SA Roadtests
South Africa
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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. We drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under South African conditions. It also just happens that most of the vehicles we drive are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get at home.
Unlike most car reports, what you read in these pages will not be a faithful reproduction, albeit slightly reworded, of what appeared in the manufacturer's press release. We look for background material, user experience and whatever else we can find that's beyond the obvious. Our guiding rule is that you will be able to tell that the car was actually driven.
*To read one of our archived road tests, just select from the alphabetical menu of manufacturers' names on the left. Hover your cursor over the manufacturer's name, then choose from the drop-down menu that appears.
*Pre-owned: Our tests go back quite a few years, so if you are looking for something pre-owned, you might well find a report on it in here.
*Please remember too, that prices quoted are those ruling at the time the reports were written.
Posted: 12 July 2014
Range Rover Sport is a slightly smaller Range Rover with different engine choices and fewer toys. Correct - sort of. And the difference between S and HSE trim is simply available features, right? Well, not exactly. It’s more complicated than that.
Fact is there are two subtly different kinds of Range Rover Sport. S versions offer certain features as options while HSEs have them in from the beginning, but their 4x4 kit is different too. Both levels have air suspension with adjustable height control, downhill crawl, lockable electronic centre differentials and terrain response. That’s the program that selects the most suitable suspension and power settings to tackle wherever you are at any moment.
S versions are closer to being “soft-roaders” because they have a Torsen differential that automatically transfers power to the axle with the most grip and works with the traction control system to deliver the goods under most conditions. Its default front-to-rear torque split is 42:58 percent to provide a pleasant rear-wheel drive bias. If you want a full-on Darien Gap raider with low range, 50:50 default torque split (but up to 100 percent at either end as needed) and full locking capability, buy an HSE. Or add a two-speed transfer case to your S version as an option.
Terrain response on both models provides settings for general driving, grass/gravel/snow, mud/ruts, sand, and rock crawl. But Terrain Response 2, the version on HSEs, adds an automatic setting that analyses the situation as the world unfolds beneath your wheels and adjusts everything for you. On the other hand typical adventurers would probably prefer to make their own choices.
A further Terrain Response 2 item is Dynamic mode with twin-channel Dynamic Response that uses the active rear locking differential and torque vectoring to assist you in getting your racer on. These are supplemented in the top diesel and supercharged V8 models by Adaptive Dynamics, or active lean control, using continuously variable dampers. These features would be for those who take the ‘Sport’ appellation very literally, we presume. Be that as it may, this second-to-top model in the diesel range always had more than enough handling ability, and thrust in reserve, to do whatever we wanted it to.
Doing whatever you want it to, off-road where these things properly belong, is made easier by huge amounts of wheel travel (260 mm in front and 272 mm behind) for as much as 546 mm of articulation, ground clearance that can be adjusted from 237 mm to 278, a wide range of programs that think for you, and stump-pulling gearing on demand. The only reason anyone could have for preferring all-mechanical is a lurking fear that “something could break.” Our local independent Landy mechanic assures us however that, although some early air suspension bags did fail, decent care and maintenance should consign that concern to history.
For most, namely the school run and book club set who only venture off asphalt for weekends at country hideaways, we can report that dirt road behaviour is impeccable. Washboard, minor potholes and embedded stones are treated with disdain, so while one may hear the suspension working the steering will remain steady and fillings secure. The heirs, engrossed in HSE-specific rear-seat entertainment options, probably won’t notice.
Being an HSE certain things, apart from items already mentioned, are included as part of the package: paddle shifters for the eight-speed automatic gearbox, surround-view cameras, blind spot monitoring, backup traffic detection, automatic and adaptive headlamps with cornering function and high beam assist, privacy glass, powered tailgate, adaptive cruise control, auto-dimming interior mirror, chilled storage box, sunroof and 14-way electrically adjustable leather seats with heating and memory.
Once the hatch is open, down to about hip level, you find a flat load floor serving a huge luggage area with light, four bag hooks and 12-Volt socket. The spare is a full-size alloy wheel in the usual place under the floorboard. Ambidexterous pull-down handles are provided but you probably won’t use either because it power closes too. Rear seatbacks fold 2/3-1/3 and almost flat to increase the load volume further.
Those in the back will appreciate that seat heating extends to them as well, as do repeater vents. The SA standard tall passenger rated accommodations for head, knee and foot space at eight, ten and eight out of ten respectively. Seatback pockets, an armrest with two trays and cup holders, and small door bins look after storage. Individual reading lights, on the side pillars, mean the heirs won’t be forced to share lighting against their will.
Crew up front are well cared for with the ultra-luxurious chairs mentioned earlier, an electrically adjustable steering wheel with satellite controls for the driver, individual air conditioning, split-screen viewing so the co-pilot can watch a movie while the driver minds the satnav, all controls close to hand, and tons of power to cope with almost any situation.
Finally, as mentioned in the launch report, it’s lighter, tighter, more economical, more nimble and quicker than the old one. The two versions fulfil slightly different needs, so if in doubt buy both. Kidding.
Test car from JLRSA press fleet
To see our launch report click here
The numbers
Price: R1 235 300
Engine: 2993 cc V6, 24-valve with VCT, twin-turbo diesel
Power: 215 kW at 4000 rpm
Torque: 600 Nm at 2000 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 7,2 seconds
Maximum speed: 210 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 9,5 l/100 km
Tank: 80 litres
Maximum towing capacity: 3500 kg (braked)
Ground clearance: 213-278 mm
Luggage: 784 litres
Maintenance: 5 years/100 000 km
Servicing: Every 26 000 km or annually
This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.
I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material. If I ever place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with that vehicle at least once already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.
Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. As quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so they can see I do actually exist.
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SA Roadtests
South Africa
ctjag8