New 2013 Range Rover Sport review, test drive

However, shift it out of Dynamic and settle into a comfortable cruise, and you will waft to your destination without knowing what is happening in the world outside; the silent cabin and adaptive suspension will ensure you don’t feel a thing. The ride quality was truly impressive, even on the 21-inch wheels our car was running. For India’s mangled roads, however, we will get the smaller 19-inch rims.

If you get into the 288bhp V6 diesel after the supercharged V8 petrol, you are bound to be a little disappointed. But, on its own, the diesel is an amazingly refined powerplant that lets you ride a delicious wave of torque once the turbocharger kicks in. Before that it is a tad lazy, especially if you want to get a sudden move on. However, if you amble around at lower speeds and at part-throttle, it does just fine. It brings up 100kph from a standstill in 7.2 seconds and that, by any means, is quick.

Off the tarmac, the various modes in the Range Rover Sport’s ‘Terrain Response’ system were given a thorough workout. We waded through water, drove through some pretty slippery slush, went down serious inclines and then some. But after all that, I still felt fresh as a daisy – and that’s what Range Rovers do best.

The Sport will come to India this October with two engines – the 5.0-litre Supercharged V8 with 503bhp and the 288bhp, 3.0-litre V6 diesel. Ex-showroom prices should be between Rs 90 lakh and Rs 1.3 crore, and if you’re the kind of person who likes both the thrill of a fast, sharp-handling sports car and the rugged appeal of a proper off-roader rolled into one vehicle, few other SUVs can combine it better than this.