2019 Range Rover Sport's New High-Tech Inline-Six Struggles to Impress (2024)

The 2019 Range Rover Sport is the first Jaguar Land Rover product to receive the company's new turbo- and supercharged 3.0-liter inline-six engine. Everything about the new powerplant had us hoping it would provide the performance that has been sorely missing from the entry-level Sport model. On paper it should have; in reality, it doesn't.

The new engine is an inline-six, an inherently smoother configuration than a V-6. It employs both a turbocharger to boost high-rpm power and an electric supercharger that can spin up to speed almost instantly to provide immediate low-rpm grunt that's supposed to help the Sport step off from rest with authority. The new engine utilizes a 48-volt electrical system and a small 0.2-kWh lithium-ion battery to drive a motor-generator, which delivers nearly seamless engine restarts from the standard stop-start system. A regenerative braking system recaptures energy and feeds it to the battery. This mild-hybrid system, however, does not enable driving on electric-only power.

This new powerplant comes in two output levels: a P360 variant making 355 horsepower and 365 lb-ft of torque, and a higher-output version producing 395 horses and 406 lb-ft, code-named P400. The lesser unit is standard in the Sport's SE and HSE trim levels, while the HST model tested here comes only with the uplevel six. Our test vehicle also was loaded with extras that boosted its $84,245 base price to an as-tested $105,170. It lacked for no safety, audio, or comfort features save for massaging seats. As equipped, our test car was hunkered down on optional 22-inch all-season tires and looked ready to rip off a quick lap of the Nürburgring. Inside, it's indulgently luxurious, with almost every surface covered in supple, pimento-red and black leather or synthetic suede.

Deceiving Looks

But the proof is in the driving, and that experience is less than inspiring. Objectively, the new engine brings no improvement in performance, despite gains of 55 ponies and 74 lb-ft of torque over the supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 it replaces. Compared to the last Range Rover Sport V-6 we tested, the new HST's 6.0-second zero-to-60-mph time is a tenth slower and the same as a proletarian Honda Pilot's. The Range Rover's meager 0.81 g of cornering grip is on par with the Honda's as well. Forget sporty SUVs such as the Mercedes-AMG GLC43 coupe, BMW X5 xDrive40i, and Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio, as their performance humbles the HST for tens of thousands less. Fuel economy, if anyone purchasing a six-figure SUV really worries about that, has improved slightly. Both the P360 and P400 variants better the old supercharged V-6's EPA city, highway, and combined fuel economy ratings by 2 mpg, although our 5384-pound test car (201 pounds heavier than our last V-6 Sport) averaged just 16 mpg during its time with us.

That the new inline-six is smoother than we remember the Sport's old V-6 being is a welcome improvement. But any hope for around-town peppiness evaporates with the first push of the throttle. Every driver who sampled the HST returned with the same indictment: Off the line, it feels drugged. Then, at about 3000 rpm, a gush of unwanted power suddenly arrives, forcing you to backpedal the throttle abruptly lest the beast run away. This is not the swift, seamless driving experience the Range Rover Sport deserves.

Or maybe it is. The HST serves up a surprisingly soft ride, comfortable rather than sharp-edged handling, and lots of deep-plush luxury. An engine with a sleepy, quiet demeanor is actually quite fitting here, even if it is a disappointment.