With more than 2,000 miles to cover from city to country (and then to a place beyond country), the opportunity to drive our Scotland road trip in a Range Rover Sport SDV8 Autobiography Dynamic was one not to be missed. We were kindly loaned the car for two weeks from Jaguar Land Rover with the mission to clock up some miles and experience the car in every environment that the Highlands could throw at us.
Let’s talk about the engine first; a 4.4L V8 Twin Turbocharged Diesel gives this car some serious grunt. I rarely get the chance to drive diesel engines so any old memories of them were from a bygone age. The SDV8 certainly updates any notion of slow, sluggish horsepower; 0-60 is achieved in less than seven seconds which really isn’t bad for a vehicle which has all the comforts (and real estate) of a house. Put your foot down and that acceleration, along with the torque, feels meaty and powerful. Once you hit the higher speeds, the Range Rover SDV8 will calmly cruise along any motorway with minimal effort.
The exterior of the car is classic Range Rover Sport; we had the Byron Blue Metallic Paint added to ours, as well as Gloss Black Diamond 21” Wheels, which gave the car a sleek and sporty profile. The LED headlights completed the look and, despite having the dimensions of a small house, the Range Rover still looks mean. The Autobiography Dynamic pack adds gloss black detailing to the body work, as well as a set of red brake calipers.
The interior, though, is where this SUV really comes into its own. Every single detail is well thought out and made for a purpose. The Autobiography Dynamic pack adds swathes of suede and chrome to an already spotless interior and there is a premium feel to every facet of the driver’s cockpit and beyond. The 12.3” Interactive Driver Display puts every piece of information at your fingertips, and the integration of Apple CarPlay creates a seamless experience between phone and vehicle. It was great to be able to load up a Spotify playlist and Google Maps on my iPhone, and then plug it into the Range Rover with all of that sound and information magically uploaded to the iPad-sized screen. Speaking of sound, the 825W Meridian Sound System was more than capable of filling the car with low bass and high trebles. Thanks to extremely heavy doors, the Range Rover is also very well soundproofed.
Boots size is spacious, as you would expect, and with the rear seats folded down there is more than enough space for two people under six-feet to lay down a mattress and sleep there for the night. That being said, the two front seats are fully adjustable and have all the comfort of a (slightly firm) leather armchair. Speaking of comforts, there is also a very handy fridge compartment under the centre armrest in the front of the car. Big enough to fit a few snacks or a couple of 500ml bottles, it was an absolute godsend on the road trip and even managed to keep food chilled overnight when we left it in the car. Elsewhere, the Range Rover has a panoramic sunroof that extends the full length of the car. It let it plenty of light and, at higher speeds, is a great way to let more fresh air into the car without having the windows wound down. Again, it is these perks that really make the Range Rover a fantastic choice for clocking up some serious mileage.
So that’s my round up of the Ranger Rover SDV8 Autobiography Dynamic, and it is safe to say that it is one of the most comfortable, and capable, cars that I have ever driven. If words don’t do it justice and stats is what you are after, I have listed them below;
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Range Rover Sport SDV8 Autobiography Dynamic
From: £92,215 On The Road |
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Standard Specification
· Electronic Air Suspension · 8-speed Automatic Transmission · All Wheel Drive (AWD) · Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) · Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) · ECO mode · Low Traction Launch · Electronic Traction Control (ETC) · Roll Stability Control (RSC) · Cornering Brake Control (CBC) · Hill Descent Control (HDC) · Electric Parking Brake (EPB) · Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) · Gradient Acceleration Control (GAC) · Gradient Release Control (GRC) · Roof rack mounting provisions · Heated rear window · Acoustic laminated windscreen · Rain sensing windscreen wipers · Automatic headlights · Daytime Running Lights (DRL) · LED tail lights · Follow me home lighting · Centre high mounted stop light · Rear fog lights · Headlight power wash · Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) · Locking wheel nuts · Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) · Electrical towing preparation · Front and rear recovery eyes. · Multi-function steering wheel · Sunvisors with illuminated vanity mirrors · Electric windows with one-touch open/close and anti-trap · Lockable upper and lower facia glovebox · Front and rear cupholders · Front and rear grab handles · Driver footrest · Front door storage space
Autobiography Dynamic – in addition to standard spec
· 22″ 5 split-spoke ‘Style 5004’ alloy wheels · Reduced section alloy spare wheel · Red brake calipers · Gloss Black bonnet and side vents · Gloss Black tailgate appliqué · Gloss Black bonnet and tailgate script · Gloss Black Sport badge · Gloss Black trimmed premium door handles · Black contrast sliding panoramic roof with gesture sunblind · Heated windscreen · Auto-dimming, power fold, heated door mirrors with memory and approach lights · Integrated exhaust · Matrix LED headlights with signature DRL · Front fog lights · Semi-Aniline leather seats · 22-way heated and cooled memory front seats with winged headrests with heated rear seats · Grand Black veneer · Suedecloth headlining · Leather heated steering wheel with · Chrome bezel · Electrically adjustable steering column
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· Push Button Start · Centre console with armrest · Rear centre armrest · Loadspace light · Loadspace mounting provisions · 60:40 split second row seats · Touch Pro Duo · 12.3″ Interactive Driver Display · Navigation Pro · Protect · Pro Services and 4G Wi-Fi Hotspot · InControl Apps · Remote Premium · Secure Tracker · Voice control · Power sockets · All Terrain Info Centre · Bluetooth® connectivity · Emergency Braking · Lane Departure Warning · Cruise Control and Speed Limiter · Front and Rear Parking Aid · Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) · Emergency Brake Assist · Hazard lights under braking · Intrusion sensor · Customer configurable autolock · Height adjustable seatbelts · Customer configurable single point entry · Power operated child locks · Rear ISOFIX on outer seats · Front airbags, with passenger seat occupant detector · Seat belt pre-tensioners
· Configurable Ambient Interior Lighting · Front centre console cooler compartment · Auto-dimming interior rear view mirror · Premium carpet mats · Illuminated metal treadplates with Range Rover script · Satin Chrome gearshift paddles · Bright metal pedals · 60:40 split second row seats with load through feature (ideal for long items such as skis) · Powered gesture tailgate · Three-zone Climate Control · Keyless Entry · Meridian™ Surround Sound System (825W) · Digital Audio Broadcast (DAB) radio · High-speed Emergency Braking · Blind Spot Monitor · Driver Condition Monitor · 360º Parking Aid · Clear Exit Monitor · Rear Traffic Monitor · Traffic Sign Recognition and Adaptive Speed Limiter · Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go |
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| Technical Information
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| Engine | 4.4L V8 Twin Turbocharged Diesel |
| Power Hp/rpm | 339 / 3,550 |
| Torque (Nm/rpm) | 740 / 1,750 – 2,250 |
| Transmission | Automatic |
| Capacity (cc) | 4,367 |
| Fuel Economy – WLTP
WLTP Low (TEL) mpg (1/100km) 26.7 (10.6) Consumption High (TEH) mpg (1/100km) 25.5 (11.1) Test Energy |
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| NEDCeq CO₂Emissions | 243 |
| Acceleration (secs) 0-60 mph (0-100 (km/h) | 6.7 (7.2) |
| Maximum speed mph (km/h) | 140 (225) |
OPTIONS FITTED TO THIS CAR
- Byron Blue Metallic Paint – £850
- Ebony and Eclipse Interior
- 21″ 5 Split-Spoke ‘STYLE 5007’ with Gloss Black Diamond Turned – no cost option
- Pixel-laser LED headlights with signature DRL – £1,635
- Driver Assist Pack: 360° Parking Aid, Park Assist, Clear Exit Monitor and Rear Traffic Monitor, Blind Spot Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control with Steering Assist, Driver Condition Monitor, High-speed Emergency Braking, Lane Keep Assist, Traffic Sign Recognition and Adaptive Speed Limiter – £3,300
- Tow Pack:Electrically deployable tow bar, Advanced Tow Assist and Activity Key – £1,270
