Range Rover Sport

Infobox Automobile


name = Land Rover Range Rover Sport
manufacturer = Land Rover
parent_company = Ford (2006-2008)
Tata Motors (2008-)
production = 2006–present
class = Mid-size sport utility vehicle
body_style = 5-door SUV
engine = Jaguar AJ-V8
Supercharged AJ-V8
Turbo Diesel V6
Turbo Diesel V8
related = Land Rover Discovery
assembly = Solihull, England
transmission = 6-speed automatic
length = 4788 mm (188.5 in)
width = 2170 mm (85.4 in)
layout = Front engine, four-wheel drive
height = 1800 mm (70.9 in)
wheelbase = 2745 mm (108 in.)

The Range Rover Sport is a mid-size sport utility vehicle (SUV) produced by Land Rover since the summer of 2005. It shares its platform with the Land Rover Discovery (LR3 in North America) rather than the larger Range Rover. Land Rover calls the vehicle a "sports tourer". It slots below the Discovery/LR3 in size and has seating for five.The top-level Sport is powered by a supercharged 390 PS (287 kW/390 hp) 4.2 L AJ-V8, making it the second most powerful vehicle in the company's history except for the larger Range Rover Vogue SE supercharged (convert|450|bhp|abbr=on, Auto ftlbf|420). A normally-aspirated 4.4 L version is available with 300 PS (220 kW/295 hp) [Land Rover USA, Range Rover Sport On Road Performance. Landroverusa.com, 2007
[http://www.landroverusa.com/us/en/Vehicles/RangeRover_Sport/Vehicle_Features/On-road_Performance.htm Land Rover USA OnRoad Performance] ] . Due to lack of popularity the normally aspirated V8 was dropped from the UK market in 2007, leaving the supercharged model as the sole Petrol (Gasoline) model on sale, which has a top speed standing at an electronically limited Auto mph|130. It has Brembo brakes at the front to improve stopping distances due to the unusually heavy weight (convert|5866|lb|abbr=on) of the vehicle. The TDV6 turbodiesel engine of convert|190|hp|abbr=on is available outside the North American market as is the convert|272|hp|abbr=on TDV8. All models have six-speed automatic transmissions and fuel capacities of about Convert|18.5|impgal|L usgal|0|abbr=on gallons. [fueleconomy.gov

[http://www.landrover.co.uk/gb/en/Vehicles/Range_Rover_Sport/Specifications/Engines%20and%20performance.htm Land Rover Global] ] The Premier Automotive Group claims the Range Rover Sport can wade 70 cm (27.6 in) of water.

Controversy

The Range Rover Sport made the Premier Automotive Group the target of a protest by Greenpeace in 2005. The protesters infiltrated an assembly facility and temporarily delayed production of the vehicle. Greenpeace quoted issue with contributions to greenhouse gas emissions, and by extension, global warming, that would result from the vehicle's inefficient combustion of hydrocarbons. The EPA estimates for the non-supercharged car are convert|14|mpgus|L/100 km mpgimp|abbr=on (combined). Although, it must be noted that for this test the EPA used their newly calibrated system for 2008 and on.

Concept

The Range Rover Sport made its first appearance late in 2004, as a concept vehicle called Range Stormer. This was a bright orange, low-slung, 3-door, that hinted very heavily at the styling of the new model. When the production model was released, it had morphed into a five-door, was not much shorter than the standard Range Rover, and its styling was much less radical, although still identifiable with the concept model. This disappointed many people, though it is still selling well. It is questioned, however, whether this model will actually add sales, or simply cannibalise the Range Rover's sales.

Performance

Contrary to the image portrayed by its "sport" tag and styling, the vehicle employs the off-road systems of the Discovery 3.

Its off-road capabilities were used on the British motoring show "Top Gear", when Jeremy Clarkson had a skirmish of manouverability in one with a Challenger 2 tank on Salisbury Plain [Top Gear, Video from YouTube.com. 2007 [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOSAqacsJeQ YouTube.com] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.landrover.com/int/en/Vehicles/Range_Rover_Sport/Range_Rover_overview.htm Official description from Land Rover]
* [http://rangerover.co.in/ Range Rover India Tata Motors blog]