Range Rover’s Sport TDV6 HSE is the perfect car for those who want a high-performance and luxurious status symbol worthy of the adulation, reports Vidusvasti Amranand
My first experience with the Range Rover’s famous off-road capability was in the mountains of northern Thailand in the 1970s. I was a passenger in the original three-door Range Rover being driven by HSH Prince Bhisadej Rajani. Travelling on a mountain path in the pioneering days of the Doi Angkang Royal Project we came to a large tree trunk blocking the path. I was sure that we would either have to get out of the car to lighten the load or maybe try to move the tree somehow. To my surprise our esteemed driver selected a low gear and proceeded to climb over the obstruction. A few nervous moments later and we were on the other side. I was speechless and so were the other three passengers
The original David Bache-designed Range Rover with a Buick 3.5 litre V8 engine with 130 bhp debuted in England in 1970 as an up-market version of the Land Rover with permanent fourwheel drive and effortless high-speed cruising. It became steadily more luxurious, the second generation arriving in 1994 with a 4.6 litre V8 with 225 bhp. This model, however, was considered a failure due to continual electronic and air-suspension glitches.
After BMW’s tenure huge improvements were
made and the current range debuted in 2002 with
a supercharged 4.4 litre V8 engine with 396 bhp.
The first Range Rover Sport arrived in 2005 as a
sport tourer and became Land Rover’s most driverfocused
vehicle with serious off-road capabilities.
It sits on a modified Discovery 3’s chassis that is
140 mm shorter and has a raked roofline. This new
version is a mid-life facelift, designed by Gerry
McGovern – the design director of Land Rover,
and went on sale in England in 2009. The car still
has the trademark clamshell bonnet, but with
a more aerodynamic front end and a new grill,
new front and rear lights and new front and rear
bumpers. The 20-inch wheels that fill the arches
tightly with 275/40 tyres enhance the sporting
stance. Inside you’ll find a new fascia, new steering
wheel, as well as door linings, seats, instruments
and switchgears. The interior is a beautiful
combination of leather, wood and stainless steel.
It all feels very up-market and is a big improvement
over the last model.
There are three engine options: a five-litre petrol supercharged V8, a 3.6-litre turbo diesel V8 and a three-litre turbo diesel V6. All the power plants come with reduced CO2 emissions and improved performance making the Sport the choice of up-market SUV drivers. The car sampled here has a new three-litre turbo diesel V6 engine with 245 bhp, up from 2.7 litres with 29 percent more power and 36 percent more torque. From outside the car there is a noticeable diesel clatter when the engine is running, but once inside the engine is quiet. The steering is light and sensitive and the suspension floats gently. As with all modern cars nowadays a handful of electronic gizmos help refine the engine, steering, suspension, gearbox and in-car entertainment experience. Apart from the usual air suspension, dynamic stability control and electronic traction control, the Sport has the addition of hill descent control and terrain response systems. The latter has four settings to adjust the engine, transmission and suspension to enhance drivability and traction depending on road surface conditions. Gears can be left in drive mode for town driving or slip into sport mode for highways. Changing gears is fun with the steering wheel-mounted paddles or the gear lever and if you are not fast enough and reach red line the electronics will change up for you. From a slow speed on hard acceleration the rear squats down and the front raises and the engine roars like a leaping lion. The torque is huge, overcoming the 2.5 tons of weight easily. Options include keyless entry with lock buttons on all four door handles, Bluetooth, USB port for iPod and MP3 players, Harmon Kardon surround audio system, full-colour touch screen and a digital camera surround system to help with parking.
In this age of environmental concern the desire to condemn the SUV as a gas guzzler and CO2 polluter is understandable, but for anyone who has tried this car it is hard not to appreciate the quality and finesse of this mean machine. To try one is to want one. With the command driving position, great visibility and high-class cabin the car can make you feel like a million bucks as if stepping out onto the red carpet or it can make you feel embarrassed for flaunting such wealth. For the status conscious or those from the if-you’ve-got-it-flaunt-it school, this is the car for you. One advantage I found is that other cars actually move over when they see you coming in the fast lane.
The Land Rover marque has been badly managed in the past. Let’s hope that British Motors under the stewardship of Targan Yildir will overcome the prejudices associated with the brand here in Thailand and build up the high reputation that these cars so deserve.
Autobiography: Range Rover Sport TDV6 HSE
- engine: 2,993 cc turbo diesel V6
- installation: Front longitudinal, four-wheel drive
- transmission: Six-speed automatic gearbox with paddle shift
- suspension: Four air suspensions with terrain response
- power: 245 bhp, 600 Nm
- performance: 0 to100 kph 9.3 sec
- top speed: 193 kph
- tyre size: 275/40-20”
- price:8,290,000 baht
- authorised importer: British Motors (Thailand), tel 0-2651-4165