LAND ROVERRange Rover Sport 2013 - 2017

　　Land Rover introduced the second generation of the Range Rover Sport in March 2013 at the New York Auto Show, and it was the first generation of this nameplate made after the departure from Ford Motor Company.

　　Right before the world financial crisis, Ford sold Jaguar-Land Rover to the Indian industrial giant Tata. The new management continued some of the products, and the Range Rover Sport was one of them. It was the only Land Rover that could successfully compete against other sporty-looking SUVs from the market. Moreover, unlike its main competitors, it could tackle serious off-road trials thanks to its unique Terrain-response feature with low-range gearing and adaptive suspension. In addition, the luxurious cabin was enhanced, and new technologies found their way to help drivers have a pleasant drive.

　　Land Rover used the same recipe as on the previous generation of the Range Rover Sport and built the second iteration of this nameplate on top of the same platform as the Land Rover Discovery. For the exterior, on the other hand, designers took inspiration from the successful Range Rover Evoque, with narrow headlights swept back on the front fenders. Depending on the trim level, the front grille was either piano black or sported the body’s color. The British automaker used a sportier design approach for the front bumper, with a trapezoidal-shaped broad lower grille flanked by side scoops that housed the fog lamps. From its profile, the 2013 Range Rover Sport featured a fake vent behind the upper side of the front fenders. Land Rover enlarged the front and rear wheel wells to further emphasize the car's sporty character. At the back, the raked-forward tailgate was already a hallmark of the vehicle, and the automaker continued to use it but adorned it with a roof spoiler. Under the rear bumper, depending on the engine version, the RRS featured one or two exhausts peeking through the apron.

　　The interior was luxurious and provided better seats than on its predecessor. Its bolstered seats at the front provided more comfort and better side support for high-speed cornering, even if the SUV was not exactly a sports car. Between the front seats, Land Rover installed a tilted center stack where it placed the 8” touchscreen for the infotainment system and the dials for the HVAC unit. It was continued on the lower side by the center console that housed the gear selector, a pair of cup holders, and the rotary knob for the Terrain Response driving program unit. Fronting the driver was a new 12.3” screen for the instrument cluster offered as an option, while the standard version featured two analog dials that flanked a 5” color display. In the back, the automaker installed a split folding seat bench fit for three adults. Furthermore, the automaker offered the option for a flat-folding set of two seats in the trunk area, which was suitable mostly for children or adults on short jaunts.

　　Under the hood, Land Rover used the same gasoline engines as Jaguar, starting with a 3.0-liter supercharged V6, while the top-of-the-range version was powered by a 5.0-liter V8 supercharged powerplant. For selected markets, the British automaker offered a few turbo-diesel versions. But the most significant updates were for the chassis, which got greater suspension travel and higher ground clearance than its predecessor.

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