2011 Land Rover Range Rover Sport Review
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2011 Land Rover Range Rover Sport at a glance
The 2011 Land Rover Range Rover Sport is actually a fine car—it looks great and conquers muddy terrains with ease. But the drive is not sporty as claimed, while the lacklustre cabin and optimistic pricing further disappoint.
2011 Land Rover Range Rover Sport quick specs
| Body Style | SUV |
| Class | Large Luxury Utility |
| Assembled | - |
| Engine Range | - |
| Fuel Options | - |
| Seating Capacity | 5 |
2011 Land Rover Range Rover Sport ratings (overall rating : 3.5/5.0)
| Styling | |
| Handling | |
| Comfort | |
| Quality + Reliability | |
| Performance |
| Roominess | |
| Running Costs | |
| Value for Money | |
| Equipment | |
| Environment |
Styling
The Range Rover Sport unsurprisingly takes after the Range Rover's highly successful design. Steeper windscreen, sloping roofline, perforated grille and rear spoiler are the main changes from the Range Rover. Without placing both Range Rovers side-by-side, most will be hard-pressed to differentiate the two. Relatively, the 2011 Range Rover Sport looks lower, smaller and sleeker. Land Rover has drawn up a design that looks sporty without losing the commanding road presence of the flagship Range Rover.
Handling
Based on the Land Rover Discovery 3's chassis, the 2011 Range Rover Sport is supposed to rival the best-handling SUVs out there. But to that end, the Range Rover Sport has fallen short on rewarding keen drivers the way BMW X5/X6 do. Not that the handling is poor by any means—the off-roading ability is brilliant. Electronic cross-linked air suspension with Terrain Response system, which lets drivers choose between different kinds of terrain, brings commendable body control and ride quality. But the uncertain steering and merely moderate agility mean the 2011 Range Rover Sport is not sharp enough by comparison.
Comfort
The classic Land Rover Command driving position seats the driver in an elevated position, with a clear view of all four vehicle corners and beyond. Drivers enjoy a fine driving position with sufficient manual tilt steering column and electric seating adjustments. At cruising speeds, the 2011 Range Rover Sport's large body and big tyres create wind and road noise that intrude into the cabin. While the Range Rover has an airy cabin, the 2011 Range Rover Sport's cabin feels more enveloping in part due to the raised centre console.
Quality + Reliability
While the rest of the Land Rover models have performed well in this regard, the 2011 Range Rover Sport fares less well, surprising given its high price tag. Fit and finish are still good, but some of the plastics used for the switchgear feel cheap. Reliability will be the biggest concern as Land Rover models, including the Land Rover Discovery 3 on which the Range Rover Sport is based, have had a number of reliability problems over the years.
Performance
The 2.7-litre TDV6 common-rail turbo-diesel produces 189 bhp and 440 Nm, while the 4.4-litre V8 petrol churns out 295 bhp and 425 Nm. Just as when used in the Land Rover Discovery 3, the diesel struggles to pull along the 2011 Range Rover Sport's heft. The more powerful petrol puts out a far stronger performance, at the expense of fuel economy. Both engines are equipped with six-speed automatic transmission with CommandShift, which adapts to driving style over time.
Roominess
Despite the 2011 Range Rover Sport's considerable length, there is room for a maximum of five, and only four if you want true comfort. Under-sized rear doors make ingress and egress harder than it should be, unfortunately. The boot offers excellent space, and access is convenient through a separate lifting glass, which allows loading of smaller items without the need to raise the entire tailgate.
Running Costs
Fuel consumption figures for the diesel and petrol are 9.8 km/litre and 6.7 km/litre respectively. Expect to see significant maintenance bills, as is normally the case for most luxury brands. Depreciation should be kept in check, with both the reputable Land Rover brand and the relative small number of Range Rover Sports on the second-hand market supporting the resale values.
Value for Money
The 2011 Range Rover Sport is much like a lesser Range Rover. It costs less, but offers less as well. In particular, the cabin quality is poorer than even the Land Rover Discovery 3's, which costs significantly less. The “Sport” tag has proven misleading as the Range Rover Sport drives no better than the Range Rover, much less the BMW X5/X6. On the whole, the Discovery 3 makes so much more sense than the 2011 Range Rover Sport.
Equipment
Equipments include permanent four-wheel drive, airbags for two rows, Active Roll Mitigation, Hill Descent Control, four-wheel Electronic Traction Control, Dynamic Stability Control, power assisted speed-proportional variable ratio steering, electronic air suspension with Terrain Response, cruise control, front and rear Park Distance Control, power-folding exterior mirrors, bi-xenon headlights with corner lamps, 20-inch alloy wheels, trip computer, automatic climate control, leather upholstery, 65:35 split rear seats, memory settings for driver´s seat and exterior mirrors, and in-dash six-CD changer with eight speakers.
Environment
The 2011 Range Rover Sport is not for the “green” at heart—even the smaller 2.7-litre diesel emits 265 grams/km of carbon dioxide and consumes 9.8 km/litre of fuel, never mind the larger 4.4-litre petrol. Land Rover's model range of mostly high-powered, heavy SUVs makes it one of the worst-polluting automakers in Malaysia.
Live Life Drive Verdict
Stylish looks
Brilliant off-road
Comfortable cabin
Not sporty as claimed
Cabin materials disappoint
Better deals elsewhere
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