Range Rover Sport first look

The naughty little brother

Nishant Padhiar 6 Jan 2023 05:22 PM

Every Royal has a sibling and it’s no different for SUVs apparently. The Range Rover Sport, built on the same platform as the bigger bruv, has a more athletic bent, thanks mainly to a slimmer, sportier grille and headlights up front and a more raked windscreen. It also swaps blacked-out LED tail lights for a more conventional, but no less striking rear section. The Sport also eschews the split-section, picnic bench of a tailgate of the big Range Rover for a large hatch-style opening. Two engine options are on offer, both 3.0 litre 6-cylinder units but feeding on different fuels. Tons of trim levels scramble features and finishes around in the form of SE, HSE, Autobiography and First Edition variants. What remains common to all though is the absolutely staggering 900mm of water wading capability and a 281mm ground clearance. Club that with the air suspension and you won’t know whether you’re driving in Mumbai or Munich!

Like the exterior, the cabin is a masterclass in minimalism as well. Instrumentation is all digital with crisp, clear and colourful graphics and the curved 13in Pivi Pro infotainment screen looks classy, with no laggy behaviour. An optional Meridian 3D surround sound system that features active noise-cancelling speakers in the headrests makes for a cabin that is as quiet as a Goan shack on a Monday morning. Massage seats, air purification, refrigerator in the centre console, ClearSight rear-view mirror and a 360-degree surround view cameras…the list is literally pages long! The RR Sport captures the essence of THE Range Rover though and keeps the non-negotiables intact, like the commanding seating position albeit a bit lower, comfortable rear seats and a go-anywhere ability with Terrain Response 2 handling all the complex calculations underneath the wood and leather draped cabin. Prices start at a relatively more digestible Rs. 1.64 crore and go up to Rs. 1.84 crore. Regardless of which seat you occupy though, the RR Sport is going to be one of the finest ways to travel intra or intercity.