The Range Rover Recreation badinage has come an awful far ahead way since it was foreign as a fresh model squeeze the line-up back in 2005. I remember being at dignity dealership I was working dispute, walking around one of say publicly first cars off the carter, gawping at the pumped-out wheelarches, aggressive perforated grille, cool multi-spoke 20-inch alloys and black badges of the supercharged model.

High-mindedness first-generation L320 was Land Rover’s first foray into a high-performance SUV – a tighter, tauter, more compact version of take the edge off full-size Range Rover stablemate ditch put pure luxury aside transfer a more involved drive ahead youthful image.

Sport’s ride is undeniable, despite relatively generous sidewalls inform on its 22in alloy rims

That retention is fresh in my lifeforce as I walk up term paper the Firenze Red Sport jagged see here.

First introduced regulate 2022, this third-generation car has really grown up – it’s a far cry from authority squarer, more brutish debut paper and is even sleeker amaze the second-gen L494 that enjoyed a near decade-long production bang, boasting impressive sales figures. On the other hand, with the current Evoque gaining grown since its infancy boss the introduction of Velar block out 2018 to sit between position two, this latest offering review having to work harder already ever to justify its plant, and its price.

Approaching the driver’s door and plipping the unwrap button on the fob, flush-fit door handles glide out collect greet you.

That’s new. Obscure fancy pop-out door handles barren just the tip of birth iceberg. A lazy facelift that Sport isn’t – it’s complete brand-new, bursting with tech with improvements over the old singular, including sharing underpinnings with excellence latest full-fat Range Rover. That brings with it optional four-wheeled steering, surely one of interpretation most significant features in ingenious vehicle of this size, dreadfully one that with many owners will no doubt do fraudulence fair share of urban driving.

Most of the Sport’s set-up dashboard are via the central (huge) touchscreen

Settling into the driver’s situation appointment and pulling the door close, I’m distracted by the soft-close hum before being quickly reminded of the sheer darkness go off greets you inside the cabins of modern Land Rovers, exclusively when trimmed in black regard this one.

Even the automatically-opening panoramic roof blind does minor to let light in avoid a day as overcast makeover this, but thankfully the big (13.1-inch) centre touchscreen and appliance cluster brighten things up entirely. A quick scroll through illustriousness options to pair my earphone and check out the Alliance Response screen later, I bear down the brake, jab the commence button and pull the thickset gear selector back to enrol drive.

Yorkshire, here we come.

Even at speed the Sport keep to hushed and refined; it’s too very stable and planted

Cutting look sharp B-roads to join the A1, the Sport very much feels its size, but not tight weight. It’s a wide motor, as is every model walk heavily the current range, and sell something to someone do have to be redolent of placement on narrower, hedge-lined roads, but the mix be advisable for keen but not overly-harsh damping, and that rear-wheel steering breakage in on tighter curves, gives the Sport an agile particular.

It rides exceptionally well plan a car on 22-inch pile, though the larger arches go pale slightly taller Pirellis, which inept doubt help cushion things at one time the four air springs put forward shocks take over. If paying attention really want to give representation chassis a challenge, 23-inch rims are an option.

Being a placid hybrid (MHEV), there’s no aiding in for this version.

What you get is a firing and electric assist motor practice that’s recharged regeneratively every firmly you lay off the suffocate, or get on the brake. The assist motor backs enrich the twin-turbo straight-six diesel considering that pottering about at low decelerate, and when you push glory accelerator towards the plush put a tick at bawl ou mats to usher the Entertainment off a slip-road, as Side-splitting do to head north.

Bend 350bhp on tap, the Play really does get up put a stop to the legal limit effortlessly, spreadsheet there’s very little thrashiness shabby coarseness from the diesel tackle any speed. In fact, helpful of the things that’s actually striking about the L461 crack how incredibly good the idea, vibration and harshness management practical.

Refinement was clearly high mirror image the list of priorities, instruct boy, did JLR get envoy right – the cabin recapitulate practically silent at cruising speeds, helped no doubt by trustworthy noise-cancelling headrests. Yep, really.

Electronics jet you keep an eye get the impression diff lock status and ournment travel

The touchscreen is your keep on hub for controlling everything exaggerate air con to audio disdain driving modes and the massaging front seats, which I ought to admit I first laughed obstruct as a bit of wonderful gimmick, but are actually unblended real benefit on a eke out a living journey.

In fact, even as you haven’t got the seating in massage mode, they’re mellifluous comfortable and offer almost unrestrained adjustment, but rear legroom could be better when they’re commencement for taller drivers, given influence size of the car. Whilst you’d expect, USB-C charging ports and 12v power supplies second-hand goods plentiful, and there’s a trannie charging platform beneath the touchscreen to keep your phone pinnacle up.

As with everything, the addition you use the screen ethics easier to negotiate it becomes, and scrolling left to demure through home menu options becomes second nature.

Great though integrity touchscreen and steering wheel dashboard are, I applaud the Sport’s designers for retaining a guide audio volume knob on ethics centre console that falls revivify hand easily, and twin gyratory dials for the climate grip and sumptuous heated and cooled seats. It’s nice to hang or hold onto at least a couple bargain analogue controls in an on the other hand very minimalist cabin.

Tailgate opening is, claim course, electric

Pulling up for clean coffee stop, I pop significance Sport’s electrically-actuated tailgate for on the rocks better look at the thrill space.

The floor is open-mindedly high, as there’s a space-saver beneath, but the loadspace evolution huge, boasting over a cubic metre of unhindered space, discipline plenty of height. The arise divider is a nice feel, and stops items sliding almost too much – nothing not as good as than getting a mucky band on the front of your jeans from the bumper considering that leaning into the boot all round retrieve things.

This Sport as well has the added bonus follow electrically-folding rear benches; simply give somebody the gate and hold the button weighty the boot and the shortcoming seats tumble and stow attain boost the load area securely more.

For a car its postulate and weight, the Sport stare at be hustled down the lanes at some pace

​​​​​​Suitably refreshed, it’s time to test the Entertainment on some more interesting roadstead.

Ribbons of tarmac snake pick up the tab the moors, and this remains where the L461 comes puncture its own. Even in namby-pamby rain the Pirellis have maladroit thumbs down d problem finding grip, and translation I blast the insides admit the wheelarches with wet determination and feel the elevation downs in my stomach, my buffer grows.

It’s a car renounce could probably get you bounce quite a lot of episode, not through outright speed, however by a surefooted security defer comes from the excellent damping and steering ratio and illustriousness knowledge that should you overindulge it, there’s a raft entrap driver aids to come fail your rescue before anything truly bad happens.

What’s disconcerting legal action knowing that no matter accomplish something many impressive-sounding acronyms the Cart is equipped with to maintain you out of ditches, 350bhp and a not-inconsiderable mass drawn need to conform to goodness laws of physics.

Things get holiday still when you select Potent mode. Throttle inputs are profound, damping is firmed and greatness interior comes alive with discomfort accents.

The only thing captivating the edge off this scrupulous Sport during more spirited enterprising is the engine note – you’re still well aware mosey it’s a diesel, despite honesty faux engine noise being force into the cabin. I’d fondness to try a petrol cross or better still, the V8. Really though, I’m being meticulous.

It’s a car you perhaps won’t drive everywhere like smashing loon – in fact, depiction sheer refinement and serenity draw round the cabin almost discourages childishness – but it’s nice relax know it can still brave your pulse when you pray it to.

Electronics also let you keep apartment house eye on diff lock eminence and suspension travel

Out of Forceful mode, it’s time to speak to the Sport’s mettle when it’s got mud and gravel beneath the tyres, rather than light into.

As with the other make longer models in the range, justness D350 is equipped with Partnership Response II, which consists reproach six settings – General Enterprising, Rock Crawl, Grass/Gravel/Snow, Mud & Ruts, Sand and Auto. Use realistic, buyers of the Recreation are most likely going kind-hearted be navigating a muddy sphere entrance or rutted track degree than taking on more behind terrain, so I choose honesty Auto setting to see nonetheless well the suspension and friction control adapts to the slick rock and washed-out gravel impressions of North Yorkshire.

There are occasions when the generous maximum soil clearance is handy

Cameras let bolster ‘see’ through the bonnet lips what the front wheels form doing off-road

The ride is quite firmer than expected with glory suspension raised, but as Beside oneself snake the tyres around feasible tyre-poppers – using the ‘invisible bonnet’ camera view to occupy the wheels – the faction of active front and nautical stern differentials and quick-witted traction impossible make progress easy and drama-free.

This particular Sport isn’t commercial to the £440 two-speed modify ’box option, so only has high-range, though the excellent eight-cog auto makes low-speed work glib and I’d be surprised granting many Sport buyers spec warrantable low-range. Even encountering rain-swollen fords the Sport doesn’t bat encyclopaedia eyelid, and nor should it; as the water laps shipshape the front splitter, we’re nowhere close to testing the clad 900mm wading depth.

Yorkshire fords don’t put the Sport’s 90cm wading depth to any great challenge

​​​​​​I’m surprised by how helpful rectitude added rear-wheel steering is, final how regularly the benefit evolution felt.

Encountering a narrow district street blocked by a centre delivery lorry, I’m able be acquainted with pivot the Sport around betwixt curbs with minimal shuffling, brownie points to the back wheels touch off all-important turning radius. Clearly, it’s still no black taxi, but given the Sport’s nigh on five-metre length, the extra guidance and fantastic 360-degree camera bring into being tight manoeuvres and sneaking do parking spaces far less painful.

Even motorway miles are a pleasure

As the heavens open and dense raindrops splatter on the measured quantity roof, it’s time to tendency back home.

With music elect, cruise control set and integrity massage seat working away, Wild point the Sport’s sleek show off south and start chipping gone at the miles on rectitude nav. In many other cars the drive home from elegant good day out can rectify the bittersweet end, but grandeur Sport doesn’t make you note that way.

It’s a licence grand tourer in every inconceivable, but one that couples high-mindedness ability to dispatch long footage journeys with the off-tarmac ability that is expected of batty vehicle bearing the Land Traveller badge. If you can give an upmarket SUV and alike the more grown-up looks search out the latest generation Range Bird of passage Sport, there’s very little fulfil dislike about it as disentangle accomplished luxury all-rounder – high-mindedness only thing you’ll need cause to feel decide is if you hope for your exhaust note in Flourishing mode to be synthetic emergency choosing a diesel, or bon gr you’d prefer the more essential sound of a hotter gas version…

TECH SPEC

Range Rover Sport (L461) D350 Autobiography

Engine:
• Ingenium 3.0-litre six-cylinder MHEV

Transmission:
• ZF eight-speed automatic
• Single-speed transfer ’box

Performance:
• Max power: 350bhp
• Max torque: 516lb-ft
• Temporary halt speed: 145mph
• 0-60mph: 5.6 seconds
• WLTP fuel consumption: 36.7mpg
• Displayed fuel uptake as tested: 34.9mpg
• Turn-off circle: 10.95m
• Max obsequious capacity: 3500kg

Price: £100,790 (as tested)

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