2010 Land Rover Range Rover Sport Supercharged Detroit MI

October 26, 2009   By Brian Alexander, Road Test Editor
2010 Land Rover Range Rover Sport

2010 Land Rover Range
Rover Sport
DriverSide Overview
Acceleration is defined as the change in velocity per unit of time, or at least that’s what we were told in physics class. Behind the wheel of the 2010 Range Rover Sport Supercharged , it’s defined as something entirely different, namely an emotional and physiological response to 510 supercharged horses being unleashed in an instant. For some, the shock elicits sudden laughter and excitement, for others, silent disbelief is all that can be mustered. Either way, there is little doubting the ability of this 5,816 lb behemoth to completely blow you away, not to mention leave most sports cars in its wake. Fully reworked for 2010, the Range Rover Sport Supercharged takes its place as flagship of the largest mid-cycle refresh in brand history – fitting when you consider it’s the most successful Land Rover model to date. While the exterior tweaks may appear as little more than a minor personality change, inside serious ergonomic and quality improvements are immediately apparent, highlighted by a less button-heavy console. New active suspension can monitor road conditions 500 times per second and make adjustments up to 100 times per second, so the car is never caught off guard. And of course, there is the new 5.0-liter engine, and it’s an absolute belter. The proof is in the comparison to the old car: the 2010 model sees off 0-100 mph and then comes back to a complete stop in the same time it took the old car to do 0-85 mph . That’s a serious improvement indeed.



2010 Range Rover Sport
Supercharged



2010 Range Rover Sport
Supercharged



2010 Range Rover Sport
Supercharged
What's to Like
The engine rarely steals the show in SUVs, but then the Range Rover Sport Supercharged is hardly your typical SUV. Endless reserves of silky, powerful supercharged torque are available at the behest of your right foot. There are only six options offered for the vehicle – well, seven if you count both rim options – which really simplifies the buying process and doesn’t make the consumer feel as if they’re pricing themselves out of their own vehicle.

What's Not to Like
Fuel economy is pretty dismal at 12 mpg city, 17 mpg highway. Blame the bulbous 5,816 lb curb weight. Light steering feels as though it has been carried over from one of Land Rover’s off-road setups, and while it never lets you down, more feel and weight would be appreciated from a car with such a sporty attitude. Then again, we suppose it is an SUV after all.

The Drive:
DriverSide Driving Impressions
Land Rover refers to the Range Rover Sport as the ultimate sports tourer, a car that’s sedate and comfortable when the driver isn’t attacking at full tilt.

Click here to read the rest of the article from DriverSide