The all-new Range Rover Sport is still, according to reports, not that sporty to drive, despite being lighter, faster and sharper than ever. It is then an improvement over its predecessor, but when it comes to its on-road behavior, tests suggest it still trails sharper, more focused machines of similar stature, like the Porsche Cayenne, which along with the BMW X5, are the class benchmarks for SUV handling on-road. While it may be common knowledge that Porsche’s SUV is among the best to drive in its class, we don’t think that many people associate it with acceptable off-road capabilities, even though it has them, as it was envisaged from the start to be more than just an autobahn cruiser, like the X5. The comparison was made by Autocar’s Steve Sutcliffe, who pitted the Range Sport Supercharged against a Cayenne Turbo, driving them on track, on the road and off it.
By the end of the test, despite the fact that the Cayenne proved to be just as capable as the Range off-road (despite having the wrong tires), while being better on road in every respect, he calls the test a tie, arguing that it’s a matter of choice: one feels like a proper sports car on stilts, which can also go off-road, while the other is an evolution of the Range Rover Sport we are familiar with – if you liked the previous model, then it’s for you.
Nevertheless, after having seen this test, I’m all the more convinced by the Cayenne’s capabilities, and no matter what the video says at the end, I found that these two cars are not tied, and the all-aluminum British SUV is a highly-competent, but not class-leading vehicle.
By Andrei Nedelea
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