Range Rover Sport 2021 Review

Sadly, the arrival of the potent new inline six-cylinder oil-burner in the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport heralds the end of the road for the charismatic Ford-sourced 4.4-litre V8 turbo-diesel – still available for order in Australia – that sounded great and offered a thumping 740Nm torque peak.

Land Rover says you won’t miss it. The new electrified engine offers even more performance and is 13 per cent more efficient while emitting half as much nasty NOx (oxides of nitrogen).

It’s a bit too early to talk pricing for the D250, D300 and D350 MHEV version of the Range Rover Sport, with Land Rover Australia to release pricing closer to launch late this year.

Aside from the under-bonnet refreshments, the changes to the 2021 Range Rover Sport are limited to an updated version of its Touch Pro Duo infotainment system that adds Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus on-board Wi-Fi for up to eight devices.

Finally, there’s a revised adaptive cruise control that includes stop and go and steer assist and a new cabin ionisation climate-control system that can scrub particles from the air.

Currently, Land Rover Australia offers a bewildering level of choice for Range Rover Sport buyers, with the popular BMW X5 or Mercedes-Benz GLE rival offered in SE, HSE, HSE Dynamic, Autobiography Dynamic and, of course, the gloriously unhinged SVR trim for the 423kW performance flagship.

As it has done with other model lines, JLR Australia is expected to streamline the Range Rover Sport range. Focusing on the D350 MHEV we drove, it’s expected the most powerful diesel will be offered in just HSE and HSE Dynamic grades, which means matrix LED headlamps, leather 16-way heated seats, three-zone climate control, front and rear camera and the Touch Pro Duo are all standard.

The Range Rover Sport is backed by a three-year/100,000-kilometre warranty, while servicing for the Land Rover SUV is spaced across 12-month/25,000km intervals, depending on use.

You have to remember that Land Rover first introduced the Range Rover Sport back in 2013 and, even after a comprehensive update in 2018, the larger luxurious Brit SUV can no longer be considered cutting-edge beside the likes of the fourth-generation Mercedes-Benz GLE and the BMW X5 that were both launched in 2019.

Seeing plenty of engineering development mules for both the Sport and the full-size Range Rover testing on roads near JLR’s headquarters brought home the fact that the current models’ days are numbered.

Despite its age, however, frequent revisions and updates have managed to keep the Sport surprisingly competitive.

With the arrival of new 48-volt petrol and diesel mild-hybrid 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder engines, for example, the Range Rover now boasts two high-tech powertrains.

But even without them, there’s some areas the Sport, somehow, still manages to lead.

Take its off-road credentials; if you’re venturing well off the beaten track, fording a stream or even towing a large load you’d be best suited with the Range Rover.

It’s second-generation Terrain Response 2 tech is remarkable. Pre-arming the all-wheel drive for slippery grass, gravel, snow, mud/ruts, sand and rocky conditions ensures you have to be exceedingly reckless to actually get stuck, even on road-biased tyres.

Featuring a high- and low-ratio gearbox and the ability to raise its ride height by 75mm, the Sport can wade into a depth of up to 850mm.

Then there’s its towing might, offering a class-best 3500kg hauling ability that was enhanced in 2018 when the Advanced Tow Assist tech was rolled out, using the infotainment screen and the rotary Terrain Response controller to safely reverse and manoeuvre a large trailer at low speed.

So what’s missing? The Sport’s electrical architecture doesn’t support JLR’s latest Pivi Pro infotainment system, so despite still looking the part, the system lags others, like the Mercedes GLE’s classing-leading MBUX.

Then there’s the simple knowledge that the third-generation model, which arrives soon, will be all-new, underpinned by an even lighter full-aluminium MLA platform that will herald Level 3 autonomous driving aids and even more sophisticated chassis control tech.

Euro NCAP has never tested the Range Rover Sport but did crash test the closely related full-size Range Rover back in 2012. That car received the full five stars for adult and child occupant protection.

Featuring the same bore and stroke as the four-cylinder Ingenium engine, the new inline six-cylinder on the Range Rover Sport really is just an extra couple of cylinders carefully grafted onto the block.

The advantage over the Ford-derived V6 and V8 duo are numerous but, in very basic terms, with just a single cylinder head the new Ingenium engine is simpler and cheaper to make.

Even when you factor in the extra weight of the new twin-scroll turbocharger, lithium-ion battery, wiring and all the extra gubbins required for the 48-volt electrical system, the new 3.0-litre is around the same weight of the old basic V6 and an incredible 80kg lighter than the bigger 4.4-litre V8.

For the Australian market the new six-pot diesel is available as a D250 that produces 183kW/600Nm (8.3L/100km), a D300 with 221kW/650Nm (8.3L/100km) and the flagship D350 that pumps out a mighty 257kW and 700Nm of torque.

The latter compares well with the V8 diesel it replaces.

Despite being 40Nm down on the bigger 4.4-litre’s peak torque, the D350 musters an extra 7kW of power. Factor in the 80kg weight saving and the 0-100km/h spring takes 6.9 seconds – making it 0.2 seconds quicker – while matching its 225km/h top speed.

Land Rover claims the D350 can do all this while being up to 13 per cent more efficient, averaging 9.1L/100km on the combined cycle. That’s actually only 0.1L/100km better than the V8, but was recorded on the stricter WLTP test cycle while emitting 50 per cent less harmful NOx emissions.

Like the rest of the Range Rover Sport range, the new diesel comes with the British car-maker’s eight-speed automatic transmission that makes for effortless progress.

What you do miss is the old car’s V8 soundtrack that, at times, did a convincing impression of a petrol.

That said, once you’ve witnessed the near-silent progress and the smoother nature of the inline-six – which still sounds good when you stretch its legs – the efficiency gains and increased refinement are well worth the loss of some of the old engine’s delightful character.

For our drive we only sampled the Range Rover Sport D350 MHEV on a mixture of roads that involved a short dirt track, typical poorly surfaced British country roads, and highways that combined a mixture of surfaces.

For a large SUV nearing its sell-by date, the current-generation Sport still has much to offer, even when it’s up against its fresher competition.

Climb behind the wheel and its commanding driving position in the post-2018 facelift interior are just about modern enough for it to not feel like the relic it is.

Starting with the good stuff, the new 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder is instantly among the best in the class. Developing its peak torque at just 1500rpm gives the impression of a much larger-capacity engine.

Thanks to its performance, overtaking – even for a 2.3-tonne, 4.9-metre-long SUV – is rarely an issue, while a 100km/h cruise sees the engine turning over at little more than idle.

Better still, the effortless delivery, and exceptional refinement enhance one of the chief selling points of the Range Rover Sport: just how quickly it can relax the driver.

Even now, few SUVs are as cossetting. Despite the ‘Sport’ name – and keeping the wild SVR to one side – the Rangie has attempted to mimic a sports sedan, and nothing’s changed with the final update.

What has altered is some of the advances offered by SUVs like the Audi Q7. We’re talking active roll control and four-wheel steering that increase comfort and make the vehicle feel far smaller and more agile than it has any right to be.

All are likely to be introduced on the next-generation model, so for now there’s a tad more body roll than you might expect. Despite a new chassis tune, the ride quality in our vehicle wasn’t quite as accomplished as we remembered from our last drive, but this one was also riding on large 21-inch rims (there’s the option of even larger 22s), so plump for the 20-inch wheels if you savour a comfy ride.

Push on when you reach your favourite country road and there’s still some enjoyment to be extracted from the Range Rover Sport. The steering remains precise, while the lighter engine boosts agility and front-end grip.

The Dynamic mode on the Terrain Response also remains useful and doesn’t ruin the ride if you fancy better body control.

Against all the odds, the seven-year-old Range Rover Sport still has what it takes in 2020 to compete against far newer rivals.

The new 3.0-litre six-cylinder mild-hybrid engine’s blend of performance and efficiency will certainly appeal to Australian families, and it’s the pick of the Range Rover Sport range.

That said, the infotainment system remains long in the tooth, and the vehicle lacks the advanced features and chassis trickery of its rivals.

But if you tow or travel off-road regularly and need a vehicle that can do all that and then shuttle you to an important meeting, the Range Rover Sport remains an appetising proposition.

Its success, of course, will remain dependent on how Land Rover will price it. But the biggest barrier to its purchase, in our eyes at least, is the knowledge that an all-new model is potentially only a year away.

It’s that SUV that will blend the tech we’re missing with the current model’s phenomenal off-road ability, and one we’re not betting against leading its class when it arrives here.

How much does the 2021 Range Rover Sport D350 MHEV cost?
Price: $150,000 estimated (plus on-road costs)
Available: December
Engine: 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 257kW/700Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 9.1L/100km (NEDC)
CO2: 238g/km (NEDC)
Safety Rating: Not tested