Wednesday 29th March 2006

Range Rover Sport gets body kit

Hardly off-roader sports new chin spoiler

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Land Rover has -- er -- beefed up the Range Rover Sport, adding a host of additional equipment and called it the Sport HST. Its design cues were inspired by the Range Stormer concept car, first shown at the Detroit auto show in January 2004. The HST is no faster than the supercharged specification on which it's based but it does look different.

Additional equipment includes: electric sunroof, an electronic active locking rear differential and privacy glass. The interior gets hand polished, lined oak trim.

The exterior design is the work of the same Land Rover team that created the original Range Stormer. It includes new flush-fitting front and rear bumpers and a new larger open-mouth grille. The front lower air intake is deeper and new front fog lamps are mounted in the spoiler.

The lower doors and lower rear boot are body-coloured, making the body sides appear deeper, accentuating the vehicle’s road-hugging qualities. A new tail spoiler is also fitted, and the special rectangular tail-pipes are close to those used on the original Range Stormer concept vehicle.

It gets 20 inch 'Stormer' alloy wheels, chromed aluminium side vents and body-coloured door mirror cappings, unique to this derivative.

"The HST gives the Range Rover Sport an especially impressive stance, hunkered down tight to the road," said Land Rover's design director Geoff Upex. "It's the extreme version of the Range Rover Sport, the design that will be chosen by those who want to stand out from the crowd."

The HST is available in five colours; grey, blue, black, red and silver. Performance figures are the same as the standard Supercharged model.

As a Land Rover, the HST will naturally still have off-road capability – though which of its customers are likely to take it further than the edge of a slightly moist field is debateable. The removable chin spoiler means that approach and departure angles are as good as the standard vehicle, reckoned Land Rover.

"The HST allows a Range Rover Sport customer to drive the closest thing there is to the radical Range Stormer, our first ever concept vehicle and a real milestone for the company," said Land Rover's UK boss John Edwards. "The Range Rover Sport continues to be a major success for Land Rover, with strong order banks in most markets," said Edwards. "It appeals not only to those who want a dynamic 4x4 but also to customers who want comfort and refinement. That's why we call it a Sports Tourer. Customers are coming not just from competitor 4x4s but also from premium saloons. They value the extra all-round command driving and breadth of capability that only a Land Rover can offer."

The Range Rover Sport HST is now on sale from £63,000 on the road.

[mk1fan]

I like the Sport. I think Land Rover were/are right in adding it to the RR range. BMW showed there was a market for sporty 4x4's, as have Porsche. Now you can have one with the right badge.