2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport Review

Land Rover takes a jab at performance SUVs from BMW and Porsche with its all-new Range Rover Sport.

It's still not the sportiest SUV in its price range, but if you want Land Rover capability and style packed into a slightly less boxy package, the 2006 Range Rover Sport is the perfect setup.

A real departure from Land Rover's singular focus on the off-road lifestyle, the Range Rover Sport is the company's first performance SUV. Even though it shares the Range Rover badge with its luxurious big brother, the Sport is actually a shortened and 450-pound-lighter version of the LR3. The exterior styling echoes the Range Rover, and the engineers placed much significance on aerodynamics and smooth lines. A shorter wheelbase and a steeply raked rear hatch give the Sport a more dynamic stance. The steering and suspension were sharpened for better on-road performance with a variable-ratio and variable-assistance ZF Servotronic steering system and monotube shocks. Two engines power the Range Rover Sport. A V8 borrowed from the Jaguar parts bin channels 300 horsepower through a six-speed automatic transmission in the HSE. The supercharged model boosts the horsepower to 390.

The Range Rover Sport's fully independent suspension utilizes air springs at each corner, and a new Dynamic Response System automatically adjusts the sway bars for maximum roll control whether you're on-road or off. Although its tires, stance and suspension are tuned for life on pavement, the Sport still carries its low-range gearing and the adaptive Terrain Response system first introduced in the LR3. Although the idea of a fast and sporty Land Rover SUV may seem like a contradiction, the 2006 Range Rover Sport has the acceleration and handling dynamics to make it a serious player in the high-performance SUV market. It also has the class-leading off-road capability you'd expect of a Land Rover.

The standard Range Rover Sport is powered by a 4.4-liter V8 that makes 300 hp and 315 lb-ft of torque. As you'd expect, the Supercharged model features a supercharged version of this engine that ups the power to 390 hp and 410 lb-ft of torque. Both engines use a six-speed automatic transmission with adaptive shift logic that adapts to road conditions and driving styles. Likewise, they both get Land Rover's Terrain Response System that adjusts everything from throttle response, traction control, electronic stability control to varying off-road conditions. The Supercharged Sport also features active roll control to improve cornering performance on the pavement.

Safety features include four-wheel antilock Brembo brakes, traction and stability control, hill-descent control, side-impact and head curtain airbags and even an electronic parking brake. The Supercharged model includes adaptive headlights that "look" around corners and adjust up and down to counter the effects of hard braking and heavy cargo.

With 390 horsepower on tap, the supercharged Range Rover Sport lives up to the performance moniker. Combined with its sophisticated four-wheel-drive system and the adaptive six-speed transmission, there is always plenty of power and traction available underfoot. If you're looking for serious capability on the pavement, go with the Supercharged model or at least an HSE equipped with the active roll control suspension as the standard setup is much less capable than a comparably priced X5 or Cayenne.

The Range Rover Sport features a spacious cabin packed with clever storage solutions, as well as seats trimmed in English leather. A commanding driving position and elevated stadium seating give the driver and passengers alike a clear view of their surroundings. The dash has a simple, geometric look that is very similar to the elegant design employed in the Range Rover. Switches are kept to a minimum, thanks to built-in technology that minimizes the need for driver input, and every tactile surface is thickly padded, as one would expect in a vehicle of this caliber. Overall, the cabin isn't quite as luxurious or spacious as the Range Rover, but the Sport is designed to impart a more cockpitlike feel for the driver to emphasize its driver-focused intentions.