It’s not surprising that the Range Rover Sport inherits the trademark design that has made Range Rover so successful. The changes from the earlier model are a sloping roofline, much steeper windscreen, rear spoiler and a perforated grille. The difference is difficult to make out unless you carefully observed both the models.

On comparison you will notice that the Range Rover Sport is much smaller, sleeker and lower. The Range Rover Sport is designed keeping the sporty looks in mind but does not compromise on the road presence that the earlier Range Rover possessed.

Range Rover Sport: un-sporty handling
The Range Rover Sport is developed around the chassis of the Land Rover Discovery and rivals most other models in the SUV segment. As expected from any Land Rover the off-road driving capabilities are excellent. The drivers can choose between terrains with the help of the Terrain Response System and the electronic cross linked air suspension. It helps to obtain better body control and a more comfortable drive. The steering is uncertain and the agility too is not very impressive for a vehicle with a Sports tag and immense power under the hood.

Range Rover Sport: good for the eyes but not the ears
The driver seat is elevated to have a good view of all corners of the vehicle and gives an almost commanding feel. The driving position is comfortable and has adequate steering column and seat adjustments. The Range Rover Sport does make noise at cruising speed in the cabin however. The noise is especially invasive if you have the centre console raised.

Range Rover Sport: diesel or petrol?
189 bhp power and 440 Nm torque is produced by a 2.7 litre TDV6 common rail turbo diesel engine. The 4.4 litre V8 petrol produces power and torque of around 295 bhp and 425 Nm respectively. It is important to note that the diesel engine struggles to pull the heavy Range Rover where as the petrol has comparatively much better performance however it is less economical. Both engines have a six speed auto transmission with CommandShift that adapts to your driving over a period of time. Fuel consumption for diesel is around 9.8 km/litre and the for petrol its around 6.7 km/litre. Carbon emission is around 265 grams per km.

Range Rover Sport’s equipment
The feature list of the Range Rover is quite exhaustive and includes two row airbags, permanent four wheel drive, hill descent control, active roll mitigation, dynamic stability control, electronic traction control, electronic air suspension with terrain response, power exterior mirrors, xenon headlights, power assisted steering, cruise control, trip computer, 20 inch alloys, auto climate control, 65-35 split rear seats, leather upholstery, memory setting for exterior mirror and driver seat position , six disc CD changer and an eight speaker sound system.

This article was taken from: ozcarguide.com

Recognisably derived from a vehicle first launched more than 60 years ago, the Defender either transcends fashion or is a white elephant.

For the 20th century amateur sleuth, the Land Rover’s distinctive full-width dashboard was something of a gift.

Want to know the owner’s occupation? A cornucopia of clues were laid out in perfect view. Defra leaflets? Farmer. Tide tables? Fisherman/lifeboatman. Trade plates? Breakdown man.

In this new millennium, the legendary dashboard shelf (as well as its much-missed fresh-air vents) have gone, but not much else has changed.

The new Land Rover Defender is recognisably a descendent of the all-terrain vehicle developed in 1947 on the 250-acre Anglesey farm of joint Rover MD Maurice Wilks.

The chunky riveted body is still constructed in Birmabright, the heater still fries your left leg and freezes your right.

Pull on the transmission brake and the whole vehicle still sways drunkenly forward and back, and the sliding window channels still propagate new moss-based life forms.

But if any further evidence was needed of this machine’s universal appeal to the British, when we looked into the cavernous storage box that lives between the front seats of our test vehicle, it had a few scraps of confetti. Wow, a wedding car. That’s novel.

Fitted with the 2.4-litre turbodiesel engine and Getrag six-speed manual transmission from the Ford Transit, the modern Land Rover is actually quite well-mannered, although its steering lock is more of an orbiting device, so supermarket car parks are fraught.

Most of the 120bhp/266lb ft engine’s urge exists in the lower registers, which is great for towing, but if you extend the revs above 3,500rpm the unit is as ungainly as a draughthorse in the Grand National.

The gearbox is notchy but surprisingly refined, but the abrupt throttle action means it is almost impossible to change gear without revving the engine.

The top speed is limited to 82mph and 0-60mph acceleration is a leisurely 14.7sec. Driving very gently we managed to eke a creditable 27.7mpg out of the two-ton monster, but that plummets if the car is pushed to any extent.

Once in the cabin, these concerns are left behind and the world becomes a vista of unfordable rivers, unscalable peaks and uncrossable tundra, all crying out for this most specialised and consequently most loveable of cars.

“One of the finest machines ever,” said a friend who has owned several. Land Rover owners possess the sort of brand loyalty that makes even Altrincham FC supporters look fickle. There are specialist clubs and magazines for the various sub-tribes of owner.

Every time I drive a Defender my imagination sees a windscreen full of frosted Scottish Highlands and Mrs English preparing to drop me at the railway station in time for the London express, with me swinging out a battered Gladstone saying: “I’ll be back on Thursday, provided the weather holds.”

This is a vehicle for adventure, it looks better dirty and dented. It’s an original and it’s exactly what you need when the clouds turn pregnant with snow or when there are brave deeds to be done.

At 15ft 2in long and 6ft 7.5in tall, the Defender is too tall for most multi-storeys and too long for most parking bays. At 5ft 10in wide, however, it’s not difficult to thread down country roads; this is, after all, a car designed for the British Isles far more than its Japanese, German or American competition.

The ride isn’t at all bad, either, though the separate chassis construction and coil-sprung live axles take exception to large pot holes taken at speed, and it jolts like a young horse over road ripples. Body roll is controlled but abundant, and the steering is direct if over-assisted.

Inside, passengers are still crammed into the door trims and there’s little concession to comfort or tactile pleasure. The front seats are heated, but have all the comfort of a fakir’s bed, and the mighty pedals can be used while you’re wearing two pairs of wellies but don’t offer much in the way of feedback, so progress tends to be abrupt.

There’s not a huge amount of leg room in the second row of seats and even less in the third pair, but this is a genuine seven-seat shooting brake with room for half a ton of logs in the back.

Some things never change. The doors sit shut with a horrible flap and fit where they touch. Given Land Rover’s questionable quality record, it’s Panglossian optimism to suppose that the extra kit will stay working long. “So much to go wrong,” sighed one owner looking inside our test car.

By any sensible measure, the Defender is not a vehicle that should really exist in the 21st century. Ungainly, slow and unsuited to modern roads, it excels in such rare circumstances that few are ever tested to the full.

Next time you see a Defender, ask yourself whether that particular example has ever traversed 45-degree slopes, forded half a metre of water or successfully approached or departed from a 47-degree slope.

Like as not it has never even been in the low range of its transmission, yet somehow you’ll be glad it exists. I felt much the same. In fact, I loved it.

THE FACTS

TESTED County Station Wagon, with 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel engine and six-speed manual gearbox, permanent four-wheel drive

PRICE/AVAILABILITY £25,450 On sale now

POWER/TORQUE 120bhp @ 3,500rpm/266lb ft @ 2,000rpm

TOP SPEED 82mph

ACCELERATION 0-60mph in 14.7sec

FUEL ECONOMY (on Test/Urban) 27.7mpg/20.9mpg

CO2 EMISSIONS 291g/km

VED BAND M/£950 first year, £450 in subsequent years

VERDICT A loveable anachronism

ON THE RADIO River Deep Mountain High by Tina Turner

TELEGRAPH RATING Four out of five

This article was taken from: Telegraph.co.uk

Special editions for 2010
On sale from January
Prices from £19,495

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Land Rover’s Freelander 2 is now available for less than £20,000, with the launch of its ‘White & Black’ special editions.

On sale in January 2010, and priced from £19,945, the entry-level models might be cheaper, but they don’t scrimp on equipment. A keyless starter button, 17-inch alloy wheels, privacy glass and a load space cover all come as standard.

Available in Alaska White or Santorini Black, the special editions also get an Ebony cloth interior.

Engine stop-start technology
Freelander 2 ‘White & Black’ models have a 2.2-litre diesel engine with a six-speed manual gearbox. Land Rover’s stop-start technology is also in place to switch off the engine while the car is stationary, which will help it achieve average fuel economy of 42.4mpg and CO2 emissions of 179g/km.

Freelander 2 Sport
Also new for 2010 are two sportily styled versions of the Freelander 2 Sport. Both will get the 2.2-litre diesel engine, 19-inch alloy wheels and a rear spoiler, plus colour-matched exterior trim, door handles and mirror casings.

The standard model is available in Santorini Black and Lago Grey, with a cloth interior, while models fitted with a sports pack are available only in Lago Grey and with a leather interior.

On sale in January 2010, prices for the Freelander 2 Sport start from £26,695.

This article was taken from: whatcar.com