Highs Plenty of powertrain choices, upscale exterior styling, luxurious interior trappings.
Lows Tight third-row passenger space, buggy infotainment system seems, not a fuel-efficient choice.
Verdict The Range Rover Sport offers a upscale experience plus serious off-road capability, but several of its rivals simply offer more well-rounded packages.
Overview
Slightly smaller and more agile than the regular Range Rover, the Range Rover Sport offers similar luxury and cachet with a less painful price tag. Mechanically, the two Range Rovers aren't that different and, if we're honest, going with the less-expensive Sport doesn't require giving up much in the luxury department. All Sport models come standard with all-wheel drive, and Land Rover offers a range of engines to choose from including a gasoline-powered inline-six, a plug-in hybrid four-cylinder, and a turbocharged diesel. Handling is zestier here than in the larger Range Rover, but the Sport won't fool anyone into thinking it’s a sports sedan; opt for one of the expensive and brutish Supercharged or SVR Sports (reviewed separately) for a more performance-oriented experience. In line with Land Rover's heritage, impressive off-road capability is also standard, but we can't imagine most owners will explore the SUV's limits out on the trail. Instead, most Range Rover Sports will serve dutifully as stylish and luxurious family cruisers.
What's New for 2021?
Land Rover has made few changes to its mid-size Range Rover Sport for 2021. Besides a revised in-cabin air ionizer, the HSE Silver Edition model joins the lineup and the Premium Black Pack appearance package is now available on the HSE Dynamic trim. The HSE Silver Edition model comes standard with silver exterior trim and unique 21-inch black wheels with a diamond-turned finish. The Premium Black Pack package adds black exterior finishes and glossy black-painted 21- or 22-inch wheels.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
Every 2021 Range Rover Sport comes with Land Rover's excellent all-wheel-drive system and an exceptional eight-speed automatic transmission. Land Rover does, however, offer the SUV with four different engines, including a diesel, plug-in hybrid, and a mild hybrid. All offer impressive performance; however, our favorite is the stronger 395-hp version of the brand's mild-hybrid turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six-cylinder gas engine found in the HST model. It's exceptionally smooth and packs plenty of muscle. SE and HSE models get a 355-hp version of this engine, which is also excellent. The diesel-powered variants of the SE and HSE get better fuel mileage, but they aren't as quick as the mild hybrid or the plug-in hybrid models. Those looking for more performance should check out the Land Rover Range Rover Sport Supercharged/SVR variants. We review them separately.
