Range Rover Sport adds 3500kg tow capacity to new six-pot engine
The shift to an in-line six-cylinder engine boosts the Range Rover Sport’s towing abilityYou're going to need a bigger boat. The Range Rover Sport – one of the most luxurious ways that you can get to and from the boat ramp – is about to add in-line six-cylinder power to its mix of engines with a higher tow capacity.
Due in Australia in July, the new range of 3.0-litre six-pot Ingenium engines will range from 294kW550Nm for the mild hybrid-engined P400 petrol model through to 258kW/700Nm for the range-topping 3.0-litre mild hybrid diesel version.
Range Rover Sport’s current line-up of 5.0-litre supercharged petrol V8s will carry over alongside the new in-line six-cylinder units, while a plug-in hybrid using Range Rover’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder Ingenium engine will provide more under-bonnet performance than the base six-pot; 297kW and 640Nm.
Range Rover has so far only revealed pricing for two P400 models due in Australia – the Range Rover Sport P400 SE ($128,206) and the Range Rover Sport P400 HSE ($144,906).
“All the engines available play to the Range Rover Sport’s high-performance character, with the new P400 petrol powering the luxury performance SUV from 0-100km/h in just 5.9 seconds,” the Tata-owned British marque said.
In contrast, the Lexus LX570’s 270kW/530Nm 5.7-litre V8 will push itself from 0-100km in around 7.0 seconds – the luxury arm of Japanese car-maker Toyota doesn’t quote times.
“With an impressive torque output of 550Nm, strong responses remain at the core of the Range Rover Sport experience and, with CO2 emissions from just 236g/km and fuel economy of up to 8.7L/100km, customers gain traditional V8 petrol performance with six-cylinder efficiency.”
The outgoing V6-engined Range Rover Sport could tow up to 3000kg for normally aspirated models, and up to 3500kg for supercharged versions, while diesel versions could tow the maximum 3500kg capacity.
The new P400 is rated at 3500kg – 1000kg more than the plug-in hybrid four-cylinder model.
According to Range Rover, the new in-line six-cylinder engine runs much smoother than the 3.0-litre V6 it replaces. It said the engine includes an electric supercharger “to deliver immediate power response” and minimise turbo lag.
The new 48-volt mild-hybrid system is built into the engine’s start-stop mechanism and can harvest electricity from the vehicle as it decelerates. This stored electricity can then be used to help the engine to minimise fuel use under load.
The new model is expected to carry over the option of Land Rover's Advanced Tow Assist package that uses a dial on the centre console to control a trailer while reversing – a handy feature for those owners who struggle to back down the boat ramp.
Tags
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
