Real-world testing of the next-gen Range Rover Sport is long underway, and spies in Germany have caught shots of a prototype wearing a lot less camouflage than ever before. The new Range Rover Sport could arrive about a year after the “standard” Range Rover, with the grand unveiling around the end of this year.
Evidence gathered from prototype sightings like this suggests that the Range Rover Sport will yet again assume the role of a younger sibling of the Range Rover. At least the stately proportions and signature design cues would be retained. Progress will be evolutionary on the looks, although that’s exactly what loyal customers would seek in the subsequent model generation.
The next-gen Range Rover Sport has visibly short overhangs compared to the next-gen Range Rover. Another difference between the SUVs is a strongly tapering tail on the Sport. Using a softer roof and a different tail, JLR can disguise the 5+2 SUV as a sporty five-seater.
More extensive changes could be seen on the inside, although JLR designers may repeat the classical SUV elements, such as chunky four-spoke steering, a chunky dashboard, vertical AC vents and the Pivi Pro infotainment system’s 11.4-in. screen. More information on the interior is bound to emerge later this year when the bigger Range Rover is previewed.
The RR Sport will be underpinned by the new Modular Longitudinal Architecture (MLA) platform that was supposed to debut in the next-gen Jaguar XJ, which was cancelled early this year. The MLA platform supports full electrification. So, a Range Rover EV/Range Rover Sport EV should follow in a few years. At launch, partial electrification should be standard across the range, with mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid technologies.
The next-gen Range Rover Sport will arrive as the ’23 model, likely in the second half of this year.
Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde