Range Rover Sport 3.0 SDV6 Autobiography Dynamic 2016

Revised engine means more power, better economy and lower emissions

Range Rover Sport on the road

14 October 2015

Land Rover has revised the Range Rover Sport for the 2016 model year, with improvements to the 3.0 SDV6 engine giving it more power and torque, lower CO2 emissions and enhanced fuel economy.

The twin-turbocharged diesel engine puts out an extra 14bhp and 74lb ft, giving it 302 and 516 respectively.

It’s tuned to make the most of this between 2-3000rpm, where you want it most, so the vehicle’s 0-60 time is unchanged.

The twin-turbocharged diesel engine puts out an extra 14bhp and 74lb ft

How different does it feel in reality? Not obviously quicker, but the eight-speed auto box does a good job of keeping the engine in that ideal rev range, so it’s rare not to get an instant response when you go for the loud pedal.

It can be a bit too responsive, however, when you’re ambling along at about 25mph in urban traffic and need to open the thottle. Here, we found it prone to shifting into a lower gear as the turbos come on song, launching you forward like a rocket from a bottle.

By contract, pulling away from idle – at a T-junction, say – can leave you wondering when the engine’s going to get the message.

The eight-speed auto box does a good job of keeping the engine in that ideal rev range

But this is a fast vehicle, make no mistake. And it still has the handling to match its pace, with a host of electronic systems helping it retain a startling level of composure and lack of body roll even under hard cornering. There’s no other SUV that can match its agility, save perhaps for the Porsche Cayenne.

Steering is well weighted too, if too heavily damped to deliver any real communication to the driver. And aside from a rather heavy ride around town on its 21” alloys, it’s as smooth as you’d expect from a Range Rover.

This is a fast vehicle, make no mistake

It has every right to call itself a Rangey on the inside, too. The cabin is as you’d expect at this sort of price, all leather seats, suede headlining and turned aluminium detailing. And you get to enjoy it free of almost any vibration or road and wind noise.

There’s a slight rumble from the engine at around 2500rpm, however – perhaps a little more than on the previous model. But we’d choose to see that as a good thing, adding to the character of what is, after all, a sports SUV, not a luxury limo.

If you’re as much of a gadget freak as the people at Land Rover themselves seem to be, far more important than any of the above is a new Gesture Tailgate feature which means you just need to wave your foot below the rear bumper and hey presto, open sesame. There’s a new app for locking and unlocking the vehicle remotely, too.

All the same, the Sport retains its existing infotainment system – which feels a little less cutting-edge than the best of its rivals’. Resolution on the 8” touch screen isn’t the sharpest, either.

Those are details, of course, and the headline story is that the Range Rover Sport is a sumptuous SUV with a staggering blend of performance, handling and off-road ability. The Autobiography Dynamic model tested here costs £77,850 before options, though – and that’s £1600 more than it used to.

Range Rover Sport 3.0 SDV6 Autobiography Dynamic

Price £77,850

Engine 6 cyl, 2993cc turbo-diesel

Power 302bhp at 4000rpm

Torque 516lb ft at 1500rpm

Gearbox 8-speed auto

Kerb weight 2115kg

0-60mph 6.8sec

Top speed 130mph

Economy 40.4mpg (combined)

CO2/tax band 185g/km, 35%

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Range Rover Sport 3.0 SDV6 Autobiography Dynamic 2016

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