Road Strikers

If you’re a regular CAR Online visitor, you may already have read Ben Pulman’s report on the newly revised Range Rover Sport TDV6. So I’ll keep the news about the Sport’s general upgrades brief and concentrate on the headline news about this model: its new 5.0-litre supercharged V8. Thought that might prick up your ears. Does this new supercharged Range Rover Sport have the engine from the XFR? Yes, it’s pretty much what powers the Jaguar XFR to such great effect, and it deploys the same 503bhp here too. But, as you might expect, it’s been optimised somewhat for this 4x4 application, with a deeper sump guard, thorough water-proofing and a torque curve to suit some hefty off-roading. You can tell it apart from the old car by the revised two-bar grille, slimmer headlamps and new bumpers. Get inside and you’ll spot the new dash and doortrims. And if you’re still in doubt, give that right pedal a shove. Quick then, is it? You could say th...

Before we get started, can we just clear one thing up: what sort of car is the Evoque meant to be? Hot hatch, coupe, SUV? Well, it’s a bit of all three really. The five-door model will tend to appeal to buyers looking at other small SUVs, like the BMW X1 and Audi Q3. But Land Rover sees the three-door, or Coupe, in JLR parlance, as a rival for cars like the Audi TT. It’s certainly looks good enough to pull in TT buyers. Does the cabin look like it’s come straight from a concept car too? Not quite but it’s still a great place to be. The Coupe has a lower roofline than the five-door, but there’s not a huge difference in rear room – although getting in the back isn’t the work of a moment. Both have genuine space for four, unlike the TT and Peugeot’s RCZ. The driving position should suit all shapes, and despite the pillar-box rear window, visibility is actually good. Except for the huge blind spot created by the elephant’s ear wing mir...

Our first chance to drive the new Range Rover Sport has come sooner than we might have expected. It had its world debut at the New York auto show a month ago, yet here we are in the UK at Land Rover's Gaydon test track, looking at a prototype with its driver's door open and engine running. While we'd reiterate our usual reservations about driving a prototype on a test track in circumstances controlled by its manufacturer, two things reassure us. First, if you were presented with this late 'tool-test' prototype at your dealership in a few months time, you'd sign the cheque. Fit and finish was perfect. Second, the character of the Range Rover Sport is so different to that of the Range Rover that even a drive on the confines of a test track is immediately, abundantly informative. What is the new Range Rover Sport like to drive? So you climb into the driver's seat, noting their Italian-supercar look before you settle in, and you eyeball a cabin that owes some...

A few years ago, Greenpeace lambasted Land Rover for building gas-guzzling SUVs. Since then we’ve had more efficient powertrains, engine-cutting stop-start systems and weight-slashing aluminium bodyshells. But nothing promises to cull emissions quite like this: the new Range Rover Hybrid, a 2394kg off-roader with a potent V6 diesel engine that emits just 169g/km – 27g/km less than today’s substantially less powerful Range Rover TDV6 and a whopping 130g/km less than the last-generation Td6 that so riled those greens. We’re driving late prototypes today ahead of Land Rover taking them on a trek from Solihull to India, hence the expedition graphics and roof rack. What’s the Range Rover Hybrid’s spec? The Hybrid uses a 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel engine which, when combined with its electric boost, yields 335bhp/516lb ft and promises 44.1mpg and 169g/km. This promises comparable performance to a TDV8 Range Rover (334bhp/516lb ft) with parsimony to shame ...

The 2014 Range Rover Evoque has been given a suite of changes, the most notable the introduction of a nine-speed automatic gearbox. Made by German specialist ZF, the ZF-9HP transmission is designed for vehicles with transverse-mounted engines – anything front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive – whereas its previous seven- and eight-speed transmissions are suited to longitudinally-mounted engines, like rear-wheel drive BMWs. Why does the Evoque need nine-speeds? In reality, it doesn’t. Nor does it need leather seats, nor this 2.0-litre diesel’s 190bhp. What the nine-speed brings, though, is a distinct advantage when it come to both your fuel bill and CO2 emissions – the bane of every carmaker’s existence, especially one that builds SUVs…. If you compare the nine-speed with ZF’s original six-speed automatics, the Niner is 16 per cent more fuel efficient according to the company. How do more gears save fuel? Several ways. Firstly, the sprea...

The new Land Rover Discovery Sport fills the hole left by the departing Freelander. Sort of. Land Rover is adamant that this is an incremental new model, but its price, size and positioning suggests it is the entry-level Landie for now. Until the new Defender replacement arrives in 2016, at least. You'll enjoy seven seats in the Discovery Sport, though, hinting at its Discovery-ish practicality imbued from day one on a clean sheet of paper. While Range Rovers will add luxury and sparkle and – let’s be honest – a degree of bling to proceedings, humble Land Rovers will stick a healthy dollop of practicality and family-friendliness into the equation in future. So take note of 2015’s new Disco Sport. It tells us a lot about where Land Rover is heading. Read on for our first full Discovery Sport review. First drive of the Land Rover Discovery Sport 2.2 SD4 We test a mid-ranking Sport rolling on 19in wheels; it looks good on first acquaintance, with a clear bloodli...

Overview: The Evoque is nothing if not a head-turner, but the visual drama has its compromises. Available in either three or five-door body styles, the Evoque’s chic styling comes at a cost to both cargo space and outward visibility. A 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder paired with a nine-speed automatic and a firm suspension give it the moves to match its sporting character, but the ride is often harsh and raucous. The lavish interior impresses though, with high-quality materials and luxury features abound. SPECIFICATIONS VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door wagon PRICE AS TESTED: $63,715 (base price: $41,995) ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection Displacement: 122 cu in, 1999 cc Power: 240 hp @ 5500 rpm Torque: 250 lb-ft @ 1750 rpm TRANSMISSION: 9-speed automatic with manual shifting mode DIMENSIONS: Wheelbase: 104.8 in Length: 171.9 in Width: 74.8 in Height: 64.4 in Curb...