For all intents and purposes, the new Range Rover Sport is a textbook posh SUV. It’s not exceedingly grand like the full-size Range Rover or too compact like the Evoque. But it’s got a dignified road presence, an impressive interior, and best of all, Land Rover’s off-road tech that makes it truly capable for all terrains. Even though it’s only a five-seater, making it not the most versatile SUV around, there is a sort of grandeur to it, which is missing in the other SUVs in the same space. Underpinning the new Sport is the same platform as the full-size Range Rover. So naturally, you get more real estate. In fact, the 2023 Sport is 67mm longer and 17mm higher, while the wheelbase has been extended by 74mm. These aren’t exactly incremental improvements and the difference in the real world is quite palpable. Better still, it’s how the Sport looks in the midst of upright albeit substantial SUVs that does it for me. It’s flamboyant yet dignified with clean lines, steeply raked glazing, and minimal layering to the bodywork. If you find the Range Rover Sport’s design striking on the outside, the interior is most likely to please. So, the flamboyant theme extends to the cabin, which mimics the bigger Range Rover. Of course, you also get the commanding Range Rover driving position despite sitting 20mm lower than the full-size model. The cabin on the previous Sport was quite nice but it was starting to look its age next to its far newer rivals. Unsurprisingly, Land Rover has brought the cabin up-to-date with this 2023 Sport, which infuses technology with old-school luxury in a good manner. You get multiple digital screens – the main 13.1-inch infotainment display which sits next to the 13.7-inch instrument cluster. Moreover, finding the most comfortable driving position is easy, thanks to so many adjustments. Once you are set, you will be able to spend long hours behind the wheel comfortably. As for the all-important rear accommodation, there is nothing to complain about other than the fact that you get manual sun blinds, which do not go well with the price tag. In the most expensive variant, you get 22-inch wheels, heated and auto-dimming ORVMs, and soft-closing doors. Inside, you have a 22-way adjustment for the front seats with massage along with heated and ventilated function, four-zone climate control, a heads-up display, a premium 23-speaker Meridian sound system, a wireless charger, a panoramic sunroof, configurable cabin lights, and a 360-degree camera with 3D function. There’s also something called the ‘clear sight’ interior rearview mirror, which changes the IRVM into a rear camera display. As for the safety features, the Sport comes with Level 2 ADAS, including emergency automatic braking, driver condition monitor, lane keep assist, and traffic sign recognition as standard across the range. On the road, the new Range Rover Sport displays the exact same manners we have come to expect from a luxury SUV with a sporty twist. It's smooth and comfortable, no doubt, but it’s also rather quick. Now, let's be clear, this isn’t the P400 version that gets a sweet-sounding straight-six turbo petrol engine. It’s actually the D350, which comes with a 3-litre, straight-six turbo diesel engine with 350bhp and 700Nm of torque. At well over Rs. 2 crore on-road, the new Sport could have been more affordable, though I suspect for people looking to buy it, the high price wouldn’t be a deterrent given how impressive the car is.

The Range Rover Sport badge is now 17 years old. The first one came out in the mid-2000s as a smaller, sportier alternative to the full-size, all-luxurious Range Rover. And it gained so much popularity that Land Rover decided to continue the nameplate. The second-gen was introduced in 2013 and like the first-generation, it was on sale for almost a decade as well. This third-generation Range Rover Sport broke covers in May this year. It still is the second-most expensive model in the Range Rover line-up. We got a chance to get up close and personal with it and here’s our first impression of the new 2023 Range Rover Sport Underpinning the new Range Rover Sport is the same MLA Flex (modular longitudinal architecture flexible) as the bigger Range Rover, the newer Sport is 67mm additional length, while the wheelbase is up by 74mm and the height is increased by 17mm compared to the outgoing generation. In terms of styling, the new Range Rover follows Land Rover’s newest design philosophy which follows a more minimalistic approach rather than being flamboyant. Yet the Range Rover Sport can garner attention like no other. As for the paint scheme, Land Rover has provided this SUV with multiple choices depending on the version you are buying. And of course, it can be configured to individual tastes with various personalisation choices. The previous-gen model was already quite modern and felt timeless, this new one only builds up on that. You get an all-digital highly configurable driver’s display. Then ahead of it, the new steering wheel appears to be designed sleekly, that is, in comparison to the hefty large chunk seen on the older one. The steering on this Range Rover also gets feather touch buttons, thus making it more elegant and it appears easy to use as well. Even the centre console now has a floating 13-inch screen which is more stacked atop here rather than integrated inside the dashboard as with the previous gen. Then, the centre screen also has an inherent curved layout and that is only felt when you touch the different sections of the screen. It gets the newest iteration of the Pivi Pro interface which is much simpler and easier to navigate and also gives out all the information you’d ever need, and then some more. The Range Rover Sport is, however, better experienced from the driver’s seat. Nonetheless, here in the second row, you still get loads of space, comfort, and opulence you’d expect from a premium luxury SUV. The large panoramic sunroof also makes the ambience here as lavish as you’d experience in a luxurious airliner. Even the seats offer both heated and ventilated functions and can be reclined electrically but they don’t get the massage function you get in the bigger Range Rover. At 835 litres, the boot space is 55 litres more than the previous generation model. Further, the Range Rover Sport is now strictly a two-row four- or five-seater. But no third row means you have a humongous cargo area, with a full-size spare wheel and to add to it, there are electrically folding rear seats too. In India, the Range Rover is currently available in four versions – Dynamic SE, Dynamic HSE, Autobiography, and First Edition. For the HSE Dynamic trim that we have here, the feature list includes digital headlamps with image projection, 22-inch wheels, heated and auto-dimming ORVMs, and soft-closing doors. On the inside, the front seats of this SUV get 22-way adjustment with massage along with heated and ventilated function, four-zone climate control, a heads-up display, premium 23-speaker Meridian sound system, wireless charger, panoramic sunroof, configurable cabin lights, a 360-degree camera with 3D function, AI-enabled voice commands, and Cabin Air Purification Pro. Then you have many add-on pieces of equipment which can be opted for at the time of purchase. This includes everything from SV spec floor mats to refrigerator compartments, a hot/cold climate pack, or even a domestic plug. There’s also something called the ‘clear sight’ interior rearview mirror which changes the IRVM into a rear camera display. It also has a remote park assist function. Not to mention, in the Global NCAP test, the new-gen Range Rover Sport has also secured a full five-star rating. This being a sportier Land Rover, there’s also off-road focussed hardware like water wade sensing with a capacity of up to 900mm, clever 4x4, off-road adaptive cruise control, torque vectoring along with e-diff for better cornering, adaptive dampers to control body movements, and launch control. With the new Range Rover Sport, the British carmaker is now offering a wide range of powertrain choices. Internationally you have petrol, diesel, mild-hybrid, and even a plug-in hybrid option. Here in India, we get the 3.0-litre turbo diesel making close to 350bhp and a healthy 700Nm. It is capable of hitting 0-100kmph in a time of just 5.9 seconds and has a top speed of 234kmph. The petrol engine is also a 3.0-litre straight-six putting out around 400bhp and it gets a mild-hybrid system as well. There’s an eight-speed automatic gearbox as standard along with Terrain Response 2 off-road hardware. At this price, the Range Rover Sport comes as an alternative to other premium SUVs like the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, Porsche Cayenne, BMW’s X7 or its younger, sportier sibling - the X5 M. It can also be an alternative to Audi’s Q8 or the Italian Maserati Levante, apart from the many new electric alternatives. We can’t wait to get behind the wheel and tell you how this behemoth of an SUV, the Range Rover Sport performs on the street.