What It Is: A more rakish version of the Land Rover Range Rover Sport SUV, following in the footsteps of the BMW X6 and Mercedes-Benz GLE coupe. Its swoopier roofline is meant to give it a more stylish look. Although the prototype in these spy photos has some sort of fake body cladding at the D-pillar, meant to disguise the more steeply raked rear liftgate, we can still get an idea of the new Range Rover Sport variant’s modified rear end from these photos. They show sharply angled rear glass, thinner taillights, and slightly wider rear haunches. From the C-pillars forward, the prototype looks remarkably similar to the more upright, standard Range Rover Sport, which is no bad thing given that SUV’s handsome appearance.
Why It Matters: It’s little surprise that Land Rover would jump into this admittedly illogical category, given the sales and profitability that BMW and Mercedes-Benz have found with these variants on their SUV platforms. While the Range Rover will certainly lose cargo capacity, rear-seat headroom, and an optional third row in comparison to the standard model, it looks as if it could turn out to be a better-looking alternative to the awkwardly proportioned X6 and GLE Coupe.
Platform: Mechanically, this new coupe-like variant should be nearly identical to the Range Rover Sport. That means standard all-wheel drive, although this new model may receive slightly different suspension tuning that’s biased more toward on-road comfort and performance than off-road prowess.
Powertrain: The 3.0-liter supercharged V-6 used in several Range Rover models is likely to be the standard engine, paired with an eight-speed automatic. A turbocharged diesel V-6 and a supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 could be offered as optional upgrades. The slant-back Range Rover also seems like a natural candidate for the high-performance SVR treatment applied to the standard edition, which includes a 550-hp version of the 5.0-liter V-8 along with chassis tweaks and some visual upgrades inside and out.
Competition: BMW X6, Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe, Maserati Levante, Porsche Cayenne, Jaguar F-Pace
Estimated Arrival and Price: This new Range Rover variant should arrive next year. Assuming Range Rover follows the German precedent, expect it to command a premium over the standard Range Rover Sport. That suggests a price ranging from the mid-$60,000s all the way up into the low six figures for the high-performance model.
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