Motoring editor Gareth Butterfield falls for the charms of the latest version of the Range Rover Sport
Range Rover Sport
In my head at least, the Range Rover Sport has always felt like the poor relation to the big, proper, full-fat Range Rover to which we all aspire.
It feels as if we'd settle for the smaller, less opulent Sport but with the thought niggling away at you that, if you'd only been a bit more successful, you might have been able to afford the real thing.
The truth, of course, particularly with the last generation of the Sport, has been quite different to that. While it's not overly sporty, as its name suggests, it is a wonderful machine in its own right. A little bit lighter and a little bit smaller than the Range Rover, but with much of the same luxurious fit and fittings available.
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And it has always been a bit more alluring from a dynamic perspective, not that you'd buy either for blasting around a track, because the bigger Range Rover is focused very much on wafty comfort and not delivering thrills in the bends.
But there's a new Range Rover Sport out now, and it arrived shortly after a new version of the flagship Range Rover, with each car's looks quite obviously carrying over the right DNA from their predecessors.
The new Sport has a familiar profile, and a much sleeker nose - although the jury's out on whether the front-on view or rear-on is all that attractive. It does, though, live up to the promise of the suffix visually. It looks swept back and quite "sporty". At least in relative terms.
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The interior is now more lavish than ever. Every contact point is a delight to run your hands over, and there's a familiar sense of solidity about it all.
Less welcome is the huge touch-screen that replaces all but a few physical buttons in the latest iterations of the Sport. It's not that it's a fiddle to use, it's actually very good, but some of the basic controls such as climate settings are tucked away in menus.
Of course, you can set up shortcuts, but it's still a shame to see the back of the days when a Range Rover's nobs and switches could be controlled without taking off a pair of muddy gloves.
That is pretty much the end of the gripes with the interior though. Especially in the Autobiography spec I was testing, the cabin is a world apart from the original Range Rover Sport. It feels like there's a far shorter gap in luxury between the Sport and the full-fat Range Rover now.
In fact, if anything, the Sport has become more likeable in many respects. On the road, it's by no means a B-Road blaster, but it's definitely less ponderous than its bigger brother. The steering is sharper and the suspension is slightly firmer.
How much this really matters, though, is questionable, because the new Sport feels right at home soaking up vast mileages, with its incredibly comfortable and refined cabin and the usual suite of driver aids. It will also perform off road, as you'd expect, but that's not something most owners will explore.
Another inheritance from its stately sibling is its weight. Even though the new Sport has shed its seven-seat option, it's a hefty thing still. With a full family on board, and all their gubbins, you'll be driving a three-tonne beast.
That said, piling the pressure on the diesel engine in my test car was like reconnecting with an old friend. It sounds superb, and gives it plenty of shove. A plug-in hybrid version is also available, and there's an electric one on the way, but the torquey diesel really suits the car.
We also need to discuss the price of the latest Sport. In theory, you could own one for £83,000 - but you'll soon find that amount tots up as you add options. The model I tested, for example, a top Autobiography cost £100,000 as standard and had very generous spec, but there were nearly £15,000 of options bundled in.
But here's the thing. We're now at the point where it's possible to spend £200,000 on a full-fat Range Rover. I've lived with one of those, and it's utterly magnificent.
However it has become incredibly large now, and it's heavier and, in real terms, they're about £20,000 more than the Range Rover Sport. And, these days, there's far less of a gulf in terms of comfort and sheer opulence between the two cars.
So it does leave me wondering if the Sport is a better prospect for many people. The actual Range Rover is one of the best cars in the world, there's no doubting that, but the latest Sport is so close to being every bit as good, if not slightly better in a few respects, that it's possibly the one I'd choose.
And that speaks volumes for how far the Sport has come in this new version. It's absolutely marvellous.
THE FACTS
Model tested: Range Rover Sport D350 Autobiography
Price: From £83,620
0-60mph: 5.6 seconds
Top speed: 145mph
Power: 350PS
Economy: 38.3mpg
CO2: 193g/km
