2021 Range Rover Sport D250 review

The Range Rover Sport was a bit of a watershed moment for the venerable British brand, breaking the single model business plan and paving the way for more lifestyle-focused Rangies like the Evoque and Velar. And a 2005 Greenpeace protest.

This is the second-generation RR Sport and it must surely be nearing its swansong, entering its eighth year on sale having been around since 2013.

Its advancing age hasn’t stopped the company from slapping in a brand new Ingenium turbodiesel, replacing the old Ford-derived diesels. While the car itself is starting to look and feel old – despite some efforts to keep it on the pace – sometimes a fresh engine can afford a new lease of life.

Pricing and Features

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As with most Range Rovers, the Sport comes in a variety of drivetrains and specification levels, so prices vary pretty wildly. This mid-spec SE starts at $115,506 before on-road costs when paired with the new Ingenium straight-six in D250 spec.

For that you get 19-inch alloys, an eight-speaker stereo, power everything, leather interior, dual-zone climate control, cameras in four directions, keyless entry and start, active cruise control, sat-nav, active LED headlights, heated seats front and rear, auto wipers and a full-size alloy spare wheel slung under the car.

The ageing InControl Pro software runs the 10-inch touchscreen and in this car, you get the Touch Pro duo screen setup that provides another display for various functions, including climate control. Once you get your head around that, it’s quite good and is one of the few “clear the cabin of buttons” setups that really works because there are still physical dials for setting temperatures, which is a nice balance.

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It’s not a Range Rover without a few options. This car had 20-inch alloys that looked suspiciously like a Ford Focus ST’s ($2520), Eiger Grey metallic paint ($2200, oof!), a black-painted roof ($2000!), Park Pack with clear exit monitor, rear cross-traffic alert and 360-degree parking sensors ($1310), privacy glass ($800), electrically adjustable steering column ($860) and a 12-speaker Meridian sound system for $800.

All told you’re up for $126,416 before on-roads, and that’s a restrained approach to scaling the Mount Everest-like options list.

You can add some extra off-road gubbins in the form of the $5530 OffRoad Pack, which throws in a twin-speed transfer case, all-terrain progress control, adaptive dynamics and Terrain Response 2.

It’s not a Range Rover without a few options. All told you’re up for $126,416 before on-roads, and that’s a restrained approach to scaling the Mount Everest-like options list.

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Safety equipment includes six airbags, ABS, stability and traction controls, blind-spot monitoring with active assist, front, side and reversing cameras, forward collision warning, front and rear parking sensors, lane departure warning, lane-keep assist, driver fatigue warning and road sign recognition.

The AEB works at low, medium and high speeds, which is nice, but it’s missing rear AEB and cross-traffic alert, which would be most handy on such a big unit. Rear cross-traffic alert, safe exit warning, park assist and 360-degree sensors are part of a $2840 option pack.

Kids and baby seats are looked after with two ISOFIX points and three top-tether anchors.

There is no ANCAP, EuroNCAP or even a US IIHS based safety score.

Comfort and Space

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Despite being known as the baby Range Rover for a while, this is a big beast at nearly 4.9 metres. The boot space starts at a massive 780 litres. If you drop all three back seat sections, you have 1686 litres available, which I think you’ll agree is a lot. On top of that you can drag 3500kg with a braked trailer.

The almost three-metre wheelbase delivers a monster rear seat. You get in through a massive, wide-opening door into a lofty space with tons of leg, knee and shoulder room along with a big armrest featuring two cupholders.

The doors also have deep pockets and bottle holders. You almost need an intercom to talk to the front seat and it’s not even a seven-seater.

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Front seat passengers sit high and have a clear view in all directions because this car has a lot of glass. The seats are classic comfortable armchairs, with a big wide console and plenty of nice places to put elbows and hands.

They’re also just lovely to sit in, have tons of adjustment and are heated and cooled. Few front seats are this comfortable and I commend them to the House.

The air suspension also means the car can lower from its dizzying heights to ease entry, exit and loading.

Few front seats are this comfortable and I commend them to the House.

On the Road

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Despite an obvious focus on the road, there’s still plenty of inbuilt off-road capability in the Sport. Folks dismiss these cars as soccer mum cars, but I can tell you right now even an Audi Q5 will tackle a reasonably challenging off-road course, so the bar for soccer mum cars is pretty high these days.

The 3.0-litre Ingenium turbodiesel six develops 183kW at 4000rpm (high for a diesel) and a thumping 600Nm between 1250rpm and 2250rpm.

Being brand-spanking-new, it also has a 48-volt mild hybrid system. Running off a belt-integrated alternator starter, it can shut off the engine as you brake, taking over at 17km/h and using excess energy to charge the 200Wh battery pack. Under power you’ll get up to 140Nm of electric torque, which provides a nice torque fill effect for a few seconds while the turbo spins up.

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An eight-speed transmission sends it to the all-wheel-drive system, which features a serious set of electronic and mechanical gear for proper off-roading.

This isn’t an off-road review, sadly, though there are few things I like more than taking other people’s cars down muddy tracks and through rivers.

The new engine is the real focus here and it’s a belter. Super smooth and powerful from the off, the mild hybrid setup is seamless and delivers a pretty decent off-the-mark jump, helping shrink the car around you in urban cut and thrust.

You’ll barely hear it, even under full throttle, and with the mild-hybrid torque fill, there’s virtually no lag. Throttle response is impressive for a diesel, too, without the usual off-roader wait between ankle flex and actual shove.

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The steering is typically Range Rover, with a bit of artificial weight around town and a slow-ish rack to balance against its off-road capability. It’s still very tall but the active anti-roll stuff keeps things in check while big chunky tyres ensure the nose follows your wishes.

Its ride can fidget a little bit on rough concrete roads but is very comfortable at other times. It’s an interesting setup given the air suspension can pretty much do anything, but true to the ‘Sport’ monicker, you can feel the potential underneath you. There’s no wallow or body roll and the trade-off is that occasionally firm feel. Which I reckon is deliberate.

My sense of comfort is also catered to by the fact it really does handle impressively for a car of this size and weight. Yes it has ‘Sport’ in the name but we’ve seen a lot of that on cars over the years and been left feeling very disappointed.

But what it’s best at is carrying four people in quiet comfort and covering long distances, with the fact it can do so over pretty much any type of road is the added bonus.

Ownership

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Land Rover offers a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty with five years roadside assist, matching fellow luxury brand Mercedes and putting most of the rest of its competitors in the rear-vision mirror.

You can purchase a five-year/130,000km service plan that costs $2250 for an average of $450 per year, which isn’t bad at all. If you’re a high-miler it works out well because the Ingenium engine – somehow – will cover 26,000km between services. I can’t think of a more generous mileage limit in any other package.

VERDICT

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The Range Rover Sport might be getting on a bit, but the new engine is right in the now with mild-hybrid tech and the eight-speed automatic. It’s a terrific unit and streets ahead of the old donk it replaces.

The Sport is starting to look a little out of place in the Range Rover pantheon, with its slightly slabby sides, but there’s only so much you can do with what was an effective facelift a year or so back.

For a five-seater, though, you’d have to think about the Velar, with its new everything, smaller footprint and sleeker looks, unless you’re really keen to drive through rivers. Maybe a seven-seater Sport makes more sense.

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2021 Range Rover Sport D250 specifications