2008 Land Rover Range Rover Sport

The Range Rover Sport might sound like a souped-up version of Land Rover's flagship SUV, but it's actually something entirely different. While it shares the Range Rover nameplate, it is actually smaller, less powerful, and less expensive.

Introduced as a 2006 model, the Range Rover Sport shares a platform with the LR3. The truck's exterior has been designed to look very similar to the larger Range Rover. With seating for five occupants, the Sport slots below the LR3 in terms of size, despite being pricier.

For the base HSE model, power comes from a 4.4-liter naturally aspirated V8 features electronically-controlled continuously-variable intake and exhaust timing and electronic throttle actuation. Peak output is 300 horsepower at 5500 rpm and 315 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm.

In the case of the Supercharged edition, a 4.2-liter Supercharged and intercooled V8 uses thicker-walled cylinder liners for extra block rigidity, necessitating a slightly smaller bore dimension. Twin air-to-coolant heat exchangers cool the pressurized intake charge en route to the cylinders. The Supercharged V8 delivers 390 hp at 5,750 rpm and 410 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,500 rpm.

The ZF electronically controlled six-speed automatic transmission offers three modes -- automatic, sport, and CommandShift. The automatic sport mode provides faster gear changes, while the CommandShift system is a manual mode.

Because the Range Rover Sport was designed with strong on-road performance in mind, it features the "Dynamic Response" suspension system delivers flat cornering, tight body control, and sharp steering response.

Six airbags are provided including two in front triggered by a longitudinal impact, two seat-mounted for front occupant thorax protection in a side impact, and two side curtains that deploy from the ceiling for the head protection of all outboard occupants

An adaptive front lighting system with bi-xenon headlights that turn to follow steering inputs are standard on the Supercharged model and optionally available on the Range Rover Sport HSE.

Other features include bolstered leather seats with eight-way adjustment, a 550-watt premium audio system, a navigation touch screen, a rear-seat entertainment package with screens mounted in the front headrests, and a radar-based "Park Distance Control."