Land Rover has announced the third generation of its Range Rover Sport SUV. The 2023 Range Rover Sport loses its supercharged V8, but swaps it for a twin-turbo V8 and new technology from the Range Rover. And it rolls in from a price tag of $83,000.
(Full disclosure: Land Rover invited me to see the new Range Rover Sport in New York. Land Rover paid for my trip and one night in a historic building that has become…Hotel.)
Externally, the new Sport is more of an evolution than a revolution, just like its big brother Range Rover. Land Rover says the Sport continues the brand’s love of minimalism and modernism. The highlights of the exterior are the windows that blend into the metal and the grilles that don’t take up much space.
The interior is the kind of plush interior you expect from a Land Rover, and there’s some interesting technology going on there.
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Its door fabrics are designed to reduce road noise. It also uses its 29-speaker surround sound system to play tones in the opposite frequency of road noise. A 13.7-inch screen houses the vehicle’s gauges, and a 13.1-inch curved touchscreen handles infotainment, which includes Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Amazon Alexa.
Of course, the star of the show with a Range Rover Sport is its performance.
The base model Range Rover P360 SE features a 3.0-liter, 48-volt, mild-hybrid turbocharged inline-six that develops 355 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. The P400 SE Dynamic has the same engine developing 395 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. Opting for the P440e (PHEV) Autobiography nets you 434 hp and 619 lb-ft using a plug-in hybrid system.
Land Rover says the plug-in hybrid is good for a range of up to 48 miles and could be charged to 80% in an hour from a DC fast charger. This powertrain allows the Sport to hit 60 mph in 5.5 seconds.
The most powerful of the lot is a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 found in the P530 First Edition. This BMW-sourced engine comes from the larger Range Rover and produces 523 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque here. Gone was the supercharged Jaguar 5.0-liter V8 which developed up to 518 hp in the non-SVR versions and up to 575 hp in the SVR.
The switch to a twin-turbo V8 hasn’t hurt performance though, as it still sprints to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds, the same as a 575bhp SVR. Land Rover claims that at launch, the First Edition will be the only way to get a V8. However, the company plans to expand the line in the future.
A chassis 35% stiffer than the previous generation and a clever air suspension contribute to performance.
The suspension has air chambers that close to reduce pitch and roll. If you opt for the P530 First Edition, there are more handling features. Dynamic Response Pro counteracts body roll using 48-volt electric motors, up to 1,000 lb-ft of torque in each axle. You also get all-wheel steering and torque vectoring through braking.
The suspension system also works the other way around and is able to raise the Sport 5.3 inches higher than the standard ride height and provide 1.5 feet of articulation. It can climb a 45 degree slope and traverse 35 inches of water. Land Rover did not provide full clearance, approach, departure or breakthrough figures.
Deliveries are expected to begin in September. Prices start at $83,000 for the P360 SE and top out at $121,500 for the P530 First Edition.
