Range Rover Sport
This new “Grand Tourism” SUV, just as impressive on or off the road !
This new “Grand Tourism” SUV has made its mark as a truly excellent off-road vehicle. Which is just as capable of impressive performances - back on the road !
“We designed it to be a more “civilized” alternative to existing 4WDs,” explains Range Rover's General Director, Matthew Taylor. Which means : comfortable and ideal for long trips at sustained speed, yet a model with all the characteristics of an all-terrain vehicle. Furthermore, it pos-itions itself as the de-luxe SUV within the product range, between the Discovery 3 and the Range Rover. Its direct rivals are the Porsche Cayenne and the BMW X5. Easier to handle than its predecessor (this is the fifth in the line, though it's been treated to a completely new look), its wheelbase has been reduced by 14 centimetres and now measures 275 centimetres. Its more flowing but more dynamic design goes well with a superbly equipped passenger compartment. And did you know that the driving position has been designed to correspond to architecture similar to that of airplane pilots' seats ? On the programme, a dashboard (also reminiscent of a plane) and finishing touches that combine leather, wood and metal inserts. To make better headway into the wind, the ridges on the bonnet are less pronounced and the windscreen more tilted. Designed, developed and produced as a 5-door vehicle, the Range Rover Sport has a rear single-piece tailgate in aluminium with a window that opens to allow for easier access to the trunk. “This vehicle is definitely the one which will most attract fans of pure, hard driving,” says Matthew Taylor. The flagship model, driven by a supercharged version of the Jaguar V8 4.2-litre engine, has an automatic 6-speed ZF “intelligent shift” gearbox. The transmission benefits from a Sport programming mode and Land Rover's CommandShift system, which allows the driver to control gear changes manually. In addition to traditional driving assistance (ESP, ETC anti-skid, EBA braking assistance, Dynamic Stability Control…), it comes with an automatic speed and distance regulator (a first for Land Rover) called Dynamic Response. It detects the intensity of the centrifugal force and adapts its behaviour accordingly ; it disconnects when tackling allterrain conditions, thus giving the wheels more manoeuvrability. And even its power steering, which varies depending on the speed, and thus ensures great agil-ity in low gear with excellent stability at faster speeds. Then, let's not forget, this is a high-level sports vehicle : it benefits from the innovative Terrain Response system which acts as a regulator for road-holding. With a choice of five 4WD modes (the switch is located on the central console), the Range Rover Sport has a full array of assets to convince both the gentleman farmer who likes to whizz into town and the real city gent wanting to rediscover his roots. Available in the spring, 2005. Base price : from 50,000 €.
By Cécile Olivéro - photos : press.
