Range Rover Sport gets body kit
Hardly off-roader sports new chin spoiler
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Land Rover has -- er -- beefed up the Range Rover Sport, adding a host of additional equipment and called it the Sport HST. Its design cues were inspired by the Range Stormer concept car, first shown at the Detroit auto show in January 2004. The HST is no faster than the supercharged specification on which it's based but it does look different.
Additional equipment includes: electric sunroof, an electronic active locking rear differential and privacy glass. The interior gets hand polished, lined oak trim.
The exterior design is the work of the same Land Rover team that created the original Range Stormer. It includes new flush-fitting front and rear bumpers and a new larger open-mouth grille. The front lower air intake is deeper and new front fog lamps are mounted in the spoiler.
The lower doors and lower rear boot are body-coloured, making the body sides appear deeper, accentuating the vehicle’s road-hugging qualities. A new tail spoiler is also fitted, and the special rectangular tail-pipes are close to those used on the original Range Stormer concept vehicle.
It gets 20 inch 'Stormer' alloy wheels, chromed aluminium side vents and body-coloured door mirror cappings, unique to this derivative.
"The HST gives the Range Rover Sport an especially impressive stance, hunkered down tight to the road," said Land Rover's design director Geoff Upex. "It's the extreme version of the Range Rover Sport, the design that will be chosen by those who want to stand out from the crowd."
The HST is available in five colours; grey, blue, black, red and silver. Performance figures are the same as the standard Supercharged model.
As a Land Rover, the HST will naturally still have off-road capability – though which of its customers are likely to take it further than the edge of a slightly moist field is debateable. The removable chin spoiler means that approach and departure angles are as good as the standard vehicle, reckoned Land Rover.
"The HST allows a Range Rover Sport customer to drive the closest thing there is to the radical Range Stormer, our first ever concept vehicle and a real milestone for the company," said Land Rover's UK boss John Edwards. "The Range Rover Sport continues to be a major success for Land Rover, with strong order banks in most markets," said Edwards. "It appeals not only to those who want a dynamic 4x4 but also to customers who want comfort and refinement. That's why we call it a Sports Tourer. Customers are coming not just from competitor 4x4s but also from premium saloons. They value the extra all-round command driving and breadth of capability that only a Land Rover can offer."
The Range Rover Sport HST is now on sale from £63,000 on the road.
I think the whole thing looks a bit weak (this new kit does help) and they should never have sullied the Range Rover brand by calling this the Range Rover Sport - sound like some crappy, end of model limited edition. I thought Range Stormer sounded fantastic. This, and the lack of a split folding tailgate persuaded me not to part with my hard-earned, despite being 8th on my dealers waiting list for the 'Sport, and I swapped the old Rangie for a Discovery 3. (It is, after all, the same chaissis as the 'Sport.)
The prices had crept up since the Stormer was first announced and as has been mentioned, for £65k (which let's face it, this is far too expensive for me to use as a mud plugging, TVR towing mule) having heard the sort of noises the new V10 M5 makes (courtesy of some bloke who keeps hooning down the by-pass outside my office) I don't think the Land Rover would be my choice.
Too little too late Land Rover.
I thought about buying one when they first came out but the performance is just so so and it's quite tight on space inside. Decided to stick with the X5. It might be getting a little dated as a shape but it's still the best looking SUV IMHO, and with the 4.8 it goes properly too!!
That said, if I had to keep just one car, it would be my wifes Disco 3
If you are going to have one though, this is perhaps the one to have...
www.overfinch.co.uk/?node_id=1.4&article_id=28
"Max Power 500 bhp (370 Kw) @ 5750 rpm
Max Torque 525 lbs/ft (709 Nm) @ 3200 rpm
The Supersport engine package comes complete with a 3 year 60,000 mile (100,000kms) warranty from Overfinch and can be maintained by any Overfinch distributor or Land Rover dealer anywhere in the world."
They Look Real Billy Whizz!
Mr May....
mk1fan said:
I like the Sport. I think Land Rover were/are right in adding it to the RR range. BMW showed there was a market for sporty 4x4's, as have Porsche. Now you can have one with the right badge.
I thought I wanted to buy a Sport, until I sat in one. For such a huge and heavy vehicle, Deity only knows what they did with the space. It felt tiny. I'm 6'2" and my head was brushing the roof. The A pillar comes up really close to you. The console around the transmission tunnel is simply vast. Naff all rear legroom, not very big boot and very high load tray made me wonder if it was a Tardis in reverse. Plus, it didn't feel all that sporty and the fuel consumption was epic. My overriding impression was one of claustrophia - something I don't suffer from at all.
I also had a BMW and the Volvo X5 on my shortlist. I generally dislike BMW's after some poor ownership experiences of "flagship" models, and the general image that is associated with them, but I have to say that despite my desires for it to be otherwise, the X5 was, to me, massively the better vehicle. It actually felt like it had the space inside to match the size of the car, and it was much nicer to drive.
The RR Sport definitely adds something to the RR range, but it wasn't my cup of tea. Also, some of the materials inside are pretty cheap and tacky. The green LCD display in the dash is downright NASTY and reminiscent of a Toyota circa 1992.
I like the sport, but the base Disco has a better interior (not the V8 and its horrible plastic wood though) and hence would be my 'Rover of choice.
Ali.
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