Range Rover HSE Sport Chicago test drive
I ambled over to a Chicago Land Rover dealer this week to take a drive in a Range Rover HSE Sport, the only specific model of Land Rover I had yet to drive. Bearing the “sport” moniker, I was a little concerned the model would sacrifice some Land Rover charm and off-road ability and try to become the BMW X5. That was not the case. While the Range Rover HSE Sport does handle the best of the Land Rover lineup, it did not give up the qualities that earn a vehicle the Land Rover or Range Rover badge.
Yes, better handling and quicker acceleration are the themes in this Rover, but feel free to gallivant off-road just as you would with the LR2. Pulling out of the suburban Chicago Land Rover dealership, I was thankful for the swift acceleration, as I had a small window to merge into the endless stream of traffic. Our suburbs contain strikingly few curvy, mountainous roads, so my the majority of my ruthless handling tests were performed in front of a Best Buy, where I’m pretty sure the resident seagulls thought I was lost. Seriously tight handling and a seemingly low center of gravity make this a ride worthy of the sport label. Not to be ignored is the Range Rover HSE Sport’s pep, which is significantly improved over its brethren. With a 4.4-liter V-8 that spells 300 horsepower, this lighter Range Rover really zips for a vehicle in its class. The supercharged model of the Sport HSE gets to 60 mph in less than eight seconds.
Design-wise, the HSE Sport clearly displays the characteristics of a Land Rover, but it does so in its own way. The exterior takes none of the actual elements from its Range Rover siblings.
Key to the Land Rover, the HSE Sport comes with Terrain Response System, the nifty dial that you can adjust with ease from the driver’s seat to let your Rover know what terrain it’s navigating and how to handle it. Just more proof that the Sport is uncompromising in its Roverness.
Here is a video with good info on the Range Rover HSE Sport from Kelly Blue Book:
