Supercharged + Turbocharged Luxury
Editor’s note: Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is at the beginning of a transformation. The 74-year-old Land Rover part of JLR is embarking on what it calls “reimagination,” entailing a new focus on three “families”—Range Rover, Defender and Discovery. Each family will be adding electric siblings, but at the end of 2023, LR and RR still has its wheels firmly planted in the internal combustion world with the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) its current furthest reach into electrification. John had a chance to sample two Range Rovers which offer views of the different stages of electrification. This is the old school turbocharged and supercharger mild hybrid; you can find the PHEV review here.
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Range Rover sells an upper-crust appeal and the 2023 Range Rover SE Dynamic does not disappoint. The classy exterior with narrow LED head and tail lights and four smooth corners is matched by an interior with premium materials and comfort. Not the lowest priced luxury SUV in its class, but one that makes a statement.
Propulsion Options
The 2023 Range Rover has a choice of two mild hybrids, a plug-in hybrid, and a V8. All are all-wheel drive (AWD) with the power sent through an 8-speed automatic transmission.
Sport SE
3.0-liter turbocharged inline 6-cylinder (I6)
355 horsepower (hp) and 369 pound-feet of torque (lb.-ft.)
Sport SE Dynamic (our tester)
3.0-liter turbocharged and supercharged I6
395 hp and 406 lb.-ft. of torque
Sport Autobiography Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV)
3.0-liter turbocharged I6
434 hp and 434 lb.-ft. of torque
Sport First Edition
4.4-liter twin turbocharged V8
523 hp and 553 lb.-ft. of torque
Hitting the Road
Clean Fleet Report spent a week in a 2023 Range Rover Sport SE Dynamic with driver-selectable drive modes. Eco, Comfort and Dynamic were our favorites for freeway and in-town driving.
Mild hybrid engine technology uses an electric motor in conjunction with a gasoline engine, but unlike a traditional hybrid, it cannot run solely on electricity. The mild hybrid electric motor boosts the gasoline engine when accelerating and modestly helps with fuel efficiency. A 48V lithium-ion battery is replenished through regenerative braking that converts kinetic energy into electric energy and stores it in the battery when applying the brakes or coasting. There is no plug on the Range Rover to recharge the mild hybrid system.
Using 91 octane fuel the 3.0-liter mild hybrid has an EPA rating of 21 mpg city/26 highway and 21 combined. Over 410 miles of Southern California city and highway driving, our combined average was 24.1 mpg, which was a nice surprise for such a powerful engine and the 4,995-pound curb weight.
To get this number we opted for the Eco or Comfort drive modes when possible to maximize efficiency. Fuel economy numbers reported by Clean Fleet Report are non-scientific and represent the reviewer’s driving experience using the dash gauge computer. Your numbers may differ.
An engine with a twin-scroll turbocharger, a supercharger and an electric motor is something to behold. Select the Dynamic drive mode for a wonderful throaty exhaust note and spirited acceleration, with 0-60 mph runs consistently turned in the 5.4 second range. The paddle shifters produced quick shifts and were fun to play with, but the 8-speed automatic powering all four wheels was plenty to satisfy driving enthusiasts. Engaging the Adaptive Dynamics adjusts the steering, transmission shift points, and throttle response for the best performance.
The all-wheel drive is rear-wheel biased, and the Intelligent All-Wheel Drive can vary the torque front-to-rear and side-to side based on driving conditions. Torque vectoring through braking helps distribute torque to the wheel in most need for extra grip. Off-road driving, which we did not have the opportunity to test, has the Terrain Response 2 system, which includes four driver-selectable drive modes, adaptive off-road cruise control for low speed driving, low traction launch and hill descent control.
The electric power assist steering was neutral with good road feel and adjusted based on the drive mode. All-wheel steering provides rear-wheel steering of up to 7.3 degrees out of phase with the front wheels to achieve enhanced agility and maneuverability at low speeds, while turning in-phase for enhanced stability at high speeds.
The Pirelli Scorpion Zero 285/40 all-season tires, mounted on 23-inch 10-spoke alloy wheels, were quiet and handled well. Stopping was through electronically controlled brake system that incorporates regenerative control and power-assisted, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS.
Classy and Elegant
The two-row, five-passenger 2023 Range Rover Sport comes in four models—Sport SE, Sport SE Dynamic, Sport Autobiography and Sport First Edition. The exterior is smooth and classy. Our test model finished in Eiger Grey ($710 option) was a head-turner.
The distinctive narrow grille, sporting a diminutive “Land Rover” badge, is framed by the slim LED headlights and the subtle R-A-N-G-E R-O-V-E-R lettering that softly welcomes you to the sculpted hood. The side view is clean with power, recessed, color-keyed door handles and no chrome or cladding. Black B, C and D pillars are nearly invisible against the dark tinted privacy glass.
The sweptback windshield seamlessly leads to the roof that is finished off with a sliding panoramic sunroof and dual color-keyed shark fin antennas, ending at the visor over the power llift gate. The rear has slim LED tail lights that sit high above the twin rectangular chrome exhaust tips. If you want even more classy, the rear wiper has been tucked under the visor, resulting an unobstructed view for the driver and a clean palette design.
The results are aerodynamics with a claimed 0.29 coefficient of drag.
Premium Interior
The high-end interior has premium materials and soft touch surfaces, with elements of micro-suede, dark tinted chrome, piano black and choice of textile or leather seating surfaces. Our interior color was in Deep Garnet and Ebony with soft, supple and supportive ventilated front seats that are power adjustable with heat, cooling and memory. The heated 60/40 rear seat power reclines.
The Range Rover Sport has 8.5 inches of ground clearance, but for ease of entering and exiting, the air suspension can be set to lower the ride height.
The leather-wrapped tilt and telescopic steering wheel has controls for audio, hands-free Bluetooth telephone operation and the adaptive cruise control. The 13.7-inch interactive driver display has high-definition graphics clearly displaying the vehicle operation information.
The centerpiece of the Range Rover Sport cockpit is the curved, floating 13.1-inch high-definition touchscreen housing the controls for navigation and entertainment. The 12-speaker, subwoofer and 380-watt amplifier powered the Meridian sound system. Entertainment came from AM/FM radio, SiriusXM, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Amazon Alexa, multiple USB ports, Wi-Fi and wireless phone charging. Noise cancellation helps reduce road and tire noise.
As part of the Cold Climate Package ($640 option) there is a heated windshield and headlight washer jets, and a heated steering wheel. The four-zone climate control allows different settings for front and rear passengers on each side of the car. Our Range Rover had the optional head-up display (as part of the $1,765 Technology Package), illuminated metal door sill tread plates, bright metal pedals, ambient lighting, carpeted mats, rain sensing windshield wipers, Homelink auto-dimming rear view mirror, and push button and remote start.
Safety and Convenience
The 2023 Range Rover Sport safety systems include airbags, dynamic stability control, traction control, anti-lock brakes with emergency baking, electronic brake-force distribution and cornering brake control. The surround camera, blind spot and rear traffic monitors and lane keep assist all aid in safer driving.
Convenience features included power folding heated exterior mirrors with nighttime approach lights, keyless entry and push button start, tire pressure monitor and auto hold.
Pricing
These are the base prices for the four 2023 Range Rover Sport models, including the mandatory $1,475 destination and delivery charge.
SE – $84,475
SE Dynamic – $91,475
Autobiography PHEV – $105,675
First Edition – $122,975
Warranties
Powertrain – Four years/50,000 miles
New Vehicle – Four years/50,000 miles
Roadside Assistance – Four years/50,000 miles
Corrosion Perforation – Six years/Unlimited miles
Observations: 2023 Ranger Rover Sport SE Dynamic Mild Hybrid
New for the 2023 model year, the Range Rover Sport offers luxury with comfortable and engaging driving. While we didn’t go off-road, Range Rover rough driving capabilities are well known. The Range Rover Sport stands-out from its competition with a clean, restrained and classy design that is carried to the minimalist interior with modern technology.
The “Sport” tag is applied to cars and SUVs seemingly with little thought if they are really sporty. The Range Rover Sport is sporty in the sense the acceleration is smooth and brisk and the handling confident, especially with the massive 23-inch Pirelli tires.
However, most owners will be buying one for its elegance, status and upper crust image that Range Rover is so well known to deliver.
There is more to the Range Rover than can be included here, so go to their website to configure and personalize yours.
Story by John Faulkner. Photos by John Faulkner and Range Rover.
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Disclosure:
Clean Fleet Report is loaned free test vehicles from automakers to evaluate, typically for a week at a time. Our road tests are based on this one-week drive of a new vehicle. Because of this we don’t address issues such as long-term reliability or total cost of ownership. In addition, we are often invited to manufacturer events highlighting new vehicles or technology. As part of these events we may be offered free transportation, lodging or meals. We do our best to present our unvarnished evaluations of vehicles and news irrespective of these inducements.
Our focus is on vehicles that offer the best fuel economy in their class, which leads us to emphasize electric cars, plug-in hybrids, hybrids and diesels. We also feature those efficient gas-powered vehicles that are among the top mpg vehicles in their class. In addition, we aim to offer reviews and news on advanced technology and the alternative fuel vehicle market. We welcome any feedback from vehicle owners and are dedicated to providing a forum for alternative viewpoints. Please let us know your views at publisher@cleanfleetreport.com.
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