“Sport is murder” – does this legendary saying by Winston Churchill represent the British upper class’s view of physical exercise? And if so, how does a Range Rover Sport fit into the picture? And what happens when you pull the supposedly green camisole of a “hybrid lettering” over the massive body of the full-size SUV?

Manufacturers of SUVs and so-called crossover vehicles like to market their products as particularly “sporty”, among other things. After all, the “S” in SUV also stands for “sport”. And sometimes the Alibi hybrid drive comes under the sheet metal. An exciting mix. A sporty saver in the guise of a 2.5 ton small truck – aha!

The biggest sporting challenge for SUV drivers seems to be “climbing” the vehicle. In the case of the Range Rover Sport 3.0L SDV6 Diesel Hybrid it is no different. Although even for fat and unathletic people, putting two cases of water in the trunk is a more sporting challenge than climbing into the driver's seat. The loading sill is already at chest height for normal mortals.

Dual Heart Landlord test and driving report

Range Rover Sport 3.0 diesel hybrid

Land Rover is known for not just building SUVs. But vehicles that deserve (still) the increasingly rare predicate "off-road vehicle". With which you can do more than just a short over a dirt road to hoppeln. This raises the question of what kind of vehicle the new Range Rover Sport can already be?

First of all, the "sport" is a real range, so it is derived from the 14 centimeter longer noble SUV Range Rover. This is by no means as obvious as it sounds, as the first generation was still based on the classes of deeper discovery. Since late summer last year, there is the second-generation Range Rover Sport, which deserves this name for the first time.

Save on prosperity level

The “Sport” has adopted the all-aluminum body from its noble sister model Range Rover; the light metal is used not only on the outer skin, but also in the structure. The resulting effect is astonishing, at least when you compare the new model with the old one. The British have saved over 400 kilograms in weight. It goes without saying that the “Sport” with the 3,0-liter diesel engine we chose under the hood responds to gas commands with spontaneous propulsion. The Brit is helped quite immodestly by an electric motor that pushes the performance of the diesel engine to a system output of 340 hp. Coincidentally, this is exactly the performance that the V8 diesel also offers. And then both also offer the same system power of 700 Nm. Hardly a coincidence. Rather a good argument for swapping the V8 for the hybrid. This is also supported by the official driving data: after 6.9 seconds, the “hybrid sport” reaches 100 km/h after starting from a standstill. Up to 218 km/h are possible. Much more important than these numbers, however, is the very special range feeling. Pleasant abundance. Velvetily embedded between lots of leather, wood, a stunning aluminum body and an accurate eight-speed automatic transmission, every trip in the “Sport-Hybrid” becomes a short wellness vacation with an outrageous feel-good factor. Anyone who thinks money doesn't make you happy has never been able to afford a Range Rover Sport.

No Sports

218 km/h, 6.9 seconds, 8 gears – yes, these are all values ​​that would have looked good on a sports car just a few years ago. But – the word “sport” doesn’t fit your otherwise cultivated understatement at all. And not part of the everyday life of the Sport Hybrid Range either. Plow through the water in a “sporty” way? Could be the range. Even as a “hybrid” with a 1.76 kWh “small” battery, the wading depth is 900 mm. But if you want to glide purely electrically, you have to commit to a manageable distance and not let the speedometer needle slip past the 50 km/h mark. And due to the perfection of the driving experience in the British big ship, this simply happens far too quickly! Forget about being sporty. Get involved in “gliding”. That is his domain. Although the Range Rover “Sport” is surprisingly easy to navigate on country roads. 2.5 tons? Hmm. It doesn't feel like that either.

But even in the Range Rover Sport Hybrid Diesel - as in many full-size SUVs - you prefer to drive quickly with the brakes. The interior is modern, but more elegant than it is really sporty, and the seats are suitable for long journeys and the steering is more direct than its predecessor, but not really sporty either. But hey, seriously. Did anyone expect that?

Anyone who thinks money is not happy could just never afford a Range Rover Sport Hybrid. 

Still, you can have fun with the British. The core competencies of a range are not the dynamic alpine pass, but the rough terrain. Or simply the long journey. And even if the Range Rover Sport only parks on the Kö or replaces the school bus, it could - if it should. And if need be, it will probably also replace the car travel train to Sylt. When it comes to off-road, the British don't let their dominance rub off. Both the mechanical side of the drive train - with differential locks, degree of skew and slope angle - is dominantly geared towards off-road adventures, and the software-controlled control systems of the drive train leave no doubt about the tenacity with which one could steer a range in the direction of summit crossing . Without any asphalt Alpine passes.

However, a look at the price list shows the downside of the “it's easy to stink with full pants” offer. We'll save the details here. If you're ready for the range, then you know that. If you're not ready, then we don't want to scare you with the price.

Sport is murder and Winston Churchill was wrong. Sport is pretty exciting and fun, at least if you have the right ignition key.