2019 Land Rover Range Rover Sport HSE P360
Class: Premium Midsize Crossover
Miles driven: 293
Fuel used: 15.3 gallons
| CG Report Card | |
|---|---|
| Room and Comfort | B+ |
| Power and Performance | B- |
| Fit and Finish | A+ |
| Fuel Economy | C+ |
| Value | C- |
| Report-card grades are derived from a consensus of test-driver evaluations. All grades are versus other vehicles in the same class. Value grade is for specific trim level evaluated, and may not reflect Consumer Guide's impressions of the entire model lineup. | |
| Big & Tall Comfort | |
| Big Guy | B- |
| Tall Guy | A |
| Big & Tall comfort ratings are for front seats only. "Big" rating based on male tester weighing approximately 350 pounds, "Tall" rating based on 6'6"-tall male tester. | |
| Drivetrain | |
| Engine Specs | 355-hp 3.0L |
| Engine Type | Turbocharged 6-cylinder mild hybrid |
| Transmission | 8-speed automatic |
| Drive Wheels | AWD |
Real-world fuel economy: 19.2 mpg
Driving mix: 65% city, 35% highway
EPA-estimated fuel economy: 19/25/21 (city/highway/combined)
Fuel type: Premium gas recommended
Base price (f0r 2020): $74,250 (not including $1295 destination charge)
Options on test vehicle (2020 prices): Off-Road Pack ($1785), Driver Assist Pack ($4000), Firenza Red Metallic paint ($710), 21-inch “Style 5007” split-5-spoke wheels ($2450), black contrast roof ($870), heated/cooled front seats with heated rear seats ($815), front center-console refrigerator compartment ($355), Grand Black veneer interior trim ($355)
Price as tested (for 2020 equivalent vehicle): $86,885
Quick Hits
The great: Classy interior, broad range of available comfort and convenience features
The good: On-road driving refinement blended with high-tech off-road prowess
The not so good: Steep pricing, non-linear acceleration from a stop
More Range Rover price and availability information
CG Says:
The Land Rover Range Rover Sport HSE P360 may not be the most exciting Range Rover Sport that Consumer Guide drove in 2019. That would be the 575-horsepower V8 SVR. Neither was it the most forward-looking. That would be the P400e plug-in-hybrid that actually was a preview of a vehicle destined to arrive as a 2020 model. Still, the P360 arguably was the most fundamentally changed of the British brand’s premium midsize sport-utility vehicles that CG tested.
Previous 6-cylinder Range Rover Sports had a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 that made 340 or 380 horsepower, depending the model. The 2019s replace this with a mild-hybrid inline six—still displacing 3.0 liters—with more power. The new engine makes 355 ponies as the P360 found in SE and HSE models, or 395 horsepower as the P400 that powers the HST, which essentially is a replacement for the former HSE Dynamic.
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This new powerplant features a small lithium-ion battery, an electric motor-generator, and a 48-volt electrical system. The motor-generator serves two purposes: It refires the engine after the standard stop/start system has shut it down during full stops, and it runs an electric supercharger that begins producing engine boost before the turbo fully spools up. There is no all-electric driving capability from this system, however.
The HSE seemed a little happier on the highway than it did around town. The P360’s torque rating is 365 lb-ft at 2000-5000 rpm, which ought to mean fairly lively getaway, but acceleration from rest sometimes felt disjointed and peaky. Engine operation was fairly quiet. As before, the transmission is an 8-speed automatic that goes about its business fairly unobtrusively. The change to the turbo straight-six improved EPA fuel-economy estimates from the 17 mpg city/23 mpg highway cited for the old engine to 19/25. We averaged just over 19 mpg during our evaluation.
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Apart from the powerplant, we more or less drove this vehicle before, as the P400e, which came with HSE equipment. Indeed, the two vehicles both had optional 21-inch alloy wheels and the same Firenze Red paint color. Our tester was a 2019 model that came without a window sticker, though prices haven’t changed much for 2020. The ’20 HSE P360 starts at $75,545 with delivery, which—among other things—buys standard all-wheel drive; a Terrain Response System with “General,” “Snow,” “Mud,” and “Sand” settings; electronically controlled independent front and rear air suspension; lane-departure warning; rear cross-traffic alert; blind-spot monitor; eight-speaker stereo; navigation; heated 16-way-adjustable premium-leather seats; 360-degree camera; hands-free power tailgate; fog lights; and a panoramic moonroof.
Two separate central touchscreens manage the comfort and convenience systems, the lower of which is primarily given over to climate settings, front seat heaters, and the like. A pair of external dials still exist to set temperatures and fan speed, which is good because response to finger taps sometimes are disappointingly slow. The upper screen manages audio, communications, and navigation.
Though 7-passenger seating is available in Range Rover Sports, this one was a 5-seat model. Four adults will fit with comfort, with room for a fifth on a stiff and slightly raised center section of the rear seat. Doors open wide for uncomplicated entry and exit, however step-in height might challenge some passengers. Driver vision is assisted by good-sized glass area and fairly thin roof pillars. Personal-item storage for front passengers includes upper and lower glove boxes, twin covered cup holders, and large door pockets. The console storage bin can be turned into an optional refrigerator compartment (which CG’s test truck had). There are smaller door pockets, hard-sided pouches on the backs of the front seats, and a pull-out armrest with two cup holders and a shallow covered compartment in the back row. Cargo loads easily onto a big, flat floor. Rear seats fold in a 60/40 split to add hauling capacity, but they don’t rest fully flat.
Once settled in with all their stuff, driver and passengers will find themselves enjoying an on-road ride that is smooth and nicely isolated from road jolts, even when equipped with the larger-diameter wheels. The Sport is wrapped in an aluminum body structure that is quiet and secure.
The mix of off-road prowess built into Land Rover/Range Rover vehicles with gracious interior appointments remains intact in the 6-cylinder Sport. The company’s customers do have to dig pretty deep to take advantage of this. Even though it powers the models at the “low end” of this product line, it’s too bad the new engine doesn’t fully match the class of the rest of the vehicle.
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Range Rover Sport HSE P360
