2008 Range Rover Sport review (TDV8)

“Almost as quick as its supercharged sibling, but with staggeringly low fuel consumption, the Range Rover Sport TDV8 has been graced with one of the finest diesel engines on the planet”

Options fitted: This particular test vehicle was a tad overloaded with options.

• Sunroof - $3000 (should be standard)
• Personal telephone Integration System - $2,500 (over the top expensive and available through many portable Sat Nav systems)
• Premium Navigation System - $6,100 (over the top – buy a MIO C720 portable Sat Nav for less than $700 – it’s a faster processor than most in car systems.
• Metallic Paint - $1500 (unfortunately a necessity on any Range Rover variant)
• Active Cruise Control - $5000 (not tested)
• Rear seat entertainment (DVD, audio etc) - $5,500 (over the top)
• Front Park distance control - $850 (too expensive and should be standard on an SUV of this calibre
• Television System - $1,500 (I’d go for this –especially if you spend your life as a taxi for kids)
• Powerfold mirrors - $850 (should be standard)
• Console cooler box – $750 (OK but it’s too small)
• Memory pack for driver’s seat and mirrors - $1,100 (don’t bother)
• Adaptive headlights - $1,000 (if you drive a lot at night)
• Premium ICE - $1950 – (I like my music and Range Rover have a history of top shelf sound systems, usually Harmon Kardon
• Tow bar pack - $500 (yep)
• Active Rear Diff - $1000 (only if you like to go off road and I don’t mean dirt tracks)
• 20’ Alloy wheels - $2700 (100% yes – you’ll like it even more)

Where it sits: The Range Rover Sport TDV8 is exactly the same price as the petrol powered V8, but god only knows why you would opt for that variant. It may as well be deleted from the range!

Entry level into a Range Rover Sport is a fair and reasonable $87,900 for the TDV6, which goes well enough and is kind to your wallet. Above the TDV8 is the V8 Supercharged at $136,900, a favourite of ours. When that Supercharger starts singing, it’s nothing short of intoxicating for us petrol heads, but its thirst for premium fuel, could leave OPEC short of a barrel or two.

How the Land Rover guys are able to extract 200kW of power and a monstrous 640Nm of torque from a diminutive 3.6-litre V8 diesel is a complete mystery to me.