2024 Land Rover Range Rover Sport Plug-in Hybrid

The Range Rover Sport hosts a range of revisions for 2024. The new P550e plug-in hybrid replaces the previous P440e; it still features a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six but output is increased significantly, rising from 434 horsepower and 457 lb-ft of torque to 542 hp and 590 lb-ft. Land Rover says the substantial increase in power is enough to rocket the Range Rover Sport P550e from zero to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds. This compares favorably to the P440e's estimated acceleration time of 5.5 seconds. The plug-in hybrid component provides as much as 51 miles of electric-only driving, according to Land Rover. 

If you aren't ready to step all the way up to the PHEV, a non-hybrid turbocharged six-cylinder powers more modest versions of the Range Rover Sport. The P360 SE kicks things off with 355 hp, with the next-level P400 SE Dynamic bumping output to 395 hp. All Range Rover Sports feature an eight-speed transmission and all-wheel drive, though if you're intent on taking your luxury SUV off-road, only the P550e and above come with a low ratio transfer case as standard. 

Topping the model lineup is the 2024 Range Rover Sport SV. Replacing the high-end SVR of the previous generation, the SV is powered by a new 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 with mild hybrid technology. The SV's powertrain delivers 626 hp and 553 lb-ft — which is a useful 51 hp and 37 lb-ft more than the supercharged 5.0-liter V8 of its SVR predecessor. That's enough to allow the Range Rover Sport SV to reach 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds, on to a top speed of 180 mph.

The hood above that new V8 is significant, too, because in the SV it's made of carbon fiber. This — along with other SV options of 23-inch carbon-fiber wheels and eight-piston Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes — highlights the lengths Land Rover's engineers have gone not just to produce more power with this sporting flagship model but to also allow the Range Rover Sport SV driver the means with which to really exploit it.

The Range Rover Sport's interior mixes modern tech with pleasingly chunky controls for some of the major functions including seat heating and ventilation. The user interface of the 13.1-inch central curved touchscreen with haptic controls is a vast improvement over the previous model, and there's a sense of luxury and quality that's a step up over its predecessor, too. Space inside is generous for all passengers, and there's a sizable trunk for your luggage.

The SV builds on those solid foundations by adding a touch of sporting flair throughout, with subtle SV badging and more heavily bolstered, restyled seats with integrated headrests, illuminated SV logos and backs made of carbon fiber. Most obvious in front of the driver is the addition of the SV mode button within the bottom spokes of the contoured steering wheel. Push that, and the Range Rover Sport SV reveals its more performance-oriented nature. It changes the instrumentation to a sport-themed display, as well as adjusts the chassis and engine control systems to more aggressively focused modes. The translucent gearshift paddles also see their edges lit in red to signal that change in character. 

Those edge-lit gearshift paddles are, says Land Rover, a world first in the SV, but they aren't the only features the company claims as all-new and unique for its flagship. The interior uses "3D knit to form" textiles, though it's the chassis system on the SV that really pushes boundaries. The 6D Dynamics air suspension it features uses a combination of air springs and hydraulically linked dampers that allow the Range Rover Sport SV to do without conventional anti-roll (sway) bars. Doing so allows the SV to deliver near roll-free cornering and manages pitch and dive under acceleration and braking, according to Land Rover.

The 6D Dynamics works in conjunction with the SV-tuned settings within the all-wheel drive, rear-wheel steering and electronic driving systems to allow the Range Rover Sport SV to corner at 1.1 g. That figure would be more usually associated with a low-slung sports car rather than an SUV. Impressively, that neck-straining cornering potential the Sport SV achieves is on its standard Michelin all-season tires. These tires are fitted as standard to alloy wheels but can come fitted on optional ultra-lightweight 23-inch carbon-fiber wheels, which are another production first for Land Rover. Other new technology that the SV debuts are newly developed Brembo eight-piston calipers that clutch carbon-ceramic discs.

Other new technologies include what Land Rover describes as a Body and Soul Seats (BASS), which have been developed with Californian firm Subpac, which pioneers tactile audio systems. The BASS adds transducers to the seatbacks, which generate vibrations that relate directly to output from the 29-speaker, 1,430-watt Meridian sound system to create an immersive sensory experience with possible well-being benefits. It might sound like a gimmick, but a chance to experience it briefly at the SV debut underlined that these claims aren't without some substance.