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The first impression

Many of us in life follow our dreams; some with goals in mind, while others go with the flow. Success is a funny word. How do you define it? Is it by quality of life, or is it how well you do overall in this world? Money, power and prestigious positions are all part of what makes up ‘success’, and with that comes rewards.

So, how do you celebrate success? With a lavish home, exotic vacations or a snazzy car? This is all relative to the individual and subject to your financial positioning, but we all like and need to reward ourselves.

The Range Rover Sport is a symbol of achievement; if you have climbed the ladder of life and want to sit and take in the view of success, it is the pinnacle in terms of mobile rewards. Your hard work has paid off and you want to sit in on the benefits of your harvest.

It is large. Statuesque in a way. Initially intimidating. But all together a mark of perfected mobile status.

The previous generation SPORT did a commendable job of creating aspiration for the Land Rover brand. Soccer stars, singers, celebrities and anyone who made silly money owned one. Though a good SUV, Land Rover shared their Discovery underpinnings with the previous generation SPORT, which meant as a Range Rover it had its short comings. Launched late last year, the all new Range Rover SPORT was born from an architecture second to none.

On the road

What happens when you create the ultimate off road vehicle? Put a bear with a sore head under the bonnet and pair it with leather lazy boy’s for seats, and you create the ultimate all purpose vehicle.

It’s a mountain climber and a city slicker - though capable of climbing almost any mountain, its capabilities are far greater and stretch quite comfortably to a drag strip racer, sports car wannabe, luxury limo or mobile office. The SPORT is the ultimate over achiever - you know the type: once top model, now super parent, part-time triathlete medal winner, MD and all round great person.

The SPORT is built off its larger sibling, the regally gargantuan full body Range Rover. Though a sibling, with shared genetic DNA, their characters are vastly different. The big brother is just that: large, confident with its extra years under its belt; it’s a focused experience, with a masters in uncompromised luxury and supreme ride quality.

It’s like a sports car - the SPORT has more to prove and as such is a jack of all trades. But unlike the adage, masters almost all. It’s quick, with a set of fantastic engines. In 5.0 V8 supercharged guise, it is incredibly fast. The roar from under the bonnet as you press your right foot to the floor is scary but the type of fear that is exciting. You awaken the bear from its slumber and its menacing call is angry.

The Brembo breaks are reassuring in their ability to reduce haste. The suspension and chassis are set up to provide comfort but with a penchant for agility and sports car prowess. Steering is direct with a good amount of feedback through the wheel.

It’s a luxurious car - the interior of the SPORT feels like a cockpit. The console is positioned higher with controls in closer proximity to the driver, which creates a cocooning sensation. The obsession with quality and traditional craftsmanship can be seen in the beautifully tailored twin needle stitching used to finish the sumptuous leather seats and leather wrapped interior surfaces.  An expanded choice of special features includes innovations such as colour themed interiors with duo or tri-tone designs, a stunning range of factory fitted mags from 20” to 22”. The test vehicle was fitted with massive 22” sports tyres, giving the car a firmer ride but offered increased road grip without sending intrusive road noise into the cabin.

It’s also a practical car - the SPORT will comfortably seat five adults with the option of ordering the car with two additional seats in the boot, making seven - though this is exclusively for tiny tots. The boot and its adjustability is very practical. Storage throughout is like an Aladdin’s cave - lots of hidden pockets and crevices to hide all your treasures, large or small.

What I liked

• Its looks
• Its road presence
• Its long list of capabilities
• The enormous amounts of power from its engine

What I’m not mad about

• It’s expensive
• It’s thirsty
• Its size makes it hard to park

The figures

The extra stuff

The full range of design options available to Range Rover SPORT customers will include:

• Seven interior colour themes plus additional choice of seat colour.
• Three aluminium interior finishes and three real wood veneers.
• Three headliner colours.
• 19 exterior paint finishes.
• Three contrast roof colours - Corris Grey, Santorini Black or Indus Silver.
• Ten alloy wheel designs on 20”, 21” and 22” including accessory fit wheels.

• Atlas Silver, Dark Atlas or Gloss Black finish for the exterior accents.

• Illuminated tread plates.
• Its floating roof can be highlighted with three contrast roof colours of grey, black or silver.

The Range Rover SPORT comes standard with a 5yr/100 000km maintenance plan on purchase.

The verdict

The SUV’s listed above are all beasts. They are the thugs of the street. Those that drive them relish in their size and stupendous pass at which they are able to move. The majority of owners will never take these menacing creators off road but rather race them from robot to robot.

We all know that Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Porsche make special vehicles. These particular versions are engineered as loving experiments in the art of car making. They are flagships for the brands they represent.  The development teams who created them pine for hours over the engineering of their performance and dynamics.

They are toys for big boys and girls. But one comes with the stamp of British charm, the Range Rover SPORT is the jack of all trades and the master of British class.

Web link to the Range Rover Sport SA site