The fourth-generation Land Rover Range Rover has made an indelible impact on the motoring world since its international launch late last year. All petrolheads know that where there is a Range Rover, a Range Rover Sport won’t be far behind. Some spy photographers have captured images of Land Rover preparing the next generation Range Rover Sport with a spot of testing at the Nürburgring and its surrounds.
Land Rover is on a bit of roll at the moment with the runaway success of the Range Rover Evoque, as well as all the good press the new Range Rover is receiving. It is therefore logical to assume that the new generation Range Rover Sport will be much more closely related with the big-daddy Range Rover in engineering terms and feature more of a distinctive, Evoque-type exterior style.
With a possible introduction in late 2013 or early 2014, it is said the new Range Rover Sport will more closely resemble the punchy lines of the Range Rover Evoque by virtue of a sharply-angled roof and narrow, slit-like lights on the front and rear. While there is little given away in these latest spy shots, they do show more of the Range Rover Sport’s front-end and underneath the camouflage there are hints of an aggressive and much more appealing design than the boxy look of the current model.
The Range Rover Sport looks to have some softer lines than the new Range Rover, with Evoque-inspired touches in the form of a revised front fascia and rear tailgate. Instead of a large three-bar chrome grille, the new Sport has a smaller two-bar unit. At the rear, the Range Rover’s long tail-lights are replaced by some smaller, more horizontal units that wrap around the bodywork, contributing to a sportier overall look at the rear.
More crucially for the new Range Rover Sport, however, is that the platform will be shared with the new Range Rover, meaning it will be a lightweight, rivet-bonded, aluminium design, as found on the exemplary Jaguar XJ limo. Land Rover has said this will most likely reduce the vehicle’s weight close to that of the dramatic 200kg – 400kg weight saving the Range Rover enjoyed.
The current engine lineup will no doubt carry over, with the possibility of the adoption of an 8-speed automatic instead of the current 6-speed unit. The range should include a 3.0-litre V6 diesel, a 4.4-litre V8 diesel and a supercharged 5.0-litre V8 petrol. We’re expecting to see more of the Range Rover Sport at the Geneva Motor Show in March.
