Range Rover Sport
The Land Rover Range Rover Sport is a mid-size luxury SUV produced by the British manufacturer Land Rover, part of Jaguar Land Rover. Introduced in 2005 with the first-generation L320 model, it was succeeded by the second-generation L494 in 2013, and the third-generation L461 in 2022.
Range Stormer concept
The Range Rover Sport was prefigured by the Range Stormer concept car, and it was introduced at the 2004 North American International Auto Show.This was a low-slung, short wheelbase, 3-door coupé that was unusually "sporty" in the context of Land Rover's history. Designed by Richard Woolley, the marque's first complete concept car sported split-folding gullwing doors, one-piece skeletal seats, a "clamshell" bonnet, 22 inch alloys, a top speed, 4WD and a weight. The Range Rover Sport was comparably of much more conservative design featuring five doors and a wheelbase hardly shorter than that of the Range Rover Vogue.
A replica of the Stormer was built by West Coast Customs of Corona, CA for Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, on the occasion of opening West Coast Customs Dubai; the car is currently registered under the Dubai Traffic And Road Authority.
The Range Stormer is now on display at the Heritage Motor Centre in Gaydon, Warwickshire, UK.
First generation (L320; 2005)
Chassis
The chassis of the Range Rover Sport was adapted from the integrated bodyframe, semi-monocoque, independently suspended design which debuted on the Discovery 3 in 2004. This allegedly gives the Range Rover Sport the refinement and structural rigidity advantages of a monocoque chassis with the robustness of a separate chassis design for off-road applications. It also allows for less expensive manufacturing of the vehicles due to a large number of common components. Although sitting on a modified version of the Discovery 3's chassis, it is smaller than its more utilitarian sibling in every dimension with a wheelbase shorter by. Its smaller dimensions and its raked roofline make it impossible to accommodate third-row occupants like the Discovery 3, but as a sports tourer it was never intended to be a seven-seater. Brembo front brakes are standard on all models except the TDV6.Powertrain
The 2005–2009 Range Rover Sport HSE is powered by a naturally aspirated 4.4-litre Jaguar AJ-V8 engine producing and, with the Supercharged model getting a supercharged 4.2-litre variant producing and. Both petrol engines have been designed with a sump and oil pick-up system to allow for operation at extreme angles. Due to lack of popularity, the naturally aspirated power plant was omitted from the UK market in 2007. For 2010, these two powerplants were replaced by a naturally aspirated 5.0-litre all-aluminium Jaguar AJ-V8 engine producing and for the HSE, and a supercharged 5.0-litre variant producing and on Supercharged models. The advanced 2.7-litre turbodiesel TDV6 is an adaptation of the PSA/Ford development and produces and in Land Rover guise. It features a compacted graphite iron block and aluminium cylinder head with fast switching piezo crystal injectors. Debuting in both the Sport and the flagship Range Rover in 2007 was the 3.6-litre twin turbodiesel TDV8. This engine is a further adaptation of the TDV6 but features a 90 degree block, twin variable geometry turbochargers and inlet valve deactivation. All engine variants are mated to an adaptive six-speed ZF 6HP transmission ZF automatic transmission, except the SDV6, which received the ZF 8HP transmission. These gearboxes have a unique mode: CommandShift which reacts and adapts to varying driving styles. CommandShift gives the driver the freedom to sequentially manipulate gear changes.Suspension
, as standard, gives the driver the option of three ride height settings including a standard ride height of, an off-road height of and a lowered access mode. There is also an extra height available which is accessed by holding the respective button for when the off-road ride height is not enough. When the vehicle bellies out, its control system will sense weight being lessened on the air springs and the ride height is automatically raised to the suspensions greatest articulation. The cross-link aspect of the suspension system, which debuted on the L322 Range Rover in 2002, results in better off-road performance by electronically operating valves in pneumatic lines which link adjacent air springs. In the event of a wheel on one side being raised when travelling off-road, the pneumatic valves are opened and the adjacent wheel is forced down, simulating the action of a live axle setup.Terrain Response
Land Rover's patented Terrain Response system which debuted on the Discovery 3 is fitted as standard on all models. In the L320 Terrain Response allows the driver to select each of the five additional modes using a switch, pressing left or right to select the mode, in the L494 Terrain Response 2 allows the driver to adjust chassis and transmission settings to suit the terrain being traversed via a rotary knob on the centre console. These include general driving; grass, gravel, snow; mud and ruts; sand; and rock crawl. Suspension ride height, engine management, throttle mapping, transfer case ranges, transmission settings, electronic driving aids, dynamic stability control and hill descent control ) and electronic e-diffs are all manipulated through the Terrain Response system. All Range Rover Sports are equipped with a standard centre e-diff from Magna Steyr Powertrain which electronically locks and unlocks and apportions torque via means of a multi-plate clutch pack located in the transfer case which also offers 'shift-on-the-move' dual-range operation. A rear e-diff is optional on all Range Rover Sport models and is able to lock and unlock instantaneously. An in-dash display is available which, among other things, is linked to Terrain Response and displays important off-road information such as the status of the e-diffs, the angle of the steering and wheel articulation. It is also able to inform the driver of wheels which do not have contact with the ground.Driving technologies
incorporates electrohydraulic active anti-roll bars which react to cornering forces and activate and deactivate accordingly resulting in sublime on-road handling. Dynamic Response also aids off-road performance by decoupling the anti-sway bars to allow maximum wheel articulation. The system in an evolution of the acclaimed ACE system available on the Discovery Series II but is described as proactive rather than reactive. Positive Torque, a system standard on all TDV8 and Supercharged models, electronically blips the throttle, resulting in faster downshifts and the availability of vast reserves of torque. The speed sensitive steering system, adopted from Jaguar is standard on all models and there's the option of active bi-xenon headlamps which act with the angle of the steering to aid vision. Active Cruise Control with Forward Alert system incorporates an integrated front bumper radar which detects vehicles travelling ahead and adapts the vehicle's speed to match. The system scans the road ten times a second, has a 16 degree field of view and Land Rover claims it is able to discriminate between a heavy vehicle and an adjacent lane motorcycle travelling at least ahead. Four preset distances are selectable and will ensure the Sport maintains the desired distance from the vehicle it is following.Safety
The NCWR organisation tested the Range Rover Sport in 2010 and awarded it the following scores:| NCWR | Score |
| Geometric: | G |
| Dynamic: | A |
| Overall: | A |
G = Good, A = Acceptable, M = Marginal, P = Poor
Security
The Range Rover Sport was tested by Thatcham's New Vehicle Security Ratings organisation and achieved the following ratings:| NVSR | Rating |
| Theft of car: | |
| Theft from car: |