RANGE ROVER SPORT

The famous Range Rover’s 40-year move upmarket has been great for Land Rover. It has reinforced the premium SUV’s status as top dog 4x4 – but, at the same time, it also created a gap in the model range. Think about it: the Discovery has been with us since 1989, serving those who are after a big, working off-roader. And this allowed the Range Rover to get posher and dearer, culminating in the 2002 L322 masterpiece.

But what about those who didn’t want the practicality of a Disco, and who couldn’t afford (or didn’t crave) the statesmanship of a Rangie? Unfortunately for Land Rover, many of them were switching to BMW X5s and Mercedes MLs, as the Solihull company simply didn’t have a machine for them. But that all changed five years ago with the debut of the Range Rover Sport.

Here was one well-defined new model, with – at its heart – a mix of sporting design, impressive driving dynamics and urbanite cool. The aim was to make something that could handle like an X5, have city-slicker looks and – most crucially – fill that gaping hole in the Land Rover range. Here was a 4x4 for the ‘premier lifestyle’ SUV buyer with cash to splash.

The sporty looks are clear to see. Designer Geoff Upex crafted sharp lines to make the original outlandish concept (known as the Range Stormer) a production reality, kicking off with a five-door-only layout – a move that disappointed fans of the Stormer concept, even if this ‘toning down’ meant a model far more likely to sell well. 


To continue reading this in-depth Buyer's Guide, grab the August issue of 4x4 Mart, on sale at all good newsagents from July 15th, 2010. Or to buy online, go to www.4x4mart.co.uk and click on the front cover image