The Range Rover Sport will be completely renewed in 2023. The design retains some kinship with the previous model, but is now more refined. The front end is mainly characterized by its thinned headlights, its bumper with revised air intakes and its grille with a different lattice pattern.
In profile, the integrated door handles catch our eye. And at the rear, it’s the now-rectangular taillights, the smoothed tailgate and the different shape of the diffuser that challenge.
However, the most important change of this generation is hidden under the hood. It is a rechargeable hybrid motor. We still find a supercharged 3-liter inline 6-cylinder, but linked to an electric motor. Total output from this powertrain is 434 hp and torque is 457 lb-ft.
The manufacturer has opted for a battery with a capacity of 38.2 kWh. An already respectable size, giving it a theoretical range of 51 miles or 82 km. That’s a rather flattering value, allowing you to burn the majority of your daily drives without a drop of petrol.
Photo: Julien Amado
Luxury plug-in hybrid
We tested the Range Rover Sport P440e in the US in the mountains bordering Salt Lake City. A similar environment to ours, with rather cool temperatures and even a big snowstorm in the afternoon!
The manufacturer’s chosen model was the luxurious Autobiography, which sold for $104,200. On our side of the border it matches the HSE version, the most opulent. If you add the options identical to our test model and the color Bleu Varesine, we come to a total of CAD 137,393.
This still equates to $3,091 per month to finance the vehicle for 60 months at an interest rate of 6.49%. And as you might expect, that makes the Range Rover Sport PHEV unsuitable for government incentives.
Once the door is open, settle into a richly appointed and beautifully made cabin. Compared to the previous generation, the evolution is noticeable inside, with a dashboard now surmounted by a central 13.1-inch screen. The layout of the controls on the center console has also been redesigned. Again, no revolution, just a change of continuity.
Photo: Julien Amado
However, it would have been wise to review the positioning of certain controls, e.g. B. the seat heating, which requires two manipulations to benefit from it (a button, then a press on the screen). Not to mention the haptic buttons at the bottom of the center console which are sometimes unresponsive and need to be pressed multiple times before actually selecting the command…
The seats, comfortable and well enveloping, do not ask for criticism. Finding a good riding position is easy, and you can ride for long periods without feeling excessive fatigue. A small downside: the instruments facing the driver are slightly too inclined when the seat is in the lowest position. Without being huge, the cabin space is adequate. The trunk, whose loading sill is a bit high, offers enough space to travel with four people.
silence it grows!
We left with a fully charged battery. The vehicle stated a theoretical range of 58 miles or 93 km. With -3° showing on the dashboard when driving, the temperature wasn’t really a handicap for the Range Rover Sport.
Thanks to its high torque, the P440e takes off quietly and still pushes you in the back. Never violent, but with enough grip to move this 2,658 kg behemoth. The 0 to 100 km/h dash in just 5.8 seconds bears witness to this. Also, Land Rover has done a great job on soundproofing. We enjoy evolving in silence, which reinforces the impression of serenity emanating from the vehicle.
The kilometers pass, the snow begins to cover the asphalt, but the Range Rover Sport doesn’t care. Equipped with Michelin X-ice Snow, very convincing tyres, he continues his journey undeterred. Some trails mixing dirt and mud are handled as a simple formality. And despite the 22-inch rims, we appreciate the ride comfort, which is still very good even in the few potholes we encountered.
Photo: Julien Amado
After a while we finally heard the gas engine start. A quick glance at the odometer tells us that we’ve covered 58 miles (93 km), which beats official data! This is one of the strengths of the vehicle, especially since the petrol engine has not been particularly economical until now when the battery has run out.
By very careful accelerating we managed to get down to 11.3 L/100 km. However, since the right foot was slightly heavier, the reading quickly rose to 13.2 L/100 km. Knowing we haven’t evolved around town, the 6-cylinder isn’t really fuel efficient if it can no longer rely on the battery to get it moving.
The question of reliability
If you read the Car Guide regularly, you know that predicted reliability is one of Land Rover’s weak points. The manufacturer has already announced that it is doing its best to improve the situation.
Unfortunately, two problems arose during our test drive. The first is a vibration on the left side of the hood when the wind picks up. There was no danger of it lifting off and hitting the windscreen, but it’s never pleasant to see its bonnet moving like that in a cross wind!
Photo: Julien Amado
After dinner we also saw a warning light on the dash that said ‘suspension problem, have the vehicle checked’. Shutting the engine off and restarting it solved the problem, so it was just an electronic fault. Either way, those are hard things to forgive for a vehicle that sold for over $130,000 and that we’ve only driven 100 miles…
To wrap up this test drive, if you’re looking for a more exclusive, well-finished, high-performance vehicle with convincing electric range, the new Range Rover Sport P440e could be for you. Note, however, that it has to live with some ergonomic flaws, disappointing gas mileage when the battery dies, and expected reliability that falls short of average.