All-new Range Rover Sport makes global debut

The third generation of Land Rover’s premium performance SUV, the Range Rover Sport, made its debut with a dramatic ascent against a surging torrent of water flowing down the ramp of the Karahnjukar Dam in Iceland.

The dam spillway– the biggest of its kind in the world – has water flowing at a rate of 750 tonnes per minute, which means a possible loss of traction would have seen the SUV, driven by official James Bond stunt driver Jessica Hawkins, plummeting down the 90m drop to the valley floor below.

The new Range Rover Sport is based on Land Rover’s Modular Longitudinal Architecture (MLA-Flex), and boasts powertrain options that include two efficient six-cylinder extended range Electric Hybrid plug-ins, which provide a pure-electric driving range of up to 113km and CO2 emissions as low as 18g/km.

Meanwhile, the new 530 horsepower twin turbo V8 provides sportscar performance, with 0-100kph coming in at 4.5 seconds with Dynamic Launch engaged. There are also mild hybrid petrol and diesel Ingenium engines, while pure-electric propulsion will be available in 2024.

Land Rover says the new Range Rover Sport is the most dynamically capable version yet and the most competent off-road, using the latest Intelligent All-Wheel Drive (iAWD) and coming equipped with the brand’s latest all-terrain innovations and technologies.

The new SUV also introduces Adaptive Off-Road Cruise Control, which helps drivers navigate tricky terrain by maintaining optimal progress according to the ground conditions. Drivers can select one of four comfort settings and the system intelligently adjusts the speed, allowing the driver to focus on steering the vehicle.

The new reductive design language extends to the interior, which gets a new take on the Command Driving Position, featuring the latest convenience and driver assistance technologies.