Living in the lap of luxury
There's nothing sensible about a 2.8-ton truck with 400 horsepower and a $96,000 price tag. And when there's a Land Rover badge on the hood, it means you can take your unsensible truck just about anywhere you want.
All-terrain
Equipped with Land Rover's Terrain Response system, the driver can select several off-road modes depending on where he or she is planning on heading into. Mud, snow, ruts, sand or rock climbing, Terrain Response has got a mode for you. During a week of driving on snow-packed roads, though, I don't feel much difference between the mud/snow and automatic settings.
You can also raise or lower the suspension for various reasons, like kneeling the Range in order to ease entry and exit, for example. You also get a hill descent control system.
The traction and stability control systems work well together. In the snowy climate, the truck can spin its four wheels slightly before the electronic brains decide that it's time to step in. The four-wheel drive system is rear-wheel biased, which means under full throttle, you'll feel the rear kick out of line. The systems aren't abrupt and don't shut down the power completely, which is nice.
Monster engine
The 32-valve, 4.2-liter V8 gets a supercharger and an intercooler and generates 390 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque. That's enough to propel the 5,670-lb (2,572-kg) truck to 100 km/h in 7.3 seconds, and the surge of power is accompanied by the sound of a rocketship in liftoff.
And despite the Sport's heft, it handles itself pretty well. Of course, the high center of gravity means there is some body roll, but it never seems out of control. The fat 275/40R20 tires wrapped around the optional Stormer alloy wheels look great but results in a slightly harsh ride around town.
No one should except reasonable fuel economy in such a vehicle, because it's anything but that. My average of 20.9 L/100 km is not very good; Audi, BMW and Cadillac have engines that are as powerful but consume one-third less fuel as Range Rover's supercharged V8.
There's nothing sensible about a 2.8-ton truck with 400 horsepower and a $96,000 price tag. And when there's a Land Rover badge on the hood, it means you can take your unsensible truck just about anywhere you want.
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| There's nothing sensible about a 2.8-ton truck with 400 horsepower. |
All-terrain
Equipped with Land Rover's Terrain Response system, the driver can select several off-road modes depending on where he or she is planning on heading into. Mud, snow, ruts, sand or rock climbing, Terrain Response has got a mode for you. During a week of driving on snow-packed roads, though, I don't feel much difference between the mud/snow and automatic settings.
You can also raise or lower the suspension for various reasons, like kneeling the Range in order to ease entry and exit, for example. You also get a hill descent control system.
The traction and stability control systems work well together. In the snowy climate, the truck can spin its four wheels slightly before the electronic brains decide that it's time to step in. The four-wheel drive system is rear-wheel biased, which means under full throttle, you'll feel the rear kick out of line. The systems aren't abrupt and don't shut down the power completely, which is nice.
Monster engine
The 32-valve, 4.2-liter V8 gets a supercharger and an intercooler and generates 390 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque. That's enough to propel the 5,670-lb (2,572-kg) truck to 100 km/h in 7.3 seconds, and the surge of power is accompanied by the sound of a rocketship in liftoff.
And despite the Sport's heft, it handles itself pretty well. Of course, the high center of gravity means there is some body roll, but it never seems out of control. The fat 275/40R20 tires wrapped around the optional Stormer alloy wheels look great but results in a slightly harsh ride around town.
No one should except reasonable fuel economy in such a vehicle, because it's anything but that. My average of 20.9 L/100 km is not very good; Audi, BMW and Cadillac have engines that are as powerful but consume one-third less fuel as Range Rover's supercharged V8.
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| The 4.2-liter V8 gets a supercharger and an intercooler and generates 400 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque. |