Motoring: Diesel-powered Ranger Rover Sport is finally here

Header image for Interrobang article CREDIT: NAUMAN FAROOQ
Despite its size, the Range Rover Sport slowly sips through the gas; this is the most economical luxury SUV we've ever tested; bravo JLR, bravo.

A couple of weeks ago, we looked at some diesel-powered sedan offerings from Jaguar. This week, let’s look at another diesel- powered product from JLR, in the shape of a luxury SUV.

Since the launch of the Land Rover, Range Rover Sport model back in 2005, this luxury SUV has been offered with a variety of petrol engines, from mild to wild; while it had always been offered with a diesel motor in Europe and Asia, such is certainly not the case in North America.

Thankfully, however, the wait is over, as the diesel-powered Range Rover Sport has arrived. Unlike the motor that is available in the Jaguar XE and XF sedan, the motor in the Range Rover Sport is bigger, and more powerful.

Under the hood is not a four-cylinder diesel, the Range Rover Sport gets a turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 diesel motor, that produces a humble 254 horsepower, but makes up for it by offering 440 pounds per foot of torque. Power is sent to the ground via all-wheels, through an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

It launches hard, like a vehicle that is half its size. The run from zero to 100 kilometres per hour is dealt with in just 7.6 seconds, and its top speed is electronically limited to 210 kilometres per hour, not bad at all for a two-tonne vehicle.

Despite this vehicle’s size, weight and shape, its fuel economy figures are jaw dropping, as I averaged 9.3 litres per 100 kilometres during my test week, making this the most economical luxury SUV I’ve ever tested; bravo JLR, bravo.

It manages to perform, both in terms of speed and efficiency, while retaining the feel of a proper Range Rover, which is one of the key reasons its followers keep coming back. I have said this before, and I’ll say it again; Range Rovers have such a wonderful stance on the road, that once you get used to these, you wouldn’t be happy with anything else.

Simply put, the Range Rover Sport is a wonderful vehicle to drive, and the effortless torque of the diesel variant simply adds to the enjoyment.

The Range Rover Sport also offers a great place to spend time in. There is plenty of space both in the front and the back. For the first time, I encountered a heads up display in a JLR product, and that is a good feature to have; although, the graphics looked a bit dated. My tester also had the older style infotainment system, which I am not a fan of, but a bigger, more responsive system is available.

Were there any major complaints? Nothing really big, but I noticed that it does consume diesel fluid at a faster rate than expected, so expect to add about five-litres every 8,000 kilometres and that bottle of diesel fluid, AdBlue, will set you back $20.

All in all, I really liked the diesel version of the Range Rover Sport. Sure, it doesn’t offer the thrills of the SVR version, but for everyday use, the TDV6 is the one to have.

Having one is not possible for the masses, however, as the base price for the Range Rover Sport LR-TDV6 is $84,500.