The first new Range Rover Sport in nine years has been revealed, with technology and engines borrowed from its bigger sibling. First Australian deliveries are due to begin this year.

The 2023 Range Rover Sport has been revealed, ahead of its Australian launch in the fourth quarter of 2022 (October to December).

This new Range Rover Sport (codenamed L461) is the first brand-new model in nine years, and draws its styling, technologies and engines from its latest-generation, full-size Range Rover sibling.

While its styling might appear evolutionary, the new Range Rover Sport rides on Jaguar Land Rover’s (or JLR) latest MLA platform shared with its larger sibling, which promises to deliver a sharper drive, improved off-road capability and better on-road refinement.

Prices in Australia will start from $139,160 plus on-road costs for the most affordable D250 SE – up over the $120,016 of its predecessor – and are likely to span to in excess of $200,000 for flagship petrol variants, if the full-size Range Rover is any guide.

Buyers will be given a choice of up to five model grades at launch, with up to seven engine choices, comprising three diesels, two petrols – including a BMW twin-turbo V8, replacing the old Land Rover supercharged V8 – and a hi-po plug-in hybrid. An all-electric model is due in 2024.

The first cars to arrive in showrooms in late 2022 will be the diesel variants – D250 SE, D300 Dynamic SE, and D350 in Dynamic HSE, Autobiography and First Edition trims – plus the P510e plug-in hybrid, available in a sole Dynamic HSE trim from $198,100 plus on-roads.

Six petrol-powered variants – P360 SE, P400 Dynamic SE and Dynamic HSE, and P530 (V8) Dynamic HSE, Autobiography and First Edition – will arrive in showrooms en masse from early 2023, though a limited run of unique P530 First Editions will open for orders this year.

Inside, some or all variants will score a 13.1-inch Pivi Pro curved touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 13.7-inch digital instrument display, heated, cooled and massaging seats, and plush leather upholstery.

Digital LED headlights with 1.3 million micromirrors are available, while under the skin highlights include rear-wheel steering (with 7.3 degrees of rotation), 48-volt active anti-roll bars, adaptive air suspension, and a Terrain Response 2 off-road system.

For full details on the 2023 Range Rover Sport line-up, see the subheadings below. A full list of standard features is at the bottom of this story.

The new Range Rover Sport might look similar to its predecessor, however nearly all body panels appear new – underpinned by a new platform.

Key styling difference to look out for on the road include a slimmer front grille, sporty new lower front air intake design, smoother surfacing with pop-out door handles, a full-width black bar across the tailgate integrating the tail-lights, simplified badging, and alloy wheels up to 23 inches across.

‘Dynamic’ variants add unique front and rear bumper detailing, Satin Burnished Copper and body-coloured accents, satin grey alloy wheels, and Matte Graphite Atlas grey badging. Two-tone paint is available, with a black roof.

Matrix LED headlights are standard-fit, with Digital LED headlights available on higher grades, which incorporate 1.3 million micro-mirrors for greater long-range vision and the ability to blank off part of the light beam in order to prevent dazzling other drivers.

Much like its larger sibling, a 13.1-inch touchscreen takes centre stage in the front of the new Range Rover Sport, running JLR’s latest Pivi Pro software with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, over-the-air updates, Amazon Alexa, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and a ‘Hey Land Rover’ voice assistant.

Placed in front of the driver is a 13.7-inch digital instrument cluster – the largest ever in a Land Rover, matching the full-size Range Rover – joined by a colour head-up display showing key information.

Front occupants are treated to 22-way power-adjustable seats with winged headrests, heating, ventilation, memory and massaging, while at the rear “ergonomically optimised seat geometry” enables increased legroom and kneeroom.

Upholstery options range from sustainable options including single- or two-tone ‘Ultrafabrics’ textiles – with certain choices specific to Dynamic models – to grained, Windsor or semi-aniline animal-derived leather.

Land Rover’s media materials highlight textile rear speaker covers (for a cleaner look), ‘hidden until lit’ touch controls, and redesigned front door panels and pillars for improved visibility – though Range Rover Sport drivers sit 20mm lower than those in full-size Range Rovers, and grip a smaller steering wheel.

In the rear, a pair of 11.4-inch screens on the seat backs can be optioned, as part of second-row seats that sit 11mm higher than the fronts, and offer 17mm more kneeroom, 31mm more legroom and a lower “heel drop” than the outgoing Range Rover Sport.

Available technology throughout the cabin includes one of three Meridian sound systems with 15, 19 or 29 speakers, active noise cancellation (which records road noise, reverses the sound and plays it through speakers in the headrests), and a cabin air purification system with a PM2.5 filter and Nanoe-X tech said to be “97 per cent effective in eliminating viruses, bacteria and pollutants”.

Other highlights include a panoramic sunroof, ventilated power-reclining rear seats, four-zone climate control, 30-colour ambient cabin lighting, a 15-watt wireless charging pad, a ClearSight digital rear-view mirror, and seven USB-C ports.

The new Range Rover Sport measures in at 4946mm long, 2209mm wide (including mirrors) and 1820mm high, with a 2997mm wheelbase – 67mm longer overall and 17mm taller than its predecessor, with a 74mm longer wheelbase.

Land Rover quotes 835 litres of boot space with the rear seats up, expanding to 1860 litres with them folded – aided by a new boot floor partition that “makes greater use of the space available”.

Storage compartments throughout the cabin include an open area under the centre console, a covered area for the front cupholders, larger door pockets, and a refrigerator in the centre console good for chilling four 500ml bottles to five degrees Celsius.

First to reach Australia will be three diesel engines and a plug-in hybrid, followed by three petrol engines in 2023. An all-electric model is due globally in 2024.

A select number of P530 First Edition petrol models – with the twin-turbo V8 – will reach Australia this year as a “collector’s offering”, though details and prices are yet to be confirmed.

This V8 has been borrowed from German giant BMW, spelling the end of Jaguar Land Rover’s characterful 5.0-litre supercharged ‘AJ’ petrol V8. The BMW mill is expected to power the upcoming SVR flagship. 

All engines drive all four wheels through eight-speed automatic transmissions, with the six-cylinder models adding a 48-volt mild-hybrid system with an electric ‘supercharger’. 

Fuel economy for all models is boosted by a 15 per cent reduction in the drag coefficient (0.29Cd) over the outgoing Range Rover Sport, through a contoured underbody, flush window glazing and handles, a larger roof spoiler, and a laser-welded roof panel.

Specifications for all models are included in the table below.

The Sport’s P510e plug-in hybrid system is comprised of a 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-six petrol engine and a 105kW electric motor, fed by a large battery pack with 31.8kWh of net capacity (or 38.2kWh gross). 

It’s capable of up to 125km of claimed electric range – albeit measured according to the ultra-lenient NEDC lab testing cycle – at a top speed of up to 140km/h.

Switch the petrol engine on and Land Rover claims a 5.4-second dash from 0-100km/h, towards a top speed of 242km/h. Up to 740km of “real-world” driving range is claimed, combining petrol and electric power.

DC fast charging at up to 50kW allows for a zero to 80 per cent recharge in less than an hour. 7.2kW AC home charging and brake regeneration are also available.

Three hybrid-specific drive modes are available: Hybrid (which combines petrol and electric for maximum efficiency), EV (all-electric power), and Save (which holds battery charge at a certain level for a later point in the journey).

Under the skin, the new Range Rover Sport rides on Jaguar Land Rover’s latest MLA Flex platform – shared with the full-size Range Rover – claimed to deliver a 35 per cent increase in torsional stiffness. 

Towing capacity is rated at 3500kg in petrol and diesel models, or 3000kg in the plug-in hybrid, aided by an Advanced Tow Assist function which aids reverse parking with a trailer.

Two-chamber adaptive air suspension (with Bilstein dampers) is standard across the range, capable of lowering by 16mm at high speeds for improved aerodynamics, or increasing to maximise capability off road.

Pre-emptive functionality allows the suspension to adjust its firmness to anticipate corners – using navigation data – or automatically switch to its stiffest Dynamic mode if an imminent collision is detected.

Rear-wheel steering is standard on the P510e hybrid and P530 V8, which can rotate up to 7.3 degrees in the same or opposite direction to the front wheels, cutting the turning circle to 10.95 metres – similar to a small hatchback.

Like its larger sibling, a 48-volt anti-roll control system is on offer, which can apply up to 1400Nm to the anti-roll bars to keep the vehicle flat through corners, or decouple the sway bars entirely for increased off-road articulation.

Other chassis highlights include a customisable Dynamic mode, launch control for the V8, full-time variable all-wheel drive (with a centre clutch pack), an electronic rear differential (which can lock the torque split 50:50 across the rear axle), and torque vectoring by braking.

Most of the above features are bundled into a Stormer Handling Pack – named after the original 2004 concept that previewed the first Range Rover Sport – that’s standard on the P510e and P530 from launch, and will become available on other six-cylinder models in 2023.

Land Rover’s Terrain Response 2 system is standard, capable of detecting the car’s surroundings and adapting to the terrain it’s on.

It incorporates four ‘custom’ terrain profiles, allowing drivers to select one of three levels for the differentials, powertrain calibration, steering weight, traction control, and suspension.

There’s a four-mode off-road adaptive cruise control system capable of “sensing the ground conditions and automatically fine-tuning the speed of the vehicle to maintain stability,” Land Rover says, which “[analyses] body tilt, roll, pitch and yaw rates to automatically determine the optimum speed to maintain control”.

The air suspension system can lift the vehicle by 135mm for up to 15 seconds “when wheel slip is detected”.

Land Rover quotes 281mm of ground clearance under petrol and diesel models, or 274mm for the PHEV, with maximum articulation of 546mm and 528mm respectively.

Off-road angles are rated at 33 degrees approach (or 29.7 degrees for the Dynamic model), 26.9 degrees breakover (or 24.5 degrees in the PHEV), and 30 degrees departure. Maximum wading depth sits at 900mm.

Standard safety features across the range include autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control with steering assist, driver attention monitoring, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic parking, and traffic sign recognition.

There’s also a 360-degree camera with a 3D view and front and rear parking sensors, plus an automated lane change system activated by the indicators, and a remote parking function allowing drivers to move the vehicle forward or back from their phone while standing beside the car.

The 2023 Range Rover Sport is due in Australian showrooms in the fourth quarter of 2022, with diesel and plug-in hybrid models to launch first.

Orders for a limited run of P530 First Edition petrols are set to open in the third quarter of 2022 (July to September), ahead of the entire petrol range’s launch in 2023.

Full pricing and specification lists are included below.

Note: All prices above exclude on-road costs.

A wide array of option packs are available – full details are available on Land Rover's website.

Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines as a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family.

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Copyright Drive.com.au 2022ABN: 84 116 608 158

Copyright Drive.com.au 2022ABN: 84 116 608 158

DAP Pricing– Unless otherwise stated, all prices are shown as Manufacturer's Recommended List Price (MRLP) inclusive of GST, exclusive of options and on road costs.