Range Rover Sport On
& Off
Road Test
Introduction
On-Road Impressions
Off-Road Impressions
More
Information
(Photo: Co-Driver and Range Rover owner Granville
Pool takes the wheel of the RR Sport for the on and off-pavement test)
Introduction
In August 2005 I got the chance to drive the new Sport on and off road
at a special event organized by Land Rover to publicize the new model
and get customer input into their vehicle designs. Thanks to intrepid
Range Rover owners Kevin Kelly and Granville Pool I was alerted to the
event and garnered an invite. The venue was the exclusive Bernardus
Lodge in Carmel Valley, California, using the nearby off road course
intended for the new Quail Run Land Rover driving school.
A selection of Range Rover and Land Rover models were on display,
including the new Supercharged Mk III/L322 and the LR3 in
addition to half a dozen Range Rover Sports (HSE and Supercharged
models) on tap for the actual driving. The Freeloader was kept out of
sight, its demise seeming mercifully imminent in view of miniscule US
sales and loss of access to the V6 powerplant after the collapse of
Rover in the UK.
Also on tap were a number of expert off road Land Rover drivers, nearly
all Camel Trophy veterans. Assigned to put up with myself, Granville
and friend Dave Townsend was 96 Camel Trophy veteran Ken Cameron,
recently returned from testing the RR Sport at Moab. Having all three
of us Range Rover owners along must have been a considerable handful --
but Ken managed us very graciously and made sure we all got plenty of
time at the wheel both on and off pavement.
On-Road
Impressions
The immediate impression on stepping into the Range Rover Sport is that
its interior is more compact and enveloping than the standard Range
Rover -- an impression deliberately enhanced by the high and wide
drivetrain tunnel and console between the front passengers. Aside
from serving as the location of numerous instruments and switches, the
console also conceals a rather neat insulated cooler that keeps hot
things hot and cold things cold. Grey and
metallic colors dominate the
leather and wood trim, conveying the feel of a high performance machine.
The model we drove was the HSE, so it did not have quite the
acceleration of the supercharged version, but the 300 horsepower
coupled to the 6 speed transmission gave a decent push in the back when
floored. The steering and handling were very precise and
car-like, noticeably different from the Classic and 4.0 models we were
used to driving. The ride was firm with very little body roll. The
engine was extremely smooth and quiet.
We tested the ABS by doing a panic stop with two wheels on pavement and
two on gravel. The Sport handled this challenge with aplomb,
maintaining a perfectly straight line! Overall,
a great ride!
Off-Road
Impressions
All the off-road controls (high
and low range, terrain response, suspension height, hill descent
control) are conveniently grouped together at the rear of the center
console behind the gearshift. There
is also an "advanced
4X4 information center" on the dash which displays information relevant
to off-road driving such as the direction the wheels are pointed, the
Terrain Response mode selected, and which wheels are in contact with
the ground. The model we drove was fitted with the optional rear diff
lock, and the state of this and the center diff were also displayed in
the information center.
(Photo at
Right by Granville Pool: The author negotiates a tight turn on the
off-road course. Note
position of front wheels indicated in dash display.)
Our
instructor, Ken Cameron, advised us to put the Terrain Response system
in the "Mud and ruts" mode for the soft forested ground we were about
to traverse. This automatically rasies the suspension to the "Hi"
setting, selects low range, locks the center and rear diffs, and
adjusts the action of the traction control to optimize it for the
conditions. The course was not too challenging, but contained enough
steep climbs and drops, sideslopes, tight sections, and rough
undulating surfaces to help us get the feel of the vehicle off-road.
The ride was firm but not harsh, and several aspects of performance
were noticeably different from older models. For one thing, the
precision of the steering is a great advantage, especially in tight
quarters, and being able to see where the wheels are pointing is
great.
 |
Off-Road
Controls in rear of gearshift on center console:
Terrain Response control knob (top center)
Suspension height
setting switch (left)
Hill Descent Control
button (bottom center)
Hi/Lo range selector
(right) |
The Hill Descent Control will be familiar to drivers of various other
Land Rover models, but takes a bit of getting used to. When it
first engaged, I thought it was a tire scraping on the wheelwell. This
is because the brakes are applied so many times a second that the
frequency you hear is high enough to confuse with such a sound. At
first we found the action of the system disconcerting, but Ken pointed
out that it is possible to adjust the operation of the system via the
throttle and gearshift to achieve just the desired speed. The more
throttle you give it, the higher the descent speed limit; the speed
limit also goes up as you shift into higher gears. This is easy to do
by moving the gearshift to one side and rocking it to and fro like the
BMW Tiptronic system to shift up and down. Or, if you prefer, you can
leave it in "D" and let it figure out the gears itself.
In our testing, ground clearance was not an issue as there were few
places where any stock 4x4 would be in danger of becoming high
centered. However Ken informed us that if this should happen, the
suspension automatically senses it and goes into "Extended Profile"
mode whereby the vehicle is raised
another 1.5 inches. Then, if necessary, the driver can raise the
suspension another 1.5 inches (for a total of 3 inches over "off-road"
height) by holding the "up" switch on.
Being based on the Discovery 3/LR3
chassis, the
Sport is built like a
tank, as indicated by its massive weight, and the sturdy underpinnings
will easily withstand the harsh treatment of real off road driving.
Approach and departure angles (34 and 29 degrees respectively) are
very good, and there are no protruding exhaust tips that will
get broken off when exiting a deep ditch or washout (except on the
supercharged model which has protruding chrome exhaust tips). The
spare tire is mounted under the rear end, and for
serious off road trips one might want to move it so it won't get
damaged. We were also impressed to find that Land Rover has managed to
get Continental to develop a special on and off road tire for the new
models (photo below right), featuring staggered outer tread blocks for
grip in mud and ruts.
 |
|
| RR Sport in action
©Steve Taylor/Total
Off-Road,
2005 |
New
on/off-road tire specially developed by Continental for RR Sport and RR
Mk IIIl
|
For those wanting to further
improve the off road performance of the Sport, it
is good to know that the 255/55R19 Goodyear MT/R tires used on the
Range Rover in Land Rover's recent G4
Challenge should fit perfectly. The Sport is being used in the 2005 G4
Challenge, equipped with a winch, so it is hoped that the winch will
soon be available as an official accessory.
Overall, all three of us were much more impressed than we expected with
the Sport's off-road prowess. If you have
any experience
with the Range Rover
Sport please email me so
we
can
share it with other buyers.
Photo at Right: Our long-suffering
instructor, Camel Trophy veteran Ken Cameron, flanked by co-drivers
Granville Pool and Dave Townsend.
More
Information on the Range
Rover Sport
On
Rangerovers.net:
Main Range Rover Sport Page
Range Rover Sport Forum
Latest News and Model Updates
Air
Suspension
Details and Operation (Mk III)
Range Rover Extended Warranties
Service: Dealer and Independent Shops
Tires & Wheels
Coming
Soon:
Detailed Specifications and Performance
Data
Ownership Experiences: Listing of RR Sport owner
comments
Common Problems and Fixes for the
Range Rover Sport
Repair Operation Details for Range Rover Sport
Outfitting and Accessories for the Sport
Parts Sources for Range Rover Sport
Research, Reviews and Price
Quotes:
Edmunds
Land Rover Price Guide (new and used, all
models), multiple
free dealer quotes,
research, road tests etc. The most trusted source of unbiased
automotive info on the web. Already
has Range Rover Sport listed (April 2005) along with"First Drive" road
test.
Cars.com
Research, Buy or Sell New or Used Range Rovers. Free quotes.
This is about the only site I've found that
discloses the Dealer Invoice for the MkIII RR ($66,507 last time I
looked).
Also largest selection of Used Range Rover
listings, including MkIIIs.
Autobytel
:
Free quotes on New Range Rovers
Autoweb.com
New RR Quotes, Used Kelly
Blue Book Values and Listings
CarSmart.com
Express Quote on new vehicles. Some Invoice pricing info.
Financing:
PeopleFirst.com
Range Rover Financing at extremely low rates, 15 minute approval,
"Blank
Checks" and unbelievable service
RoadLoans.com
Range Rover financing at very low rates even without perfect credit
Range Rover Financing Page More
information
on financing and leasing
Insurance:
The Range Rover Insurance page lists
sources for low cost insurance quotes.
Extended
Warranties
Range Rover Extended Warranty page
for
information on guaranteeing extended coverage after the factory
warranty runs out.
Other
Links:
Edmunds.com
pricing info, price quotes, road test of Range Rover Sport
Link
to Official Accessories Catalog for the Sport
4
Car On & Off Road Test of Range Rover Sport
Telegraph
Road Test Report on Range Rover Sport
Launch
of Range Rover Sport in Monaco lots of photos
Automobile
Magazine off road photos of Range Rover Sport
Detroit Auto
Show pics by Ovalnews.com
Ovalnews.com Great source for
breaking news on all Land Rovers
Range Rover
Register
If you have owned or leased the Range Rover
Sport, please email
me so your experience can be shared with others.
.
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If you have comments or
suggestions, email author John
Brabyn
Last Updated November 2005
