Range Sport Goes On The Pull

It's a game of Land Rover follow-the-leader! It seems there's some sibling rivalry between the firm's two premium products, yet for now at least it's the new, smaller Range Sport that's literally in the shadow of its big brother.

Auto Express Car Reviews

By Chris Thorp

15th April 2004

An exclusive image in the current issue of Auto Exprtess magazine shows the Range Sport being towed around the test track by its bigger brother. It might seem as though engineers are having a few technical problems, but insiders at Land Rover claim the strength of the Range Sport's front towing hook was being tested. Whatever the reason, the pictures highlight the differences between the Range Rover and Range Sport more clearly than ever, and help piece together the thinking behind the new model.

It's clear the latest Landie will be considerably smaller and narrower. Despite the heavy disguise, the bonnet line is lower, and ignoring the fake roof bars, you can see the C-pillar slopes back to give a sportier look than on the more upright Range Rover. The larger wheels of the test mule indicate the firm's intentions to market the smaller SUV as a high-performance vehicle.

The two 4x4s were snapped testing at the N΃¼rburgring in Germany, ahead of the Range Sport's launch next year. Despite visual similarities, under the skin the new model is more closely related to the latest Discovery. The Range Sport - based on the firm's Range Stormer concept - uses a separate chassis construction rather than a monocoque.