All SUV, all of the time: The Range Rover Sport reviewed

Enlarge (credit: Marlowe Bangeman)

If you're going to buy a luxury SUV, why not buy it from the company that has been manufacturing them for six decades or so? That's the value proposition behind the insanely expensive $360,000 Range Rover SV Coupe we encountered last month. And the same can be said about the rest of the Range Rover lineup. We know what we're doing, we know what you want in a luxury SUV, so why bother looking at any of the johnny-come-latelies? I'm no ad man, but if I were writing ad copy for Jaguar Land Rover, that's probably where I'd start.

That's the vibe the Range Rover Sport gives off-quiet, luxurious confidence. For the 2018 model year, the Range Rover Sport takes what Land Rover does well and puts another level of spit and polish on it. The result: a solid but unspectacular ride for those with an itch for a midsize SUV and $70,000+ to spend.

The Range Rover Sport sits near the top of the Land Rover's US lineup, above the Discovery, Velar, and Evoque. Pricing starts at $66,750 for the Range Rover Sport SE, which has a supercharged 3.0L V6 power plant capable of 340hp (253kW). Looking for more power? You can get a supercharged V8 that can crank out up to 575hp. The model we tested is the Range Rover Sport HSE TD6, which has a turbocharged V6 diesel that puts out 254hp (189kW) and an impressive 440lb-ft (597Nm) of torque-an impressive number that speaks to Land Rover's roots making vehicles for serious off-roading. The diesel engine uses diesel exhaust fluid, which is injected into the exhaust to reduce NOx emissions.

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