Range Rover Sport: size, speed and class

Big enough to seat seven yet light enough to perform like a sports car, the new Range Rover Sport, says expert car reviewer Andrew Frankel, is a class-topping buy

Range Rover Sport 3.0 SDV6 HSE

This model from £59,995

By basing this model of the Range Rover Sport on the world-class Range Rover instead of the ancient, overweight Discovery like the last one, the Sport has gone from being Land Rover’s worst car to perhaps its best. Its aluminium construction means it’s almost half a tonne lighter than its predecessor – a staggering achievement, which not only means the V6 diesel now has acceptable economy, its performance is actually better than that of the old V8 diesel.

Best of all – and this means it finally makes sense as transport for large families – is that it’s the first Range Rover in the 43-year history of the brand to be available with seven seats. It’s good enough not only to lead its class but also to make consumers seriously question the wisdom of spending thousands extra on the less versatile flagship Range Rover.