The Rangie Sport Auto-bio Brings the “Sport” Back to SUV

Let’s be honest, when was the last time you really thought about what “SUV” stands for? You know, the Sports Utility Vehicle bit? Most of these family haulers have gotten a bit soft around the edges, favoring luxury over actually being useful. Well, not the new Range Rover Sport Autobiography. This brute remembers its roots and puts a boot firmly back into the Sports camp.

Under the bonnet lies a 3.0-litre twin-turbo hybrid inline-six that kicks out a proper 510 horses and 700Nm of twist. Mash the go-pedal and this big girl will outrun a hot hatch to 60mph in just 5.3 seconds. The handling pack with rear-wheel steering, torque vectoring, and air suspension keeps it all nicely tied down when you’re flinging it into corners too.

On a proper road trip up to Snowdonia, the butch Rangie devoured highways and mountain roads with equal aplomb. The different driving modes let you switch from eco-box to hooligan mode at the twist of a dial. In Dynamic, the roar from the exhaust reminded us that yes, this is still very much a SPORTS utility vehicle.

But don’t think Land Rover has forgotten about the utility part either. The sculpted design looks fantastic in that green paint, and the full-width light bar at the rear is well trick. Inside, you get massage seats, a cracking Meridian sound system, and a huge panoramic sunroof. The boot still swallows 647 litres of gear as well.

The best bit? Despite having the grip and go to shame plenty of sports cars, the Range Rover Sport Autobiography still rides sublime even on rubbish British roads. This really is one of the most complete all-rounders money can buy. An SUV that remembers what all those letters stand for – brilliant.