Land Rover Range Rover Sport 3.0 S/C HSE Dynamic Review: British beef

What we like:

Incredible off-road capability that combines decent on road ability. Comfortable air suspension that adjusts accordingly to the driving situation at hand.

What we dislike:

Substantial sticker price.

Fitted with a slew of more efficient engines, the latest RRS is even more sprightly than ever. Our test car came fitted with the V6 Supercharged unit that musters 335bhp with a healthy 450Nm of torque from 3,500rpm.

Off the line the RRS gives robust acceleration to complete the century sprint in 7.2 seconds. All the while edged on by the audible supercharger whine in the background.

But before we delve into the on-road dynamics of the RRS, has it lost any of its off road abilities? Not at all it seems. Fitted with adjustable air suspension, the RRS can pump itself up to 278mm of ground clearance when needed for off-road conditions. Couple it with the Terrain Response feature and the RRS becomes an unstoppable force when the tarmac runs out.

For an SUV that will spend nearly 90% of its time on tarmac, the RRS has an incredible off road ability. It can even ford water up to 850mm deep! Even more than the quintessential Jeep Wrangler!

Made to be even more at home on tarmac than the previous car, the RRS seemingly glides over tarmac imperfection. Road noise is also significantly reduced despite running monstrous 20-inch wheels as standard.

In the bends, the chassis does an excellent job of keeping body roll in check though it doesn’t neutralize it completely considering the RRS still possesses more than 2 tons of heft. But even in such an extreme cornering situation, the 4WD system is able to apportion the right amount of power and keeping the RRS from too much understeer. Steering feel still isn’t quite what we expect of a ‘Sport’ model but it’s a damn good effort taking into consideration the RRS’s other abilities.

The new RRS is impressive for its wide ranging versatility whilst still possessing a formidable array of off-road prowess. The on road handling still isn’t quite as good as a Porsche Cayenne but that’s just one element in the many roles that the RRS holds.

For an SUV that can be driving down rutted mud tracks one day and dropping the missus off at the Ritz, the Range Rover Sport has no equal.

Credits: Story and Photos by Benjamin G. Kline