Automotive brands are constantly reinventing their lineup, but sometimes all that’s needed is a good clean refresh. Case in point: the 2023 Range Rover Sport.
Land Rover’s Range Rover Sport quickly became a leader in the compact SUV space when it debuted in 2005, and the all-new third-gen iteration is only cementing the brand’s dominance in the market.
Rover drivers typically keep their luxury SUVs on the pavement in urban settings, but this year, the automaker pulled out all the stops to prove the true off-road capabilities of the 2023 Sport for those who choose to use it how it was meant to be used. In a moody film that was artfully shot in Iceland, the Range Rover Sport can be seen tackling a variety of the country’s challenging landscapes, including the Karahnjukar Dam, a 193-metre spillway that sees 750 tonnes of water pass by per minute.
Professional stunt driver Jessican Hawkins, whose driving resume includes James Bond flicks, was enlisted to get behind the wheel of the Range Rover Sport and navigate it through the country’s unforgiving terrains in order to highlight the impressive new traction and performance of the compact SUV.
“The power of the water surging down the spillway was breath-taking from the side of the valley,” said Hawkins. “Driving into it knowing that a 90-metre drop was waiting behind me at the bottom of the slope, if things went wrong, made this the most challenging drive I’ve ever undertaken.”
The all-wheel Sport made it through with no problem. The Stormer Handling Pack combines the newest chassis control features, including Dynamic Response Pro, which optimizes handling through electronic active roll control (eARC) technology and is capable of applying 1,400Nm of torque across each axle.
The Range Rover Sport is available with a six-cylinder engine as well as a new 434-hp plug-in hybrid and a 523-hp V8 twin turbo. (An all-electric version is expected in 2024.) The hybrid offers a full electric driving range of 113km while the V8 gives the impression of an agile sports car, clocking 0-100km/h in 4.5 seconds.
Rover’s new Sport was also given a number of visual upgrades including a new signature rear end, a sleek and more narrow grille, flush-mount door handles and a wheelbase that’s three inches longer than its predecessors. The ’23 Sport is offered in four different trims, including P360 SE, P400 SE Dynamic, P440e Autobiography, and P530 First Edition.
“Our latest Range Rover Sport embraces fully our modernist approach of vehicle design whilst amplifying its unquestionable sporting and confident character,” Gerry McGovern, Chief Creative Officer at Range Rover, said in a release.
To learn more about the all-new 2023 Range Rover Sport or to book a test drive, visit us at Jaguar Land Rover Waterloo today.