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New range rover sport

2023 Range Rover Sport Unveiled, Coming to Australia


The Range Rover Sport was responsible for creating its own segment. While we’d seen SUVs with big engines before, none had the sporty driving characteristics of the Sport and it became so popular over the years that every auto manufacturer had no choice but to throw their hat in the ring to experiment with what Range Rover created. Have they succeeded? Yes, and then some. Vehicles like the Aston Martin DBX, Lamborghini URUS, and Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT took what the Range Rover Sport created and ran with it to become a category of their own – super SUVs.

So where does that leave Range Rover Sport?

In order to reassert itself in the market it created, Range Rover needed to completely redesign the Sport to become the pack leader once again. How have they done it? Let’s take a closer look.

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Front end
Image: JLR

New Range Rover Sport

The latest Range Rover Sport makes the most of the technology available in its third generation.

What Engine Does the New Range Rover Sport Have?

The engines are the heart and soul of any Range Rover Sport. We absolutely loved the outgoing Supercharged V8 for its exhaust note alone, but there’s no hiding from the fact it was a little agricultural and far from the most technology ridden engine in its price bracket. With the advancements in EV power, there’s little reason to go out and reinvent the wheel when it comes to engines – and the application of the BMW sourced 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 in the P530 model will provide power and sophistication that the outgoing engine didn’t, all while retaining that gorgeous exhaust note.

We’ve added all the engines available in the new Range Rover Sport below, sorted by power output.

ModelEngineElectric AssistOutputsFuel economy0-100km/h
D2503.0-litre turbo inline-six diesel48-volt mild-hybrid183kW/600Nm7.2L/100km8.0 seconds
D3003.0-litre turbo inline-six diesel48-volt mild-hybrid221kW/650Nm7.2L/100km6.6 seconds
D3503.0-litre turbo inline-six diesel48-volt mild-hybrid258kW/700Nm7.2L/100km5.9 seconds
P3603.0-litre turbo inline-six petrol48-volt mild-hybrid265kW/500Nm9.4L/100km6.0 seconds
P4003.0-litre turbo inline-six petrol48-volt mild-hybrid294kW/550Nm9.4L/100km5.7 seconds
P5304.4-litre twin-turbo V8 petrolNone390kW/750Nm11.8L/100km4.5 seconds
P510e3.0-litre turbo inline-six petrolPlug-in hybrid375kW/700Nm combined1.6L/100km5.4 seconds

Those who aren’t interested in exhaust notes will be happy to hear the brand is bringing over their highly sought-after P510e plug-in hybrid model that we first saw on the new Range Rover. The figures aren’t anything to shrug at either, with enough acceleration to wake you up and a whopping all-electric range of up to 125km.

All models are mated to an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission.

Related: The Ferrari SP48 Unica is Truly One of a Kind.

Side profile
Image: JLR

Is it Still, Sporty?

Of course, what separated the Range Rover Sport from the pack in the first place were its best in class handling capabilities and the brand is looking to key in on that again by adopting state of the art technology. Everything has been improved from a tightness, tautness, and technology perspective with a 35% stiffer chassis and 15% slipperier body (0.29cd) that combines with a redesigned air suspension setup in the Stormer Handling pack to really aid turn-in and mid-corner performance by reading the road ahead.

Stormer Handling pack? Yeah, this was a big buzzword during the media presentation so we’ll do our best to digest it for you here. Essentially, the handling package offers chassis technologies over that which the two-chamber adaptive air suspension (with Bilstein dampers) provides, such as; Dynamic Response Pro with an electronic Active Roll Control system (reads the road ahead), All-Wheel Steering (standard in P510e and P530), an Electronic Active Differential with Torque Vectoring by Braking and Configurable Programs. It’s this system that is set to take the Sport beyond its history and into the future as a serious sports SUV.

“New Range Rover Sport benefits from our advanced MLA-Flex body architecture and advanced chassis systems and technologies. It’s the first Land Rover to feature switchable-volume air springs, allowing our engineers to combine the comfort of a Range Rover and the engaging dynamics associated with the Range Rover Sport. The result is a sportier character than ever before, with elevated luxury and refinement,” said Matthew Becker, Vehicle Engineering Director, Jaguar Land Rover.

Maybe the most impressive feature is the preemptive suspension technology that reads the road ahead to prime the suspension for bumps, washouts, and road conditions. How does it work? Say you’re taking a sweeping on camber right turn, the car will read the road ahead, prime the air suspension to stiffen the outside airbags and reduce roll in the process. This also comes into play with safety, at speeds over 105km/h (car lowers 16mm), and during adaptive cruise control.

Other highlights include custom dynamic mode, launch control (P530), full-time all-wheel drive for off-roading, an electronic rear differential with lockable 50:50 torque split, and torque vectoring by braking.

Rear end
Image: JLR

What’s Special About the Design?

The first thing you probably said to yourself was, “Hey, that’s a Range Rover Sport,” and it’s exactly what the brand is looking to channel with its latest models. We like to call it the Porsche Approach because if it ain’t broke, why fix it? The presence we look for in a Range Rover is still there alongside the sweeping lines and that all too familiar sloped roof.

“Our latest Range Rover Sport embraces fully our modernist approach of vehicle design while amplifying its unquestionable sporting and confident character,” said Prof Gerry McGovern OBE, Chief Creative Officer at Range Rover.

“New Range Rover Sport is dynamically purposeful with striking proportions and volume providing a unique combination of refinement and dynamism. Its balance of strong, short overhangs and dramatic proportions are entirely in keeping with the Range Rover family, enhanced by beautiful finishing and technical detailing,” said Massimo Frascella, Design Director,
at Range Rover.

Highlights for us start at the front end with the LED headlights, short front overhang, large wheel arches and the gorgeous 23-inch wheels that fill them. The black headlight’s surroundings are muscular, as is the double aperture lower front grille. At the rear of the vehicle, we’re getting Range Rover vibes again with the prominent shoulder line that meets the slimline taillights, maybe the most impressive piece is the flush rear quarter panel.

New range rover sport interior
Image: JLR

And on the Inside?

The brand describes the interior as “Modernist, sophisticated, and dynamic,” and we won’t be the ones to argue with them. While we never have anything nice to say about capacitive touch buttons, the fact Range Rover kept physical buttons and switches for the HVAC controls is enough to shut us up for now. A strong driving position sets the tone for the occupants and the technology carries the tone from there with all the usual inclusions such as Apple Carplay and Android Auto alongside the following;

  • 13.1-inch Pivi Pro floating centre screen.
  • 13.7-inch digital instrument cluster (largest ever in a Land Rover).
  • 11.4-inch display screens on the seatbacks (optional).
  • 22-way power-adjustable seats with winged headrests.
  • Meridian sound systems with 15, 19 or 29 speakers.
  • Active noise cancellation.
  • Cabin air purification with PM2.5 filter and Nanoe-X technology.
  • Panoramic sunroof
  • 30-colour ambient cabin lighting
  • 15-watt wireless charging pad
  • ClearSight digital rear-view mirror
  • Seven USB-C ports.
  • Hidden until lit tactile heating and cooling functions.

We only ticked off the necessary tech on the inside of this thing, so if you’re looking for a full list, check out the link below.

Related: 2022 Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica: A Cocktail of the Best Expressions.

New range rover sport
Image: JLR

Australian Pricing and Availability

All of this surely comes at a cost, right?

The 2023 Range Rover Sport pricing starts at $139,160 AUD (before on-roads) for the D250 diesel model – that’s up nearly $20,000 from the previous generation. At the pointy end of the list we’re still waiting for launch pricing for P530 twin-turbo V8 models, however, the launch pricing for the P510e plug-in hybrid will start from $198,097 (before on-roads), and that model is only available in the HSE trim. A number of first editions will also be available with the Range Rover Sport First Edition P530 set to be the most expensive at well over $200,000 AUD.

New Range Rover Confirmed Pricing

  • Range Rover Sport SE D250 – $139,160 (up $19,144)
  • Range Rover Sport Dynamic SE D300 – $151,026
  • Range Rover Sport Dynamic HSE D350 – $168,638 (down $1062)
  • Range Rover Sport Dynamic HSE P510e PHEV – $198,097
  • Range Rover Sport Autobiography D350 – $191,141 (up $3530 over old D350 Autobiography Dynamic)
  • Range Rover Sport First Edition D350 – $196,359

New Range Rover Models With Yet to Be Confirmed Pricing

  • Range Rover Sport SE P360
  • Range Rover Sport Dynamic SE P400
  • Range Rover Sport Dynamic HSE P400
  • Range Rover Sport Dynamic HSE P530
  • Range Rover Sport Autobiography P530
  • Range Rover Sport First Edition P530

Australians should expect the 2023 Range Rover Sport to arrive in showrooms throughout the fourth quarter of 2022. Expect diesel and plug-in hybrid models to launch first. Those who are looking to drop some serious coin on the launch edition P530, order books are expected to open in the third quarter of 2022 before the rest of the petrol range launches in 2023.

Check it out

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