2009 Range Rover Sport
by Jim Prueter -11/2008

Cool looks for urban adventures

(This review was originally written in October 2005 about the 2006 model. Little of substance has changed and this review has been updated to include model years 2007 thru 2009)

The first Land Rover I ever saw was on the big screen. From the passenger seat, John Wayne was fending off a charging rhino in the 1962 movie Hatari. Other movies showed scientists driving Range Rovers to visit Tarzan in an otherwise impenetrable Amazon jungle.

It wasn’t until 1987 that you could buy a Land Rover in the United States. It was one of the very first SUVs, along with the Jeep Grand Wagoneer. Back then, few, if any of us, could imagine the cult following Land Rover would attract and the status symbol it would become. A favorite of pro athletes, celebrities and the well heeled, these days, a Range Rover is more likely to be seen battling for a parking spot on Rodeo Drive than charging across the Serengeti.

The Sport, our tested vehicle, is the fourth Land Rover in the lineup and the second with the Range Rover name. The Sport slots between the luxury flagship Land Rover Range Rover and the LR3, which was introduced last year to rave reviews.

The LR3 was the first fully designed and engineered model after Ford acquired the company from BMW. Earlier this year, Ford spun off both Ranger Rover and Jaguar to Indian auto manufacturer Tata, which aids India’s entry into the mainstream of global auto production.

The Sport is built on the same architecture as the LR3 but on a shorter wheelbase. The exterior appearance couldn’t be more different, with the LR3 sporting a minimalist boxy theme, and the Sport featuring a contemporary, athletic look with ground-effect spoilers, louvered vents on the front fenders, multi-element headlamps and tail lamps, rear spoiler, and flat-black trim for mirrors, door handles, lower body molding and around all glass surfaces.

Speaking of glass, Land Rover has again chose to imbed an array of micro-size heating-element wires in the windshield. Sparkling reflections impede visibility in the sun and blurr vision in the rain. I have this gripe with all Land Rover products.

The first thing you notice upon entering the Sport is that it isn’t the same Range Rover cabin. Earlier Sport models featured a staid interior with lots of brushed metal, and grained plastic in mostly monotone black. We thought it too “mission-control” like.

Thankfully, the designers at Land Rover have significantly improved the look and quality over the past couple of years by upgrading to dark Zabrano or lighter walnut wood trim, and by carrying the seating color over to the lower dash panel. For 2009, there’s new Nobel metal trim finish for vent bezels, door pulls and center console and a new almond-nutmeg interior color that replaces the previous beige.

The instrument panel features intuitive placement and operation of controls. Bluetooth connectivity was added as standard equipment for 2007 models.

For 2008 the Sport added power-folding exterior mirrors, eight-way power seats and power tilt-telescoping steering.

The standard GPS off-road-enhanced DVD navigation system uses a touch-screen interface that’s fairly easy to use. Thankfully, it isn’t necessary to page through numerous screen displays to adjust audio or climate control systems. Those knobs and dials are located just below the screen for ease of use.

Seats are comfortable with pull-down armrests and a commanding view for the driver. Even shorter drivers can see most of the hood with good sightlines out the front and out the back. A front and rear audible park-assist sensor adds to the ease of driving and parking in a crowded shopping center.

The rear seat will accommodate three adults, each getting their own headrest and a command view from the slightly raised seats, but expect a tight fit. The seat flips and folds for additional cargo space. The tailgate is two-piece with a separate operation for the glass so you don’t have to always lift the entire door —which desperately needs a power-lift option.

Outside, changes are minimal for 2009 but include clear taillamp lenses, body-colored paint on the lower portion of the tailgate and three new exterior colors including dark brown, dark green and metallic black.

For 2009, the Sport is available in three models: a 390-horsepower supercharged ($72,450), the 300-horsepower HSE ($59,000) and a new limited edition supercharged HST (pricing not announced). All models use the same six-speed automatic transmission.

For 2009, we tested a well-equipped HSE with the optional Luxury Interior Package that includes a cooler box in the center console, wood trim, heated windshield, front and rear heated premium leather seats. That package, along with the optional adaptive head lamps and Sirius Satellite radio elevated the price to $65,150.

As one would expect, the Sport comes with a long list of standard features including the Land Rover Terrain Response system and hill decent control which electronically adjusts the vehicle’s stability, traction control and related systems to handle any road and off-road surface including deep sand, snow and rugged rocks and boulders. Although, we don’t expect to see many of these luxury utes plying desert and off-road terrain.

Ride, acceleration and handling are all excellent, at least on paved surfaces. I didn’t get an opportunity to take the Sport off-road, although I would expect it to perform similarly to the LR3, which is superb.

All the safety stuff is here: traction and stability control, electronic brake assist, six air bags, anti-rollover protection, LATCH system for child seats — everything world class. There are no crash test results for the Sport as of this writing.

We liked the LR3 and don’t think the Sport has a lot more to offer, unless you prefer its sportier look and burbling exhaust notes that go with the appearance.

But as is the case with all Land Rover products we’ve tested, it’s seductively appealing. I love driving them, being in them; the look, feel and smell are addictive. They’re way more vehicle than anyone would hope to need but there’s just something about Land Rover products that appeal to the American desire to have more than you need.