale in the UK at the end of 2013, and will then be distributed to a further 168 countries globally. HSE, HSE Dynamic and Autobiography Dynamic specification should be available from launch, while the SE trim will come later on the TDV6 models.
