The Land Rover Range Rover Sport, or, more simply, Range Rover Sport, debuted in 2004 to compete in the midsize luxury crossover SUV (CUV) segment. Current competitors are the Audi RS Q8, BMW X5 and X6, Genesis GV80, Mercedes-Benz GLE, Porsche Cayenne, and Volvo XC90.
From the onset, the Range Rover Sport has mimicked its big brother, the full-size Range Rover, in design, performance, and appointments—just in a smaller package. For 2023, Land Rover gives the Range Rover Sport a complete makeover. A key change is that the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) returns, having been banished from the United States order books for the 2022 model year along with the diesel powertrains, which remains a non-U.S. offering.
The all-new luxe CUV is also a little larger, a little wider, and a little less complicated. At least in the trim level offerings, anyway. This is a Land Rover, after all, which means well-intentioned complexity continues to abound in other departments, for better or worse.
For its global launch, Land Rover invited the media to Madrid, Spain, to test drive every version of its new Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models on various on- and off-road courses.
Land Rover streamlines the 2023 Range Rover Sport lineup with four offerings: P360 SE, P400 SE Dynamic, P440e Autobiography, and P530 First Edition. Good news and bad news here. The good news is that regardless of trim level, the only badging emblazoned on the vehicle exterior is “Land Rover,” “Range Rover,” and “Sport.” This is a blessing because while the numbers refer to horsepower, it does so in metric units that convert to smaller increments in the U.S. Ergo, P360 refers to 360 Bhp or 355 hp stateside.
The bad news is that the Range Rover Sport First Edition is limited to the model’s first year of production. It’s also the only one offered with the twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 engine. Fans of excess have no choice but to check the box for a loaded, top-of-the-charts First Edition for gas-guzzling power. The pure-petrol performance of the First Edition is good for 523 hp and 553 pound-feet of torque.
Both the Range Rover Sport SE and SE Dynamic are mild hybrids featuring a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 engine coupled with a 48-volt battery pack. However, the base SE produces 355 hp and 369 pound-feet, while Land Rover tuned the SE Dynamic for 395 hp and 406 pound-feet.
Next is the Autobiography PHEV, which pairs the standard turbo-6 with a 105-kW electric motor and 31.8-kWh battery. The result is 434 hp, 619 pound-feet of instant torque, and an estimated electric-only range of 48 miles. This new PHEV is undoubtedly a precursor to the Range Rover Sport EV arriving in 2024.
Land Rover equips all 2023 Range Rover Sports with an 8-speed automatic transmission and an intelligent all-wheel-drive system. On sale now, the 2023 Range Rover Sport pricing starts at $83,000 for the SE, $90,000 for the SE Dynamic, $104,200 for the Autobiography, and $121,500 for the First Edition. Destination will run an extra $1,475.
Photo: Beverly Braga
Part of Land Rover’s heritage is its vehicles’ distinctive design. Their boxy but elegant profile is recognized the world over, whether in daylight or darkness. Same with the British automaker’s nameplate layout across the front hood and rear liftgate of its crossovers and SUVs. It’s a typeface style with no shortage of copycats on the luxury and non-luxury front.
So, even with a redesign, overhauling a Land Rover model’s styling is limited to smooth, sleek subtleties rather than brash, brusque brutish angles of anger. And there is little outrage when it comes to the new Range Rover Sport, whether in its character lines or the emotion it evokes. Even the optional 23-inch wheels look precision perfect instead of excessive.
Badging is clean and simple, unlike the Range Rover Sport’s lengthy alphanumeric model names. Even though the SUV resembles a shiny brick, it’s a rather expensive-looking shiny brick. Edges are polished off, not for softness but sophistication. Land Rover raised the character line to show off more muscular shoulders while having its previous hard edging sculpted down.
The new Range Rover Sport essentially flexes its luxury stance without even trying. It’s all part of Land Rover’s new “reductive” design approach. By taking things away—in this case, hard edges and badging—Land Rover actually increases its physical presence. Call it magic; call it modernist. Either way, it works. And the same goes for the interior.
The Range Rover Sport cabin gets a housekeeping call. Seamless and integrated, the new dash and center console design cuts down on visual lines and buttons for a spruced-up minimalist approach. Land Rover completes the interior elegance with luxury-standard piano black and high-gloss finishes, but these bits invariably attract noticeable dust and ugly smudges.
Soft surfaces proliferate in the usual locales (e.g., door inserts, center console storage top). Upholstery is perforated opulence, courtesy of Ultrafabrics—an animal-free and sustainable material that is lightweight, durable, and comfortable. But cruelty-free comes at a cost of $2,300 versus the standard Windsor leather seats.
No matter how you option the new Range Rover Sport, all interiors gain 0.8 inches of legroom and 0.3 inches of knee clearance for rear passengers. Overall, legroom is 40.3 inches up front and 37.8 inches in the second row. Headroom holds steady at 39.3 inches and 38.7 inches, respectively, for front and rear passengers.
For luggage, behind the second row is 22.9 cubic feet of capacity, which increases to 52.7 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. There’s plenty of storage space throughout the cabin for odds and ends—even of the refrigerated variety, thanks to the optional center console cooling compartment.
Photo: Beverly Braga
A new high-resolution, curved 13.1-inch touchscreen is standard throughout the 2023 Range Rover Sport model line. Featuring the latest generation of Land Rover’s Pivi Pro operating system, the touchscreen features haptic feedback, and the infotainment layout is customizable. I found the screen graphics crisp, the processing speed quick, and overall functionality and operation intuitive. Also new is a 13.7-inch Interactive Driver Display that offers easy-to-read graphics and a configurable layout to complement the center console display seamlessly.
Along with the expected Bluetooth and wireless smartphone connectivity (Android Auto and Apple CarPlay), the new Range Rover Sport also has Amazon Alexa integration, wireless device charging, Wi-Fi hotspot capability, AI-learning voice commands, and app-controlled remote access. According to the company, Land Rover future-proofed the Range Rover Sport with more than 60 electronic modules capable of direct upgrades via over-the-air updates.
High-technology features extend to vehicle safety as well. The 2023 Range Rover Sport receives a significant amount of advanced safety componentry, starting with the base SE trim.
Standard advanced driving assistance systems include:
Available safety features include:
Photo: Beverly Braga
From a capability and performance standpoint, the Range Rover Sport lives up to its ancestry and, yes, its price tag. Because Land Rover invited journalists to a global media event, the vehicles available to drive were on a worldwide scale.
For this review, I sampled a Range Rover Sport P400 SE Dynamic, P510e Autobiography PHEV, and a P530 First Edition V8. A couple of disclaimers: the P510e PHEV is not available in the U.S., and all test vehicles were pre-production units. Which makes what I’m about to say all the more impressive.
The Range Rover Sport makes for a fantastic drive on- and off-road. It’s not perfect (what is?), but it is astoundingly good. And for vehicles built early in the production cycle, my testers were taut, rigid, nimble, and quiet.
The most powerful in terms of horsepower is the First Edition, with its 523-hp V8. But the Autobiography PHEV is king with its instant torque, while the SE Dynamic likely wins the value-oriented award (if there is such a thing with Rovers).
The First Edition is, first and foremost, an extremely comfortable ride despite the massive 23-inch wheels and 285/45R23 tires on my test vehicle. Land Rover equips every Range Rover Sport with a Dynamic Air Suspension system that automatically adjusts the vehicle’s dampers for improved ride quality. Exclusive to the First Edition, though, is Dynamic Response Pro. This system provides added roll control and cornering dynamics by applying up to 1,000 pound-feet of torque to each axle. Consider it an anti-squirrelly device. Yet even without it, the Range Rover Sport soaks up rough roads like an emaciated sponge. In the PHEV, for example, vibration and harshness were minimal when traveling over loose rocks en route to an off-road trail.
Speaking of noise, Range Rover Sport First Editions offer a pleasing pure V8 grunt, one that buyers will miss as Land Rover shifts to fully electric in the coming decade. But, for now, it’s a welcomed sound since the inline-6 mild-hybrid and PHEV don’t make much fuss in the engine burble department.
The cabin is serenely quiet save for the wind noise at high speeds. This applies to every Range Rover Sport I drove and is likely due to the large outside mirrors. But it’s not a nuisance, it only occurs at high speeds, and sound deadening suppresses the more annoying road noise.
Riding on the same wheelbase as the larger Range Rover but with shorter overhangs, the Range Rover Sport is as agile as it is comfortable. Last-minute evasive maneuvers are as on-point as the steering. The PHEV is the heftiest of the bunch, but you wouldn’t know it as it handles as well as the V8. Without the extra performance oomph or battery-pack balance, the SE Dynamic feels less confident even though it weighs 264 pounds less than the V8 and 771 pounds less than the PHEV. A lighter body doesn’t equal more finesse, it seems.
But on the trail, none of that matters. Some standard capability features are low-speed cruise control, low-traction launch, hill-descent control, hill-launch assist, and Terrain Response 2, which automatically adjusts terrain settings to driving conditions.
Standard on higher trim levels is adaptive off-road cruise control and a twin-speed transfer box (available on the entry-level SE for $340 and $350, respectively). All are easy to activate and operate as intended with no hesitation. Considering the already-standard capability of the Range Rover Sport, adding more dirt-ready features for less than $700 on a six-figure crossover is a no-brainer.
The all-new Range Rover Sport is deceiving because its redesign relies on subtlety and under-the-hood updates rather than obvious and outlandish modifications. It’s classy and capable without the ego. Its steep price may be off-putting for some, but the 2023 Range Rover Sport is not overvalued.
You get a lot of luxury and performance for the price point, even as the MSRP reaches six figures. And whether you take the Range Rover Sport off-road or not, its capability is standard, so it’ll always be trail-ready whenever you are. Or aren’t. Because isn’t part of the luxury knowing that you can even if you don’t?
Beverly Braga is a freelance writer and consultant with nearly 20 years of experience as a storyteller and communications professional. In addition to JDPower.com, her work has appeared in numerous print and digital outlets covering the automotive, entertainment, lifestyle, and food & beverage industries.
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