Techno notice
REPORT 2 2993cc, V6 diesel, 4WD, 290bhp, 443lb ft 40.4mpg, 185g/km CO2 0–62mph in 6.8secs, 138mph 2115kg £ £76,250/£95,250 Total mileage 4209 Driver Tom Ford Why it’s here Is there any point in a Range Rover ‘Sport’?
Never one to give a longterm test car an easy ride, I’ve dropped 3,500 miles on the Range Rover Sport in a brief few weeks, running it to and from London and to various photoshoots around the country. So far, so good. The engine is returning a respectable 33mpg (meaning 500+ miles of range), there’s plenty of torque on ofer for motorway sliproads and stick it in Dynamic mode (where the dials turn an angry red) and the RRS can hustle down a B-road with the best of them. No hot hatch, but the body control is surprising and general grip impressive – especially with British roads as bacon-fat greasy as they are at this time of year.
The rest is working well: interior is a brilliant shade, the boot is huge, and it’s comfy for fve, even on seven-hour-plus trips. And there’s something about driving a Rangie in bad weather that’s comforting. I know my RR is on 22-inch wheels and hence isn’t the archetype of of-roading goodness, but it’s still a Land Rover, and I know it can cope with a bit of snow or mud. Psychologically, that’s a big thing.
There are gripes, mind. The reversing camera is nigh-on useless, simply because it remains uncovered as you drive (some cars fip them out from under a handy badge), meaning that during a typical winter, within 20 feet, the rear of the car is covered in grime and the camera is useless. I’ll have to wait until summer to use it. Or reverse everywhere.
That’s a minor thing compared to the multimedia screen, though. It’s just... so... slow, especially when booting up. Press a virtual touchscreen button and wait. Press it again and then it responds to the original command plus the subsequent press. The heated windscreen is a boon, as are the heated seats and wheel, but the seats require you to press a physical button to access a virtual menu, and the latency of the system’s reaction can lead to partial hypothermia. As for trying to activate the – otherwise excellent – rear screens for youth entertainment, you need a degree.
The navigation is also completely mental. Having suspected its inefficiency, I started testing it on routes I know well, and have to say it is plainly bonkers. So I tend to stick to my phone. Not a great advert.
I think the problem is that this system is old – the screen is small, the graphics several generations away from the likes of Audi, BMW or Mercedes. And I spend a lot of time in the car. There’s new stuf on the way, and it can’t come quick enough.