2023 Land Rover Range Rover Sport Looks Great, Packs PHEV Power

Kyle Patrick
by Kyle Patrick

Mild-hybrids, PHEV, and V8 versions arrive at launch; all-electric model debuts next year.

Land Rover on Tuesday revealed the 2023 Range Rover Sport. Like its big brother, the Sport sees a wide range of engine options at launch, including plug-in hybrid and BMW-sourced V8 choices, wrapped in a package with a greater focus on on-road abilities.

The latest Range Rover Sport sees an even cleaner, minimalist style than the outgoing model. Up front, the British brand has fashioned the slimmest headlights in its history, framing what Land Rover calls a “stealth-like” grille. The front bumper features two bifurcated openings pushed to the outer edges, emphasizing the width of the vehicle. That’s the story out back too, where the Sport features horizontal taillights connected via black bar, instead of the vertical units of the regular Rangie. Between the two ends, Land Rover’s design team have kept surfacing super-clean, with just three lines providing the necessary visual tension. This extends to the door handles, which extend electronically.

“Our latest range Rover Sport embraces fully our modernist approach of vehicle design whilst amplifying its unquestionable sporting and confident character,” said Gerry McGovern, CCO of Jaguar Land Rover.

Inside, the Sport deviates from the regular Range Rover with a more reclined center console design, and thinner, “floating” dashboard style. Most everything is covered in leather, though Land Rover also offers sustainable Ultrafabric textiles for the doors and dashboard. Bronze chrome gives a suitably classy vibe, as well. The front seats are 22-way power adjustable, while rear-seat occupants have gained 0.8 inches (20 millimeters) of legroom.

A 13.1-inch curved touchscreen houses JLR’s Pivi Pro system, while a slightly larger 13.7-inch screen now takes up residence behind the steering wheel. Both are customizable, with standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, plus Amazon’s Alexa running the show. Other tech goodies include a cabin filtration system; 29-speaker, 1,430-watt Meridian sound system; and active noise cancellation. A high-power 15-watt wireless charger is also standard.

Buyers will get four engine options. The first two are mild-hybrid setups, running Jaguar’s smooth Ingenium inline-six cylinder turbo in 355 and 395 horsepower configurations. Next up is the P440e, a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) that will be available exclusively in the Autobiography trim at launch. JLR estimates an all-electric range of 48 miles (77 kilometers).

Finally, the BMW-sourced twin-turbo V8 sits atop the lineup, producing 523 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque. With launch control (yes, really), it’ll crack off the dash to 60 mph (96 km/h) in just 4.3 seconds.

This being a Land Rover, it comes with the brand’s Adaptive Off-Road Cruise Control, as well as Terrain Response, which adapts the chassis to better accommodate the current road surface. Every Range Rover Sport comes with air suspension, while the V8 expands this with Dynamic Response Pro, an active roll control system. Rear-wheel steering turns the rear wheels by as much as 7.3 degrees, enhancing low-speed maneuverability and high-speed stability.

New for this generation is the Stormer Handling Pack, also unique to the V8 model. This bundles Dynamic Response Pro, All-Wheel Steering, an electronic active differential with torque vectoring, and Configurable Programs, allowing drivers to create their own spins on the driving modes.

The 2023 Range Rover Sport is available to order now, with prices starting at $84,250 for the P360 SE, and rising to $122,850 for the P530 First Edition. Production will begin soon at the brand’s Solihull facility.

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Kyle Patrick
Kyle Patrick

Kyle began his automotive obsession before he even started school, courtesy of a remote control Porsche and various LEGO sets. He later studied advertising and graphic design at Humber College, which led him to writing about cars (both real and digital). He is now a proud member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), where he was the Journalist of the Year runner-up for 2021.

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