The all-new Range Rover Sport has been officially unveiled ahead of its debut at the 2013 New York Motor Show. The new model is claimed to be the 'ultimate premium sports SUV' and is reportedly the fastest, most agile and most responsive Land Rover ever.
The Range Rover Sport was unveiled at an exclusive event in Manhattan and was driven onto the stage by James Bond himself, the actor Daniel Craig. Land Rover chose New York as the venue for the reveal because more Range Rover Sports are sold in the Big Apple than in any other city in the world. And considering the somewhat, ahem, ostentatious nature of the event, the new Sport clearly has quite a reputation to live up to.
Whereas the previous Range Rover Sport was built on the Land Rover Discovery platform, the new model shares its lightweight aluminium architecture with the latest Range Rover. As a result, the new model weighs 420kg less than its predecessor.
Land Rover claims that this weight-saving transforms the Sport's handling, while also helping to keep both fuel consumption and CO2 emissions to a minimum. The most efficient model in the range will emit just 194g/km of CO2 -- an impressive figure for a car this size.
On the outside, it's clear that both the latest Range Rover and the Evoque have had an influence on the car's styling. The Sport has also grown slightly -- it's 62mm longer and 55mm wider than the outgoing model -- but Land Rover is keen to point out that it is smaller than most of its rivals, making for greater manoeuvrability and ease of parking.
Engine-wise, the Sport will be available from launch with a 503bhp 5.0-litre V8 petrol and a 2.0-litre V6 diesel with either 288bhp or 254bhp. A 334bhp 4.4-litre V8 petrol will be added to the range next year. The top-of-the-range petrol model will hit 62mph in less than five seconds.
A diesel-electric hybrid version of the Sport is also slated for introduction towards the end of 2014, with claimed CO2 emissions of just 169g/km.
All versions of the Range Rover Sport use the firm's ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox, but buyers now have the choice of two different four-wheel-drive systems. The first of these systems is geared towards off-road driving, and comes with a low-range option, a 50/50 default torque split and locking differentials. The second is biased towards on-road driving and is 18kg lighter. It has a default front-rear torque split of 42.58 and a differential which automatically sends the power to whichever axle has the most grip.
On the inside, the big news is that the Sport has become the first Range Rover ever to be offered with seven seats. The extra two seats aren't quite big enough to accommodate adults and, because of this, Land Rove is marketing the Sport as a 5+2 rather than a seven-seater.
Up front, the driving position is around 20mm lower than the standard Rangie's, giving a sportier feel. A smaller, thicker-rimmed steering wheel adds to the feeling of sportiness, and the seats are even equipped with bigger side bolsters to keep you in place during fast cornering. The new Sport is also the first Range Rover ever to be offered with the option of a head-up display.
The Range Rover Sport will go on sale in the UK in July, with prices starting from £51,550 for the TDV6 diesel, £59,995 for the SDV6 petrol and £81,550 for the top-of-the-range V8.
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