Land Rover Range Rover Sport 3.0 TDV6 SE 5dr Car Review - June 2013

The 258bhp V6 diesel engine in the has its work cut out to pull around a car of the Range Rover Sport TDV6’s girth, but with 442ft-lb’s of torque at 2000rpm it copes quite admirably with the task and allows for a 0-62mph time of just 7.1 seconds and a top speed of 130mph. With an 8-speed automatic gearbox, the delivery of that power is superbly refined too. The steering is responsive enough to justify the Sports tag. Despite its size, the dynamic stability control aids excellent body control, and while the ride is somewhat firm around town it comes into its own once you leave the tarmac where it still has the edge over its off road rivals. The Sport TDV6 is an accomplished all round performer.

The Sport shares the same distinguished and imposing style of the rest of the Range Rover line up, but with styling cues such as beefy alloys as standard. Whoever gets to be the captain of this particular road-going liner will be equally impressed when he climbs behind the wheel and into the hide-bound seat, with the wraparound controls giving access to a hosts of standard equipment including power steering, central locking, dynamic stability control, climate control, electric door mirrors, electric front and rear windows, cruise control, rear parking sensors, alarm, immobiliser, CD player, MP3 connectivity, bluetooth, and satellite navigation. There are extras which can be added to the SE package for an additional cost, such as an electric sunroof for £1,500, while the same amount again will see the inclusion of a rear seat entertainment system.

Within its expansive cabin the Range Rover Sport boasts a full compliment of airbags including driver, passenger and front side, as well as other driver safety aids such as dynamic stability control all of which make the inside a safe and secure place to be cocooned. The owner will have peace of mind from a 3-year warranty that has an unlimited mileage too. The visibility and comfort afforded by the Range Rover Sport’s luxurious leather-clad driving seat is matched by those provided for the passengers, all of which have excellent head and leg room. While the load carrying capacity in the Sport models is slightly reduced, there is still 784 litres of boot space, which grows to 1,761 litres once the split folding rear seats have been lowered.

At £51,550, the Range Rover Sport TDV6 SE is the entry-level model in the Range Rover Sport line up, and although power performance figures improve as you move up the range the purchase price grows considerably too. With the impressive torque levels delivered by the TDV6 SE’s engine it ensures the model is arguably the best all-round pick in the range, and has the lowest running costs too. The Range Rover Sport TDV6 SE has a combined fuel economy return of 38.7mpg and falls into Road Tax Band J with CO2 emissions of 194g/km. While the Range Rover Sport TDV6 SE offers a similar space, comfort, and ride of a large executive sports saloon, but with a bigger thirst and less on-road agility, it offers the best all round package when it comes to factoring-in off-road capability, and for that reason has the edge over rivals from, for example, BMW, who also miss out on the pedigree attached with the Range Rover marque.