Range Rover Sport review - MPG, CO2 and running costs
Diesel power offers good real-world fuel economy, but the Sport PHEV models will be of more interest to business users
Land Rover offers mild-hybrid petrol and diesel versions of its Range Rover Sport, which helps to eke out a little extra efficiency from the 2.3-tonne luxury SUV. The manufacturer claims that you should see around 35 to 38mpg from either the D300 or D350 diesel models (on the WLTP combined cycle), while CO2 emissions are 192 to 211g/km.
The P400 petrol model isn’t quite as economical, managing up to 29.9mpg and emitting 229g/km of CO2. Opting for the top-of-the-range 523bhp P530 inevitably brings a penalty in overall economy; a best of 24.5mpg from its V8 petrol engine with (whisper it) 261g/km of CO2.
Business users will be better served by choosing one of the plug-in hybrid versions. The P460e is claimed to be able to cover 76 miles on all-electric drive, with CO2 emissions from just 15g/km putting it in the five per cent Benefit-in-Kind tax bracket. The more powerful P550e version can potentially travel up to 75 miles on battery power alone, which means it also falls into the five per cent BiK rate. It’s worth noting that Land Rover places a caveat on its web site stating that, in real-world driving, you should expect around 54 miles of electric range.
Insurance
It should come as no surprise that the latest Range Rover Sport will be an expensive model to insure. All versions of the big, luxury SUV are in group 47 to 50, so premiums will be steep - our example quote for a D300 Dynamic SE model (based on a 42-year male living in Oxford, with three penalty points) was an eye-watering £3,617.
Depreciation
The Range Rover Sport has always been a sought-after model, whether as a showroom fresh car or as a used example. Consequently, residual values for the third-generation Sport are predicted to be extremely healthy at 62 to 71 per cent after three-years and 36,000-miles. The plug-in hybrid P460e model in either SE or Dynamic SE specification is the strongest performer, although this still equates to depreciation of around £30,000 after 36 months of motoring.
