The Land Rover Range Rover Sport was an interesting surprise in 2006 when it was launched.
The market was in full expansion and the demand for SUVs was into a constant crescendo. Then owned by Ford, the Land Rover brand launched a sportier version of its well-known Range Rover.

The Range Rover Sport had the same chassis as the Discovery, but the body was very different. A sloped back and shorter greenhouse were the main characteristics that made it look special. Inside, the luxurious interior was closer to the flagship Range Rover than to the materials found in the Discovery range.

For the engine compartment, Land Rover installed two V8 units. The base model was 4.4-liter gasoline with 300 hp while the top version had Jaguar’s supercharged 4.2 liter V8 with 390 hp. Both versions were mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel-drive was standard and, for off-road capabilities, a central locking differential and a two-speed transfer case were installed. Performance both on and off-road was very good. The 0-100kph (0-62 mph) sprint was obtained in 7.2 seconds for the supercharged version while the top speed was 209 kph (130 mph) for both engine variants.

The Range Rover Sport was equipped with air suspension for a more comfortable ride on roads and was able to increase the model’s ground clearance for off-roading.