2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport P400 HST SUV

Moving to the interior, you get the same Touch Pro Duo system which as the name suggests gets two screens. The seats are done in premium Merino leather, and there is plenty of room inside especially for the two-row model. As for the cargo space, the Range Rover Sport doesn’t disappoint either. That said, the exterior looks of the Range Rover Sport haven't changed much. Starting at $84,000, the 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport HST rivals the likes of Porsche Cayenne, Maserati Levante, and Lexus LX 570.

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport is offered in a mind-boggling seven trims and five engine options. But today, we are talking about the Range Rover Sport HST trim, which is the third trim from the bottom. It shares most of its standard features with the HSE Silver Edition trim and adds Premium Black Pack Appearance Package over that. Standard features include LED headlights with a power washer, 21-inch 9-spoke alloy wheels, red brake calipers, Windsor leather upholstery, Touch Pro Duo, heated windshield, 19-speaker Meridian Surround Sound System, Driver Pack, Park Pack, and a few more.

Optional features and packages include heated and cooled front seats for $325, 8-inch rear seat entertainment for $2,050, 23-speaker Meridian Signature Surround Sound System with 3D sound effect for $4,550, Carbon fiber exterior pack for $3,500, On/Off-Road Pack for $600, Towing Pack for $1,100, Driver Assist Pack for $4,000, heated steering wheel for $250, full-size spare wheel for $440, head-up display for $1,325, cabin air ionization with PM2.5 filter for $200, etc.

We Recommend:

As the Range Rover Sport HST is trim in itself, we don’t have much to recommend here. But we suggest adding a few optional features like the cabin air ionization, on/off-road pack, and driver-assist pack. These are the bare minimum and sufficient features to ensure your Range Rover Sport is well equipped and doesn’t miss out on must-have features.

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport HST is powered by a 3.0-liter twin-charged inline-6 engine with a 48-volt mild hybrid system. The setup puts out a healthy 395 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. All that power is transferred to a 4WD system via an eight-speed automatic transmission. The unit provides brisk and smooth performance without compromising on fuel economy. 

Those who prioritize fuel economy above performance can look at the diesel-powered variants of the Range Rover Sport. The more powerful supercharged V8s are only available on the HSE Dynamic, Autobiography, and with a higher state-of-tune, on the SVR trim. The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover SVR trim will be covered by us separately so don’t forget to check it out. 

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport is quite a heavy SUV compared to its rivals except for the Lexus LX 570. Add to that the power figure of the Range Rover Sport is the second-lowest in the segment. So you shouldn’t be surprised when the 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport does 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds and quarter-mile in 14.5 seconds which are the second-lowest in the comparison here.

The rivals come with either a 5.7-liter V8 or a turbocharged V6. The V8-powered Lexus LX 570 puts out the least 383 hp and 403 lb-ft of torque. While the Porsche Cayenne with its turbo V6 puts out the best 434 hp and 405 lb-ft of torque. As for the Maserati Levante, which also has a turbo V6 under its hood, churns out lower power but a higher torque figure compared to the Porsche Cayenne.

As for the rivals, the Porsche Cayenne S does 0-60 mph in 4.9 seconds which is the fastest in this comparison while the Maserati Levante S covers the quarter-mile in 12.0 seconds which is again the quickest in this comparison. The Lexus LX 570 remains the slowest in both 0-60 mph and quarter-mile runs.

Ride and Handling:

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport is the sportier version of the Land Rover Range Rover that stays true especially when it comes to ride and handling. The Range Rover Sport is agile through the corners with a good amount of feedback from the steering. That said, the steering weighs up well at high speed but remains light at parking speed. This makes it very much easy to maneuver this SUV.

The off-road capability and on-road manners are enviable among the 4WD off-road SUVs. The Terrain Response System that is standard across the 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport lineup can tackle all kinds of surfaces and terrain with ease. Also standard on all the models is the adaptive air suspension that ensures a cushioned ride quality.

Braking:

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport gets a 15.0-inch disc at the front and a 14.4-inch disc at the rear. It gets ABS on all four wheels. The brake bite is set on the milder side with the Range Rover Sport stopping from 60-0 mph in just under 135 feet. That’s quite a distance it takes to come to a standstill, and the 5,000 pounds plus weight adds to the problem.

As for the rivals, the Lexus LX 570 has the smallest brake sizes on offer, while the Porsche Cayenne and Maserati Levante offer similar brake rotor sizes. The lighter Porsche Cayenne manages to stop from 0-60 mph in just under 124 feet, while the heavier Maserati Levante took almost 128 feet for the same.

The 2021 Land Rover Range Sport HST has an EPA estimated fuel economy of 19 mpg in the city, 24 mpg on the highway, and 21 mpg combined. These figures are the highest among the competitors. The Range Rover Sport also has the biggest 27.6-gallon fuel tank. Combined that to the best fuel economy figures, you can expect a combined range of 579 miles from a tankful of gas.

As already mentioned, none of the rivals can beat the fuel economy figures of the Range Rover Sport. That said, the Porsche Cayenne gets close with 18/22/19 mpg of gas mileage in city/highway/combined, respectively, while the Lexus LX 570 is the least efficient with 12/16/14 mpg of gas mileage figures. When it comes to overall range, Range Rover Sport has the most whereas Lexus offers the least in the competition.

The cabin, as well as the dash, of the 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport has a very simple yet elegant design. The dash has straight parallel lines with no unnecessary curves and design elements, which is tastefully done in premium leather and a mix of wooden and metal trims. There are two screens at the center, one for the infotainment and the other below it for climate control. Land Rover hasn’t skipped on physical control, and the HVAC gets a rotary dial to control it. Further down, you get a small gear lever and a rotary dial to toggle between the drive modes. 

The Range Rover Sport offers seating for five as standard, while a child-only suited third-row can also be had as an option. The Range Rover Sport benefits from a similar size cabin as the Range Rover, so space is not an issue here. The seats are wide and comfortable with a host of adjustment settings to suit your needs. The standard roster of features includes power-adjustable front seats with heating and ventilation, power-adjustable steering column, ambient interior lighting, etc. 

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport offers 27.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats and with the rear seats folded you can increase the same to 59.5 cubic feet. Also, the rear seats can be folded in 60/40-split form to accommodate odd-size cargo/luggage items. That said, the cargo bay is well proportioned, and putting in and taking out luggage won’t be an issue here.

Since the Porsche Cayenne and the Maserati Levante don't share the cabin space figures, so we can’t make an on-paper comparison based on figures for these two cars. We do have the figures for the Lexus LX 570, and it gets the most spacious front row between it and the Range Rover Sport. As for the rear seats, it is the Land Rover Sport that beats the Lexus by a margin. 

As for the rivals, the Lexus LX 570 with 32.12 cubic feet of cargo space leads the show. The Porsche Cayenne with 27.2 cubic feet of cargo space is a shade smaller than the Range Rover Sport’s cargo area. As for the Maserati Levante, it has 20.5 cubic feet of cargo space which is the lowest among all here.

Key interior features of the 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport include:

• HST seats trimmed in Windsor leather 
• Lockable glove box
• Electrically adjustable steering column
• Metal pedals
• Ambient interior lighting
• Suedecloth steering wheel
• Cirrus Morzine headliner

Infotainment System:

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport gets a 10-inch Touch Pro infotainment system, while a similar 10-inch touchscreen sits at the bottom of it for HVAC and other functions. The Land Rover was well-intentioned to provide two touchscreens in case you wanted to use the above one for navigation and the lower one for something else. 

However, operating this setup gets challenging while piloting this 5,000 pounds SUV. Although, the overall experience with the infotainment was positive, and the system looks very modern. On the flip-side, it is a bit laggy and slow to respond, which kind of ruins the overall positive impression we were talking about earlier. Key highlights of the 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport’s infotainment include:

• 10-inch Touch Pro infotainment system
• 19-speaker Meridian Surround Sound System
• 23-speaker Meridian Signature Surround Sound System (optional)
• Navigation Pro
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto 
• SiriusXM Satellite Radio and HD Radio

The exterior design and looks of the Land Rover Range Rover Sport haven’t changed much over the years, and it has grown well over the audience with time. The front fascia, just like the interior, has a clean straight design. The grille is finished in black with a hexagonal pattern for the mesh. Lower down the bumper, there are strip fog lights. The wrap-around headlights are sleeker and full LED unit with smoke black treatment. 

On the side profile, there is a straight beltline that starts at the edge of the headlight, goes through the side of the bonnet, and finally joins the wrap-around tail light. As standard, you get 19-inch alloy wheels which are finished in gloss black. The rear sees no major changes and has been left untouched this year. The SUV weighs 5,135 lbs and stands 8.4 inches above the ground.

As for the dimensions, the Lexus LX 570 is the longest and tallest SUV, measuring 200-inches in length and 75.2-inches in height. The Land Rover Range Rover Sport is the widest SUV, measuring 87.4-inches in width, while the Maserati Levante offers the longest wheelbase of 118.3-inches. That said, the Lexus LX 570 is the heaviest SUV among all weighing 5,800 pounds. Key highlights of the 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport exterior features include:

• 19-inch alloy wheels
• Panoramic roof
• Powered tailgate
• Auto-dimming and power-folding outside rear view mirror
• Rain-sensing windshield wipers
• LED exterior lighting
• Headlight pressure washer

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport hasn’t been crash-tested by either NHTSA or the IIHS as of this writing. This is very common for luxury segment cars. Although Land Rover has kitted the Range Rover Sport with a lengthy list of standard and optional safety features. Standard safety features include eight airbags, emergency brake assist, blind-spot monitoring, speed limiter, 360-degree parking aid, driver condition monitor, etc. Highlights of safety features include:

• Electronic Traction Control
• Roll Stability Control
• Cornering Brake Control
• Traffic Sign Recognition w/ adaptive speed limiter

2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport HST vs 2021 Lexus LX 570 Two-Row

The 2021 Lexus LX 570 is a full-size luxury SUV based on Toyota Land Cruiser. It has got a big gas-guzzling V8 and a rugged chassis underneath that can take lots of abuse. Also, it has spacious front row seats and cargo area compared to Range Rover Sport. But honestly, Range Rover Sport can do all this, has better fuel economy, while having a lot of pizzazz to it. The instant celebrity status of owning a Range Rover Sport is an added plus. 

2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport HST vs 2021 Porsche Cayenne S

The Porsche Cayenne S is the king of smooth tarmac, while the Land Rover Range Rover Sport has enviable supremacy on the off-road track. Both the SUVs are meant for different purposes, and neither can do what the other does the best. Although Range Rover Sport tries to offer a powerful performance but misses out on the agility and driving pleasure of a Porsche Cayenne. But then you can never dream of taking your beloved Porsche on off-road tracks. So choose your poison wisely and as per your requirements.

2021 Land Rover Range Rover Sport HST vs 2021 Maserati Levante S

The Maserati as a brand has lost its charm and foothold in the luxury car market, and Maserati Levante when stacked against the Range Rover Sport goes on to make that even more evident. Although the Maserati Levante is powerful and fast, it is not at all fuel-efficient and practical like the Range Rover Sport. And just like the Porsche Cayenne, the Maserati Levante is also a luxury soft-roader, unlike Range Rover Sport, which is a true-blue luxury off-roader.

Offering the Range Rover Sport, Land Rover has tried to solve the conundrum of the buyers who don't want to shell out top dollars for a Range Rover but want the experience of owning and driving a somewhat similar car. The Range Rover Sport is powerful and fast with a similar amount of cabin space as the Range Rover. As for the off-roading prowess, it is equipped to the Tee for tackling all kinds of tricky terrains and tracks. But the Range Rover Sport’s overall love with the poor reliability ratings does shy away prospective buyers. So we won’t outright suggest this SUV as your primary car, but if you have a multi-car garage and are financially stable, then the celebrity status of Land Rover Range Rover Sport is worth it.