Range Rover Sport

The Range Rover Sport is a full-size luxury sport utility vehicle (SUV) produced by Land Rover since the summer of 2005. It shares its platform with the Land Rover Discovery (LR3 in North America) rather than the larger Range Rover. Land Rover calls the vehicle a sports tourer. It slots below the Discovery/LR3 in size and has seating for five. The top-level Sport is powered by a supercharged 390PS (287kW/390hp) 4.2L AJ-V8, making it the second most powerful vehicle in the company's history except for the larger Range Rover Vogue SE supercharged (450bhp (340kW), 420lb·ft (569N·m)). A normally-aspirated 4.4L version is available with 300PS (220kW/295hp) [1]. Due to lack of popularity the normally aspirated V8 was dropped from the UK market in 2007, leaving the supercharged model as the sole Petrol (Gasoline) model on sale, which has a top speed standing at an electronically limited 130mph (209km/h). It has Brembo brakes at the front to improve stopping distances due to the unusually heavy weight (5,866lb (2,661kg)) of the vehicle. The TDV6 turbodiesel engine of 190hp (140kW) is available outside the North American market as is the 272hp (203kW) TDV8. Competitors include the Cadillac Escalade, Mercedes-Benz GL450, Infiniti QX56, Hummer H2, Lincoln Navigator, and Toyota Land Cruiser.[citation needed] [[All models have six-speed automatic transmissions and fuel capacities of about 18.5impgal (84L; 22US gal) gallons.[2] The Premier Automotive Group claims the Range Rover Sport can wade 70cm (27.6in) of water.

Controversy

The Range Rover Sport made the Premier Automotive Group the target of a protest by Greenpeace in 2005. The protesters infiltrated an assembly facility and temporarily delayed production of the vehicle. Greenpeace quoted issue with contributions to greenhouse gas emissions, and by extension, global warming, that would result from the vehicle's inefficient combustion of hydrocarbons. The United States Environmental Protection Agency estimates for the non-supercharged car are 14mpg-US (17L/100km; 17mpg-imp) (combined). Although, it must be noted that for this test the EPA used their newly calibrated system for 2008 and on.