Land Rover Range Rover Sport review

Much like the ‘big’ Range Rover, the Sport has taken a step up in price. A reasonably hefty one. Your entry point is now £80,000 for a D300 diesel in very subtle SE spec, a number that’ll rise relatively quickly as you add a punchier powertrain and some visual clout.

But there are ways of keeping things in check. The P440e hybrid is a mere four grand upgrade and will hit 62mph around half a second quicker than the diesel while offering exceedingly tax-appeasing 18g/km CO2 emissions. The D300 is rated at 194g/km while offering around 38mpg (claimed), but if Land Rover is to be believed, most buyers will see the majority of their journeys served by the PHEV’s circa 50 miles of real-world electric range. For so many reasons, it appears the most sensible choice.

Worried about its weight? You can shave nearly 500 kilos by opting for a non-hybrid powertrain, our favourite perhaps being the P400 petrol. Claims of 30mpg and 213g/km are hardly going to earn it a place on the Greenpeace company car list, but it’s a (marginally) more acceptable face of performance SUVs than the 25mpg V8.

That V8 also comes only in posher trim levels, too, meaning prices start at over £116,000 before options. Though it’s probably worth adding that all Sports are at least £20,000 cheaper than their larger Range Rover equivalent. Also note that the 23in wheels this car was clearly designed to have are optional on lower trim levels, though the extra sidewall of the standard 21s might not go amiss in tight parking manoeuvres.