When introduced last year, the Range Rover Sport was quite a departure from Land Rover's traditional singular focus on conquering the far corners of the Earth. It was, in fact, the company's first on-road-oriented, performance SUV. One distinction: Even though it shares the Range Rover badge with its more luxurious big brother, the Range Rover Sport is actually a shortened and several-hundred-pounds-lighter version of the LR3.
The exterior styling echoes the cubist Range Rover shapes of old, though the engineers focused on optimizing aerodynamics and smooth lines; a shorter wheelbase and more steeply raked D-pillar/rear hatch give the Sport a decidedly dynamic stance. The LR3's steering and suspension were sharpened for better on-road performance with variable-ratio/variable-assistance ZF Servotronic steering and premium monotube shocks handling the bumps.
Two engines power the 2007 Land Rover Range Rover Sport: a standard 4.4-liter V8 in the HSE borrowed from the Jaguar parts shelf with 300 horsepower driving through a six-speed automatic transmission, and the bad-boy Supercharged 4.2-liter version, which boosts the V8's hp 30 percent to 390 far more eager horses.
The Range Rover Sport's fully independent suspension utilizes air springs at each corner for comfort, and an available Dynamic Response System automatically adjusts the stabilizer bars for maximum roll control whether you're on pavement or off. Although its stance, suspension and tires are all tuned for on-road life, the Sport is still ready to hit the trail without compromise with its low-range gearing and adaptive Terrain Response System first introduced in the LR3.
Though the idea of a fast and racy Land Rover sport-utility may seem like a contradiction, the 2007 Range Rover Sport carries over with the acceleration and ride and handling dynamics to keep it among the top choices of the high-performance SUV set, especially in Supercharged form. But we do suggest checking out the competition, which includes the new BMW X5 and the updated Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG, before making a final decision.