The third generation of the Range Rover Sport, which is scheduled for 2022 launch, has already come out for a series of tests – and was immediately spotted by the omnipresent car photographers.
Despite the seemingly impervious camo wrap, some conclusions can still be made. For one, the car seems to maintain its basic proportions while becoming more like the Range Rover Velar with respect to smaller details. No revolutionary changes are to be expected at any rate: the boldly redesigned Range Rover Discovery is a prime example of why you should leave good enough alone sometimes. In 2016, the ‘outdated’ fourth generation of the Discovery SUV sold 49,000 units, surpassing its successor’s 43,000 units in 2017 and 2018 and dismal 36,000 units in 2019. The Range Rover Sport found 82,000 buyers last year, making it into the marque’s bestseller list. If anything, the automaker would be suicidal to attempt giving it a major makeover.
The new Sport range comes based on the MLA (Modular Longitudinal Architecture), which all Jaguar Land Rover with longitudinal engine mounting will switch to over the next few years. The MLA platform has been designed to be versatile, in terms of both supported car body styles and powertrains.
The new Range Rover Sport family will ship with several in-house-designed Ingenium I4 and I6 engines to choose from. It remains unclear whether any of the BMW-made V8 engines will be available. It will also come out in mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions, but not as a BEV.