Land Rover has unveiled the third generation of the Range Rover Sport, a model that has a lot in common with the Range Rover, from the platform to the engines. with the advantage of being lighter and… more accessible. By the way, the SUV that will be manufactured exclusively in Solihull (United Kingdom) can now be configured on the brand’s website, being proposed in Portugal by values starting from €107,231.73 required by the P440e plug-in hybrid, and reach €150,739.29 for the other PHEV in the range, the P510e in its First Edition version. You can check all prices, including options, here.
based on new platform Land Rover’s MLA-Flex, the new Range Rover Sport is 4.95m long, 2.21m wide, 1.82m high, which means it is 10cm shorter than the Range Rover. However, both they have exactly the same wheelbase (2.99 m), which allows the Sport to gain no less than 8 cm compared to the previous generation. And, with this addition, it is to be expected that the habitability will rise.
In terms of design, there is a lot to say. But photos describe it better than any adjectival prose. The truth is that, as has been the custom of the brand, when looking at this new SUV we will have to be careful not to criticize its aesthetics… The image of the new Range Rover Sport combines dynamism and elegance, with modern lines that reinforce the robustness and grandeur that the brand wants to associate its new SUV, destined to face tough opponents such as the Audi Q8, the BMW X5, the Mercedes GLE or the Volvo XC90.
Inside more refined than everWith two screens at the front – one for the instrumentation (13.7 inches) and another, floating and in the center, for the infotainment system – the new Range Rover Sport offers a series of advantages, ranging from voice from Amazon (Alexa), passing through a sound system from Meridian, which is only “the most advanced and powerful ever incorporated” in this model, since it can have 29 speakers, including four in the headrests, so that each passenger have your own personal sound zone… In terms of connectivity, the connection with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto is done wirelessly, in the same way that the car is charged. smartphone without cables and the cell phone itself allows remotely performing some functions of the vehicle. To keep it permanently up-to-date, without bothering the driver with trips to the workshop, Land Rover claims to be able to do updates of softwareremote, in 63 modules.
Under the hood, the range of engines offers powers ranging from 250 hp to 510 hp, always mated to an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox and all-wheel drive. Despite, to save money, the AWD system turns on and off automatically, depending on the driving mode activated and traffic conditions. It goes without saying that off-road, all-wheel drive is always engaged, as is when starting off and at speeds above 160 km/h.
Returning to the engines, the offer also includes a new V8 gasoline engine with 530 hp and 750 Nm of torque, capable of going from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds. However, this mechanic is not included in the options available to Portuguese customers, and the brand prefers to focus on 3.0 liter diesel mild hybrid at 48Vsix-cylinder engine, with 300 hp and 650 Nm of torque between 1,500 and 2,500 rpm (4.4 l/100 km and 195 g/km of COtwo) Y, above all, in PHEV mechanics, which now enjoy greater electric autonomy. this until it arrives Purely electric variant of the Range Rover Sport, already confirmed for 2024.
Until then, the most attractive versions (for tax benefits) are the P440e and P510e, which combine the 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder petrol engine with a 105 kW (143 hp) electric motor. to deliver 440 hp and 620 Nm in the first case, or 510 hp and 700 Nm in the second. Both are powered by a lithium-ion battery with a useful capacity of 31.8 kWh, that is, almost triple than the previous generation. And that explains why autonomy in electric mode jumps to a much more generous level. 113 km, according to the European WLTP homologation regulations. But, Land Rover itself assumes that, “the real range that can be expected is up to 88 km”. In any case, this allows CO emissions to be reducedtwo at 18 g/km, a value that naturally shoots up as soon as the battery runs out of power and the costs of locomotion fall essentially on the gasoline engine, which will have to refuel after 740 km (total autonomy, that is, from battery charged and tank full).
In electric mode, top speed is limited to 140 km/h, with the most powerful PHEV claiming 5.4 seconds to meet the pique from 0 to 100 km/h, a challenge that the P440e completes in 5.8 seconds. More interesting, because it is practical in everyday life to take advantage of electrification, is the fact that these PHEVs accept DC fast charges up to 50 kW. There are few plug-in hybrids on the market with this feature, which allows the battery to be recharged to 80% in less than an hour. In alternating current, on a 7.2 kW charger, the battery needs 5 hours to reach 100%. It should be noted that, in any of the PHEV versions, the Range Rover Sport comes standard with the Mode 3 charging cable (Mode 2 is optional), making it possible to program the charges only for the empty period, when energy is cheaper. opt for immediate charging or, alternatively, for intelligent charging, in which the vehicle itself manages the operation, matching the period in which electricity is cheaper and the time planned by the driver to leave.
Equipped as standard with dynamic air suspension, where navigation data allows the automatic spring pressure adjustmentIn what is a first for this Range Rover Sport, the British SUV varies its ground clearance according to the circumstances of use, lowering at a faster rate (16 mm less at speeds above 105 km/h) or raising when progress is slower, so you can progress more easily in raids out of the way (plus 13.5cm). Another novelty that this 3rd generation brings are the active shock absorbers with double valve.
PHEVs will be less effective on off-road adventures because they are more limited in maximum ground clearance (27.4cm versus 28.1cm). Compared to the gasoline or diesel versions, the rechargeable Range Rover Sport loses in the angles of attack (29.7 against 33) and ventral (22.5 against 26.1). The result is that it is always the same (30), since the fording capacity is transversal to the entire range (90 cm). As an attraction of the more powerful PHEV version, the highlight is serial inclusion of the so-called Stormer Handling Pack, which combines four-wheel steering, active stabilizer bars powered by a 48V electrical system (Dynamic Response Pro) and active rear differential with torque vectoring under braking. In off-road, a debut cruise control specific adaptive for the TT, just for the driver to define the speed at which he wants to travel on the terrain. All you have to do is concentrate on the steering wheel as the car itself assesses the conditions ahead and automatically adjusts to the demands of the road ahead.
Source: Observadora
