There’s one conclusion that I’ve made over many years, even if such a conclusion is factually a subjective statement, and that is the British know how to make an attractive vehicle in the Range Rover lineup. Undoubtedly, in my mind, the Land Rover Range Rover Sport that I have this week is a good-looking vehicle, one of the best-looking SUVs you can buy. Apart from its good looks and sinister demeanor from its optional factory-installed satin protective film wrap on top of the Carpathian Grey Metallic sheet metal, the new Range Rover Sport plays on its luxury theme to fundamentally stand out in a crowd and appease discerning luxury buyers in a myriad of ways. Some of those ways start and end with the Range Rover Sport’s ability to transform into an off-roader to conquer serious terrain or just pamper its passengers to the lap of luxury, only limited by how many amenities you check off a long options list. Either way, the new Range Rover Sport is a masterful piece of luxury transportation hardware that does exactly what it is designed to do, most of the time.
For the recent model year, the Range Rover Sport continues from its redesign in 2023. Captivating the new design, the Range Rover Sport remains unmistakable and retains the ability to pile on many options where my test vehicle only gets a select few where they matter to make it stand out even with its darker Carpathian Grey color that gets a satin protective film wrap that is beneficial to protect the paint underneath making it convenient to replace damaged or scratched surfaces without the worry of repainting. Land Rover even advertises the $5K+ matte wrap option as a way of easily replacing the wrap on any damaged areas. The large optional 23-inch wheels as part of my test vehicle’s Stealth Package ($9,555) add to the visual appeal without taking away from its supple ride quality, which is mostly thanks to its height-adjustable air suspension with adaptive dampers, part of the trademark of a Range Rover, having the advanced terrain response 2 system that can automatically adapt several systems to take on different terrain. Such a system works wonders to get the Range Rover Sport through difficult situations and even raises the suspension to the off-road height to wade through water as deep as 35.4 inches. The other major benefit of the air suspension is that it can be set to automatically (or manually selected) lower upon parking for easier entry and exit.
See Also: 2023 Land Rover Range Rover Sport First Edition Review & Test Drive
Powering the Range Rover Sport is now the task of one of four powertrains, with my test vehicle having the P400 range, getting a 48-volt mild-hybrid 3.0-liter inline-6-cylinder engine good for 395 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque, all mated up to an 8-speed automatic transmission. The behavior from the mild-hybrid 6-cylinder is respectable in giving the Range Rover Sport some agility when needed without feeling underpowered. While not nearly as powerful as the V8 option that sport 523 horsepower or as much as 626 horsepower in the range-topping SV trims, there’s still a lot to appreciate in the civility and smoothness of the inline 6-cylinder, as it sometimes feels more powerful than stated on paper. In the Range Rover Sport SE Dynamic trim with the P400 powertrain, the vehicle feels smooth and adapts well to changing road surfaces and imperfections. The adaptive dampers do well to react quickly to keep the body motions calm, which can be a Jekyll and Hyde sensation when you turn in sharply and feel the body roll at times. In a straight line, 0-60 mph comes in at 5.2 seconds, which is good for such a vehicle. Braking feel is strong from its Brembo 4-piston calipers up front.
Fuel economy isn’t exactly stellar, but it remains mostly consistent. I wasn’t able to match its EPA estimates of 20 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, and 22 mpg combined in the real world much, other than a highway drive at 60 mph on a steady, flat surface for about 40 miles. Thankfully, the fuel tank is huge at 23.8 gallons, giving you a highway cruising range of 595 miles with a full tank of recommended premium unleaded fuel.
See Also: 2025 Land Rover Range Rover SE LWB Review & Test Drive
The interior of the Range Rover Sport is lavish, and Land Rover continues to impress with a larger space that feels closer to its larger Range Rover sibling. Fundamentally, the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport have never been so closely matched, with the major difference being the wheelbase and third row availability in the full-size Range Rover, with an option for an even longer wheelbase in the LWB version.
Seating areas are plush, and the materials throughout are of luxury quality, apart from some surfaces having an alternative material that may not feel like the traditional leather wrapped and stitched panels of the past. Still, there’s a lot of quality here that places Land Rover near the upper echelon of luxury to run with the likes of Rolls-Royce and Bentley in some upper trim levels.
The minimalistic approach to the dashboard is well-received, as it was when I first experienced Land Rover’s latest Pivi Pro infotainment system through the large 13.1-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, which handles all of the vehicle features, settings, and entertainment functions. Even the volume control is screen-based, but it’s all done in a user-friendly method that has a relatively short learning curve. Here, Land Rover did well, for as long as the system works as intended, which continues to be an ongoing annoyance when something goes wrong for Land Rovers, as they don’t exactly have the best track record for reliability. However, if it were not for such a fact, I would happily own a new Range Rover Sport because it’s as good as good gets for an attractive land-conquering luxury SUV when everything works as intended.
On the side of safety, I appreciate the innovative 360-degree camera system that can be brought up at any time and includes virtually-recorded views of the underside of the vehicle. The way the system patches the imagery together to give you views under the vehicle are ideal for navigating questionable terrain and even in difficult parking situations. Other highlights include all of the expected active safety features, including lane keep assist, lane departure mitigation/warning, forward collision mitigation/warning, blind spot monitor, rear cross-path detection/emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control. I do enjoy the speed limiting functions of Land Rover to quickly limit your speed as it helps in the case that the Range Rover Sport tends to hide its speed.
When it comes to pricing, Land Rover isn’t shy about demanding six figures for a new Range Rover Sport, as my test vehicle, with only a select number of options, comes to around $106,000. Still, a new Range Rover Sport in the base trim starts at $83,700 before any fees and options – but what’s the fun in getting a ‘basic’ Range Rover Sport? It’s such an intriguing vehicle that you’ll want to at least add on the options you find in my sinister-looking test vehicle. It’s such a good looker that turns heads.
Malcolm Hogan is the founder and editor of Automotive Addicts, a trusted voice in the automotive media world for over two decades. With 20+ years of hands-on experience covering the industry, Malcolm has built a reputation for delivering honest reviews, sharp insights, and in-depth coverage of everything from new car debuts to high-performance test drives. Passionate about the evolving car culture and staying ahead of the curve, Malcolm continues to lead Automotive Addicts as a go-to destination for enthusiasts and industry insiders alike.
