MORE SPORT FOR ALL (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 103

A Range Rover Sport ought to deliver exactly what its name suggests: a luxurious Range Rover travelling experience with a dramatic extra dose of sporting capability. The updated post-2018 version of this 'L494'-series second generation model delivered in both regards, frightening German luxury SUV rivals by matching them on-tarmac whilst still obliterating them off road. Continual enhancements to the line-up here brought fresh engine options and more sophisticated media connectivity as part of a series of improvements that created the revised model line-up that took this MK2 model to the end of its life. How does it stack up as a used buy?

Modelsword count: 29

5dr Luxury SUV (2.0 diesel, 3.0-litre TDV6 diesel, 3.0-litre SDV6 diesel, 3.0-litre SDV6 diesel Hybrid, 4.4-litre SDV8 diesel, 2.0 petrol, 5.0-litre V8 petrol [HSE, HSE Dynamic, Autobiography Dynamic, SVR])

Historyword count: 518

Here's a car that claims to be able to do. well, almost everything. It'll cruise on the autobahn at 130mph, ford rivers in the Serengeti, take a family of seven on holiday and slip you down to the shops. It can be affordable to run, rewarding to drive and looks dynamic and stylish. There has to be a catch - doesn't there? Time to check out the improved post-2018 version of the second generation Range Rover Sport. Ah yes, the Range Rover Sport. A car that in its first generation 'L320' guise was neither a 'Range Rover' or 'sporty'. In fact, it was based almost entirely on the brand's sensible Discovery model and, thanks to that car's practical ladder frame chassis, as about as dynamic to drive. Still, the smarter set of clothes did the trick and for most of its life between 2005 and 2012, the 'Sport' was one of Solihull's best sellers. There were, it turned out, a vast number of potential buyers who liked the idea of a Range Rover but either couldn't afford one or wanted something a bit sportier. Something like this in other words, the second generation 'L494' model that Land Rover launched in 2013. This at last was a proper Range Rover product, with aluminium underpinnings borrowed from those of the fourth generation Range Rover introduced in 2012. That was engineering eagerly seized upon by this model's development team in their quest to at last be able to offer a credibly sporting large SUV rival to cars like the Porsche Cayenne and the BMW X5. These two competitors of course, didn't have to blend in unrivalled off road excellence with their back road blasting. They didn't have to be automotive swiss army knives - all things to all people - in quite the same way. So, burdened with such expectations, this Range Rover Sport was designed to take them on at their own game. It was a task this second generation Range Rover Sport was aided in by a package of changes introduced in early 2017. Buyers of this revised model were offered a more affordable entry-level point to the range, thanks to the availability of the well regarded 2.0-litre Ingenium diesel unit previously used only in the Range Rover Evoque. There was a fresh petrol option too, a 3.0-litre supercharged powerplant borrowed from the Jaguar F-TYPE sportscar. Plus there was a P400e 2.0-litre petrol Plug-in Hybrid variant too. In addition, off road capability was even further enhanced courtesy of a new 'Low Traction Launch' system. Plus all models got a more sophisticated dose of Land Rover's 'InControl Touch Pro' infotainment technology. Following this update, a new 'P' (for petrol and 'D' (for diesel) badging policy was introduced for 2019. And about the same time, a top performance SVR model arrived at the top of the range with a tuned version of the brand's supercharged petrol V8 beneath the bonnet. The L494 MK2 model range sold until Summer 2022, when it was replaced by an all-new L461-series MK3 model. It's the 2018-2022-era L494-series cars we look at here. What You Pay

What You Getword count: 337

Imagine you were toned, fit - and nearly 20% lighter. How would you look? Sharper? Smarter? Younger? This MK2 L494-series car certainly does in comparison to its boxy, heavy first generation pre-2013 L320-series predecessor. The faster windscreen angle, streamlined profile and sloping roofline make it properly sleek and contemporary - as it should be, a Range Rover Sport for the modern era. But recognisably a Range Rover Sport: the clamshell bonnet, 'floating' roof, powerful wheel arches and side fender vents that have always defined this model are all present and correct. The famous 'Command' driving position seats you a tad lower than you would be in a Range Rover, plus the more compact thicker-rimmed wheel's smaller, the upright gearstick more purposeful and the centre console higher. Perhaps that last point's the most significant as it positions the controls closer to you, creating a cocooning feel for front seat occupants. Racy then - but still regal too. There's plenty of hi-tech too, some of it more effectively presented than others. Hard to dislike is the 12.3-inch TFT instrument screen that offers life-like digital facsimiles of the usual rev and speedo gauges. Less clear and intuitive are the buttons on the steering wheel which control a range of electronic options in the instrument display. You'll need to spend some time with your nose buried in the instruction manual to figure out both these and the main infotainment system, a 10-inch 'InControl Pro' centre dash touchscreen. Settle yourself in the rear and, if you're familiar with a fully-fledged Range Rover, you'll find that a place in the back of this car is nearly as nice. The high-mounted seats are firm and supportive. As an option, it was possible to order this car with what Land Rover called '5+2 seating' - in other words an extra third row bench, but very few original customers did. The powered tailgate, which can be gesture-controlled, rises to reveal a huge 784-litre boot, which can be extended to 1,761-litres if you flatten the rear seats.

To see the full road test text contact us on 0330 0020 227