[Jaggu]

March 2013 saw the premiere of the 'All New' Range Rover Sport in Manhattan, New York. There is a justified reason behind selecting this location; the USA is the biggest market for the Range Rover Sport. In that market, New York city has the greatest sales numbers. Daniel Craig - James Bond lead - unveiled the SUV.



The Range Rover Sport started off as 'Range Stormer', a two-door concept, while under Ford ownership in 2004 and went into production by 2005. This concept was the first to showcase the Terrain Response system which could provide the vehicle with versatility to handle different terrains with just a turn of a knob. The USP was optimized on-road handling, while not giving up off-road capability. A hydraulically controlled ride-levelling system was also a new technology innovation that was incorporated into the Sport. A 4.2 Liter V8 Supercharged petrol debuted along with naturally aspirated V8 petrol and 2.7 Liter Turbo diesel engine options. Year 2008 added a V8 oil burner to the engine options. Finally in 2010, the model received an upgrade with a sportier look and new engines (LR-TDV6 diesel, the LR-V8 5.0 naturally aspirated petrol and the LR-V8 Supercharged petrol). As it stands today, the Range Rover Sport increased its sales figure by over 36% in 2012, thanks to China (80% increase) and Asia Pacific (46% increase).

It's been a hectic + memorable week living 'in and out' of a suitcase; after the F Type drive and Land Rover 65th Anniversary celebrations, it's time for a sneak peek into the 2013 Range Rover Sport. I will be visiting Jaguar Land Rover’s Gaydon facility for this. The day will start with technical seminars on the new Ranger Rover Sport and then move on to some driving. When we drove in to Gaydon, we could see it was just another working day there. One could see many prototypes doing the customary blast around the circuit they have there. Those V6 and V8 do sing a sweet song at high revs… I should have been a test driver. Sigh! We were politely asked to keep the cameras away, so no SCOOP shots here

[Jaggu]

The design has taken a more aggressive turn with the New Sport, and a slight shift from the traditional theme they were following earlier. Some might raise an objection or two but in person, the SUV looks the part it was styled for. The Sport will be placed right in the middle of the regular Range Rover and Evoque models. The length has increased by a fraction (62 mm) as has the wheel base (178 mm), which helps in extracting space for the 3rd row of seats. Shorter overhangs at both ends give the vehicle a better stance, especially when viewed from the side.





Nick Rogers, Vehicle Line Director took us through the first part of the technical seminar. He started with the usual stats and then moved on to the theme behind the Range Rover Sport. We all know how weight plays havoc on vehicle dynamics. Drive one of our Indian SUVs and you'll know what I am referring to. That would be the first target to be chased. 420 kilograms was shaved off from the outgoing model! That’s the equivalent of 5 adults, right?! This was achieved through the usage of an aluminum architecture. Stuart Frith, Chief Programme Engineer for the Sport shared more technical aspects. He explained the various other design challenges the team had to face and how they overcame the same. A lighter body was followed by lightening of the suspension, variable damper technology, electric power steering (tuned for responsiveness) and a dynamic active locking differential.

The final product does 0 to 60 mph (96 Kph) in under 5 seconds and has a 250 kph electronically limited top speed. RR claims a 30% improvement in handling. As mentioned earlier, the Sport can offer 5+2 seats.

The Sport in between....

[Jaggu]

The lightened suspension and electric power steering sounded pretty obvious. Apart from such weight reduction moves, the entire suspension set up has been stiffened; roll has also reduced by providing thicker anti-roll bars. The ride height has been brought down further for the sake of agility. The engineers have worked hard to make the steering give a good feel overall, including at the center position. The steering system is an active unit which measures driver inputs and accordingly decides the amount of assist. This takes care of the dreaded over assist that we typically associate with electric steerings.

Front suspension set up:


Rear suspension set up:


Now, things gets a little complicated to explain. Though all of the above-mentioned points sound simple, in reality, a fair amount of electronics and algorithms are working together to deliver balance on road. The moment that Dynamic mode is selected, the onboard computer tweaks the active roll control, talks to the continuously variable dampers, the e-steering, the power train, e-diff and torque vectoring systems. Torque Vectoring is an electronic system that controls the delivery of torque to the different wheels. This system figures out which wheel has the best grip and accordingly balances torque delivery between them. It works along with the stability program system (DSC) and is more of a feed-forward system, rather than the conventional feedback / intervention type. In simple English, it can anticipate what is going to happen (rather than reacting to the situation). Understeer is stopped before it starts and slows the vehicle around a corner. The system has different settings for offroad terrain. In grass and snow, the system reduces the effect by about 15%, in comparison to sand where it increases the same by 15%.





Short video demonstration:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkTYu...ature=youtu.be

The final trick under the body is the Dynamic Active Locking Differential which is electronically controlled by clutch packs. Claimed to be 30% faster acting than the previous generation, DALD is closely linked with Torque Vectoring and other driver aid systems. In oversteer situations and in mid-corner balancing, this plays a very big role. The Sport comes with a choice of single or two speed (1:1 OR 2.93:1) transfer boxes. The single speed one is offered as an entry level option to keep those competitors at bay who offer similar single speed transfer cases (base Cayenne, Q7, X5/X6). The single speed unit is a simple Torsen Differential with helical gears that mechanically lock up. The set up is biased towards the rear in a 42:58 ratio. The two speed one has a multi-plate electronic clutch system that can deliver upto 100% torque to either of the axles (based on need). In default mode, it runs a 50:50 split.



Single speed transfer box:


Twin speed transfer box:


The Terrain Response 2 system is like having an expert driver, both on and off the road, assisting you with Hill Decent Control, Hill Start Assist, Roll Stability Control, Dynamic Stability Control, Electronic Traction and Gradient Release control. I simply call it the 'mother of all' driver assist packages!

Though the vehicle is set up lower than the outgoing model, it is interesting to note that wading height has increased. Ground clearance has been increased to 278 mm (up 51 mm). The Terrain Response 2 System offers the option of picking from two ride heights.



As expected, there will be multiple engine options including 2 petrol, 2 diesel and 1 hybrid. The diesel hybrid specs are yet to be announced (scheduled to launch in 2014). The preview vehicles that we drove were all top of the line petrol V8s (sounded quite familiar after the F Type). Across the range acceleration times for the 0-60 mph dash start from sub-5.0 seconds. All engines are mated to the electronically controlled ZF 8HP70 8-speed automatic gearbox.

The weight reduction exercises can mean smaller 4 cylinder engines in the future too.

[Jaggu]

The next focus area would be the interiors.

The view is truly terrific from inside the Sport. Also, it has a panoramic sunroof with powered sun blinds that are made of fabric. Only the rear windscreen somewhat restricts the light. With the last row up, things become pretty covered up from the driver's seat.

The dash is apt for a luxury yacht. I really liked the new design with clean lines and neatly laid out switches:


The rim width has been increased to give that chunky feel:


The central console. The knob comes out once the vehicle has been fired up. It can be used for selecting drive mode:


The front seats are 14-way power adjustable with adjustable bolstering. It offers 5 way massage and articulation function. The rear seats are reclinable and offer 60 / 40 split, as well as 40 / 20 / 40. There is an increase of 24 mm knee room at the back (compared to the outgoing model):


Other interesting bits include soft door closing, remote power operated tailgate, configurable mood lighting, heated front windscreen and heated steering.

ICE freaks, how about this?


I was wondering where the last row seats were when I first saw the Sport. Then, during the presentation by Craig Carter, Vehicle Engineering Manager, I found out. The optional +2 seats are concealed away. Apparently, kids from the local school were summoned and played an important part in the design. The floor pan is unaffected, while the scooped roof takes care of headroom. The rear quarter panel houses the secret electric motors for these seats.

Its strictly for those with a smaller frame / children as the high knee posture can get uncomfortable:


Cutaway engineering display:


The Sport has blind spot monitoring with close vehicle sensing (the ORVMs indicate it through a built in display), lane departure system, surround camera, adaptive xenon headlamps, adaptive cruise control system etc. Even the reverse radar looks out for objects approaching on either side while reversing out (would be a boon getting out of our tight city parking). Sport gets a neat colour heads-up display on the windscreen...navigation and other features are displayed here, apart from the speed. The main instrument panel is 12.3 inches in size (more than my Sony Vaio screen) and changes colour based on the driving mode selected. Another development is the Traffic sign detection. The display will automatically show speed limits, overtaking regulations etc. on the heads-up display and instrument panel by reading road signage. This is currently available in parts of Europe only, and will be expanding to other regions soon.

Heads-up display showing the speed & traffic warning:


In-dash also displays similar information:


The wade sensing system monitors the depth of water and gives out visual and audio warning. This works with ultrasonic sensors attached on the ORVMs, from 150 mm water depth onwards and till the speed reaches 30 kmph. Under 10 kmph, it will provide info on the ideal speed as well. The gradient reading is given as a warning, if the depth varies it will alert you of danger. Hence, the system works best for on-road use where there is more predictable surface underneath.





An 'InControl' App will be available for both Android and iOS smartphones.

- When you wake up, you can check if the wife has parked the previous night with enough fuel, and accordingly plan your day.

- When you read the paper, you can check if the wiper washer needs a top up, or any such warnings based on the weather forecast for the day.

- When it's time for service, the system will guide you with dealer options.

- For a forgetful person like me, ''locate'' function is a boon. Yes, the app will guide you through a map to where the vehicle is parked.

- Will warn you if there is an attempt to break into the vehicle. If stolen, it will give out tracking info on the App.

- In case of an unfortunate crash, the App will call up emergency services automatically.

- App allows you to log your journeys (say, to record as a company business expense).

- If you are more of the chauffeur-driven type, the new Sport has a built-in wifi hot spot.

[Jaggu]

After the presentation, it was time to take the SUV for a small preview outing. The testing facility at Gaydon includes a proper racing track (if I may say so). This was an airfield originally, but has an oval shaped track made out of it. Adjacent to it is a specialized track that replicates real world road conditions with corners, varying road surfaces, speed strips and pot holes too.

You can check the Google maps image below to get an idea about the location of the drive. Approximate Google coordinates = (52.181037,-1.498475).



We'll start with a few laps of the track to gauge the power, handling and high speed dynamics of the Sport, followed by a spin on the real world stretch. Our instructor took us on a demo lap and explained the speed limits, braking points and expected etiquette, since there were many other vehicles undergoing testing on the track.

First thing you notice when you hop onto the driver's seat is that the Sport has a car-like driving position. It's totally unlike a typical SUV. The overall ambience, placement of controls, seat contour and pedal position give you a rather 'sporty' feel (no pun intended). The lower ride height also helps to impart this feel. The SUV lifts itself once it starts moving. This feature is in place to aid ingress / egress, remember how the Volvo buses go down and up at bus stops?

I belt up and the instructor asks me to switch to Dynamic drive mode. The controls are familiar after living with JLR products for the last few days, and it's time to pull out from the parking area right in the center of the track. Step on the accelerator pedal and wham, this thing flies off the mark with a sweet V8 roar. I'm on the middle / smaller straight stretch (refer image above) and by the time I check the speedo, it is already at crazy double digit figures.

As we approach the corner, I slam on the brakes. At 120 kph, this vehicle feels so planted and in control...taking that 180 degree turn which exits at an angle. To test the Torque vectoring, I floor the gas mid way through the turn. There is a marginal twitch, and that's it! Without any fuss at all, the Sport takes the turn as if its a sporty sedan and not an SUV. No exaggerations, the vehicle is just so planted and hugs on to tarmac like a leech. Mind you, this is a 2+ ton SUV we're talking about. If I attempted the same with one of the Indian SUVs or even the older generation Range Rovers, I'd have spun onto the grass. Before I can register any of this, I am at the beginning of the longer straight. Heavy on the accelerator, I cross the straight at well over 200 kph. Have to admit this is the fastest I've done in a 4x4 till date. Time to drop the anchor, the following turn is easily taken at 140 kmph. Try powering up mid corner and you just fall in love with the behaviour. If you haven't, it's time to check the video on top now ^^.

I had to hand over the vehicle to the French PR person who was my partner for the drive. I had only just belted up when my partner decided to go full on! Have to admit, he didn't show any mercy and the Sport behaved impeccably. When I popped up to the speedo, it was at nearly 240 kph. At this speed, as a rear passenger, all I felt was a bit of tyre and wind noise. In fact, the SUV was so silent that the rear seat's heater-fan 'whisper' was audible to me. We're at the same turns and no, I'm not hanging on to the handles. The SUV has terrific roll control. I would say this was my first SUV rear seat drive where I didn't feel my stomach churn after aggressive driving.

He completes the lap and drives onto the real world track, not letting off the aggression, but I guess he wasn't used to the narrow width, broken patches & turns. This, on the other hand, is home turf for me since I drive on Indian highways! I was waiting for the change over and decided to show him how its done. I used the paddles to shift and hold gears in place (definitely the more fun way to drive). The Sport felt equally comfortable on broken stretches, hopping over mid turn pot holes while providing the right steering feedback at the steering. The brakes were doing a decent job, although I felt they were getting tired from all the media hammering.



Disclaimer : Jaguar invited Team-BHP for the Range Rover Sport drive. They covered all the expenses for this driving event.

Credit to the JLR team for providing the images.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the 4x4 Section. Thanks for sharing!

[Baburajs]

this is awesome Jaggu. Good write up too . Have given the excellent rating that it deserves. Really drooled over the images . Hmm.

[nipcarlover]

Excellent write up Jaggu!

The new RR Sport is one of my favorite cars, much better than the previous Sport. I would actually consider getting the RR Sport over the normal RR with the new generation of both, which was the other way round previously. If I had the money, obviously.

Rating thread a well deserved 5 stars!

[sumathindra]

Good write up and what an SUV, phew...

I did notice in the video, when the maneuvers are made to change lanes the tyres do take quite a beating however the way it handles the SUV and balances it WOW !

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by sumathindra

I did notice in the video, when the maneuvers are made to change lanes the tyres do take quite a beating however the way it handles the SUV and balances it WOW !

Glad that you noticed, i was looking at various video's and was wondering which would convey the agility aspect clearly. The track is the size of our indin 4 lane highway without the divider, and if you observe closely this vehicle is cutting across a whole lane at those speeds and still rock stable. That's just superb roll control! The lower profile tyres are actually helping also, if it was taller rubber then tyres would have flexed out of the rim i guess.

[Octane_Power]

Jaggu Sir, what you wrote about the handling is completely evident in the video.
The car exhibits the traits of a leech literally.
You changed the lanes quite violently and the only thing that happened was "swoop"; from one lane to other.

Also, a normal SUV would have that little "rocking" to get back to the equilibrium after such a violent maneuver, but I was amazed to see that it maintained its poise just like a sports sedan.

The engine sound at 0:27 is perfect for an eargasm.
Thank You for the report!

Definitely my favourite SUV, butttt after the Cayenne!
As ajmat had stated in the RR(4th gen) review, the RR is not a Cayenne in the handling department, so how would you rate the Sport against the Porsche in handling?

-Bhargav

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by Octane_Power

As ajmat had stated in the RR(4th gen) review, the RR is not a Cayenne in the handling department, so how would you rate the Sport against the Porsche in handling?

-Bhargav

Thanks Bhargav. This is RR Sport and its aim was to bridge these gaps, unfortunately we did not have any comparison in real life driving the competition, so it will be totally stupid of me to reply to the question. Having said that, i have been seeing good reports coming up about the Sport and mentions that Cayenne is facing really tough competition wrt on-road performance. With outright acceleration figures, its already been overtaken by RR Sport.

For me Cayenne was never a 4x4 vehicle in essence, and that is where i appreciated the RR sport. Its a full blooded 4x4 with low ratio gb that can actually offroad!

[Octane_Power]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

Having said that, i have been seeing good reports coming up about the Sport and mentions that Cayenne is facing really tough competition wrt on-road performance. With outright acceleration figures, its already been overtaken by RR Sport.

For me Cayenne was never a 4x4 vehicle in essence, and that is where i appreciated the RR sport. Its a full blooded 4x4 with low ratio gb that can actually offroad!

Wow! That was really something new to me Sir, that the Sport's acceleration is more than Cayenne. Thanks!

Yes, I might be mixing things here. The Cayenne is the "fastest" (in terms of top speed) but it does get beaten by few other SUVs which can handle off-roading with the same amount of ease as on-road.
And as you have said the Sport is better in acceleration and being an RR finally, it will be a finer off-roader too.

P.S.: I asked about the Cayenne assuming you would have driven one, waiting for a Team-BHP Cayenne review since quite long but now am much more eager

-Bhargav

[moralfibre]

Land Rover India launched the second generation Range Rover Sport at a starting price of Rs. 1,09,90,000/- to 1,65,85,000/- for the top end variant. All price ex-showroom Mumbai (pre-octroi).



High Points:

• Launched in 2005 based on Range Stormer concept, the first generation Range Rover Sport received a facelift only in 2009. A total of 415,000 Range Rover Sports have been sold worldwide between 2005-2013.

• Production of the outgoing variant ceased in April 2013. The second generation was unveiled in March 2013 internationally.

• Developed alongside the Range Rover, the Sport edition gets 75% unique parts compared to its sibling. Design cues are inspired from the popular Range Rover Evoque.

• The Sport is available in four trims, S, SE and HSE (Diesel) and Autobiography (Petrol).

• A 3.0L V6 diesel puts out 288bhp @4000 rpm and churns out 600Nm @2000 rpm. A significant rise in output as compared to 252bhp the outgoing variant put out.

• A 5.0L V8 Supercharged Petrol does duty on the top end Autobiography variant. Power output is 503bhp @6000-6500 rpm and a torque figure of 625Nm @2500-5500 rpm. The same engine does duty in the Jaguar XK-R.

• Both engines transfer power to the wheels using a 8-speed ZF automatic gearbox. The ZF 8-speed gearbox is slowly making way into most cars in the luxury segment.

• Using an all Aluminium monocoque frame, the Range Rover sport shed 420 kg of weight. Tipping the scales at 2115 kg against the previous model's 2535 kg the savings translate into a better efficiency overall. A massive 39% lighter combined with a 25% increased stiffness for greater dynamics and NVH. Over 50% of Aluminium sourced is recycled.

• Wheelbase has gone up by 178 mm leading to an overall increased in passenger cabin space.

• An optional on / off road pack can be added to the diesel HSE variant for purists who can't do without a 4L. The off road pack also adds Terrain response 2 which facilitates auto selection of terrain program based on driving conditions. Torque vectoring, and dynamic response are other features that are a part of the on/off road pack.

Front view of the Autobiography edition:



Dashboard on the HSE Diesel variant:



Driver's view:



The Autobiography variant gets a Beige leather wrapped horn pad:



Speedo console with MID:



Command center for drive mode selection and electronic parking brake:





Unusually high placement for power window switches and ORVM adjustment:



Seat memory settings as well as door lock/unlock buttons on the door pad:



Center infotainment screen:



Engine start stop button:



Button to open glove compartment:



Joystick to adjust the steering height and reach:



LHS switch gear:



RHS switch:



Rear entertainment system:



AC controls for the back seat:

[moralfibre]

Land Rover Experience:

The launch was done and we were soon going to get a taste of the vehicles. Sadly, no 5.0L V8's for test drives. A quick briefing of do's and don'ts later, we were escorted to our vehicles with an instructor to assist in experiencing the vehicle capabilities on and off road. The entire session was an hour and half long.

A convoy of Range Rovers for the drive:





Airstrip:

0-100-0

A pretty straightforward challenge, accelerate the car to a 100 kmph and slam the brakes hard. Acceleration was linear and NVH is well controlled even at high rpms. The SUV was well composed under heavy braking. As per Euro regulations, the hazards come on automatically to warn trailing vehicles. Surprisingly for an SUV, the nose doesn't dive too much under panic braking and the vehicle stopped without any drama in near straight line. Brake pedal travel is quite high under this situation.

Braking on a corner:

In this course, we accelerate the car to 50 kmph and swerve right while standing on the brakes. Electronic aids kicked in to ensure the vehicle doesn't spin out. Quite honestly, 50 kmph was too low a speed for the Sport to show any drama.

Slalom:

The slalom was the most interesting course among all. It was longer than the others. An SUV handling steadily with minimal body roll and sharp handling was a welcome sign. It was fun to put the Sport through its paces on this challenge. A speed limit of 50 kmph was in place but the slalom course was fun to do.


Lane change:

The last challenge setup was a lane change manoeuvre. Quite a simple one at that. Accelerate to 50 kmph and follow the cones. A sharp right hand curve immediately followed by a quick swerve to the left. Only caveat here was, no brakes. Electronic stability program ensures that the vehicle speed reduces so as to prevent skidding out of control.

Once we completed all challenges that were laid out, I spent some time shooting exterior pics of the vehicle. Coincidentally for us, our Range Rover Sport was labelled # 007. When the SUV was unveiled in March 2013, some streets in Manhattan were shut for traffic and Daniel Craig unveiled the car in a mega launch party.

Front looks:





The Rear:





Side profile:



In White:



Head to head comparison of the lowest and highest suspension setting. The lowest it sits is only in access mode while parked.



Parting shot: