Is this new V6 diesel Range Rover Sport the pick of the range? We think so
The diesel version of the new Range Rover Sport we’ve already heavily sampled in its 5.0-litre Supercharged spec. Where most of those cars will be destined for the Persian Gulf and North America, the 288bhp SDV6, with 199g/km CO2 emissions and 37.7mpg potential, is the variant you can expect to see on a driveway near you sometime soon. There will be an entry-level model beneath it — with 254bhp and precisely the same peak twist — but that will only be available in lowly SE trim. The SDV6 comes in the more desirable HSE, HSE Dynamic and Autobiography Dynamic clothes. Adding the word Dynamic to your car is important too, as it delivers the adaptive anti-roll bar and dampers which make the Sport a better overall prospect.As standard, this is the first car Land Rover has offered with a single-speed transfer case. Said to be 18kg lighter, the new system uses a Torsen centre differential to deploy a default 42/58 per cent front-to-rear torque split. It will send as much as 78 per cent to the rear and 62 per cent to the front; if you want to go beyond that, you’ll need the optional two-speed transfer box. The multi-plate clutch in its centre differential defaults to a 50/50 spread, but is capable of increasing that to 100 per cent on each axle if the conditions insist upon it. It also offers selectable low range and all the advantages that come with it. Clearly this is the more off-road capable option (it’s the one tested here), and by making it an extra, Land Rover has set out its stall - the Sport is an on-road machine first and foremost.
Is this new V6 diesel Range Rover Sport the pick of the range? We think so
The diesel version of the new Range Rover Sport we’ve already heavily sampled in its 5.0-litre Supercharged spec. Where most of those cars will be destined for the Persian Gulf and North America, the 288bhp SDV6, with 199g/km CO2 emissions and 37.7mpg potential, is the variant you can expect to see on a driveway near you sometime soon. There will be an entry-level model beneath it — with 254bhp and precisely the same peak twist — but that will only be available in lowly SE trim. The SDV6 comes in the more desirable HSE, HSE Dynamic and Autobiography Dynamic clothes. Adding the word Dynamic to your car is important too, as it delivers the adaptive anti-roll bar and dampers which make the Sport a better overall prospect.As standard, this is the first car Land Rover has offered with a single-speed transfer case. Said to be 18kg lighter, the new system uses a Torsen centre differential to deploy a default 42/58 per cent front-to-rear torque split. It will send as much as 78 per cent to the rear and 62 per cent to the front; if you want to go beyond that, you’ll need the optional two-speed transfer box. The multi-plate clutch in its centre differential defaults to a 50/50 spread, but is capable of increasing that to 100 per cent on each axle if the conditions insist upon it. It also offers selectable low range and all the advantages that come with it. Clearly this is the more off-road capable option (it’s the one tested here), and by making it an extra, Land Rover has set out its stall - the Sport is an on-road machine first and foremost.