The car

The 2018 Range Rover Sport HSE SDV6 was well suited to the trek from Johannesburg to Uniondale, a one-way journey of 1,073km. As the middle-child of the range, the model slots above the Evoque and Velar, but a tier below the full-sized original. Makes one question the sense of its larger sibling, however, because the Sport offers virtually all the benefits of the bigger car, albeit in a more compact, attainable package. That means luxurious touring capabilities and impressive off-road prowess, with its height-adjustable, pneumatic suspension. The 2995cc, six-cylinder unit of this supercharged-diesel derivative (250kW and 450Nm) provides ample shove via an eight-speed automatic gearbox. We achieved a consumption figure of 8.4l/100km. There was one gripe, however. Its In Control Touch digital interface froze up on us, more than once. That aside, the Sport did not skip a beat, travelling a further 2,000km to Cape Town, then Joburg. Prices start at R1,115,200.