2016 Land Rover Range Rover Sport Td6 Diesel

The Volkswagen Group has plunged a dagger into diesel’s image, but the body is still twitching. In larger vehicles, such as this 5335-pound Range Rover Sport HSE Td6, diesel can make sense, especially when the fuel runs 80 cents or so cheaper per gallon than premium, as it was in California during our test.

Land Rover, a brand that seems to rest perennially below average in initial-quality scores but nonetheless enjoys strong sales, makes the diesel option mightily tempting. First, on 2016 models the upcharge is only $1500, whether you get the HSE (diesel base price: $72,945) or the less-frothed SE (base: $67,945). At 152 pounds, the weight penalty also is modest compared with the last gasoline V-6 Sport HSE we tested. Yes, you have to add urea for the Selective Catalytic Reduction system that mitigates smog-forming oxides of nitrogen, but the refill interval is about 10,000 miles. In the meantime, you can enjoy range of more than 600 miles between fuel-pump visits.

The Ford-sourced 254-hp 3.0-liter turbo-diesel V-6 and the eight-speed automatic transmission are superbly done, being both preternaturally quiet and relatively efficient for a permanently all-wheel-drive truck in the mastodon class. We averaged 24 mpg in mixed driving, including climbing some steep mountain grades; we recorded only 15 mpg in the gasoline Sport HSE in that earlier comparison test of four SUVs (it finished third). If you prefer the EPA apples-to-apples comparison, the diesel rates 22 mpg city and 29 mpg highway to the gasoline supercharged V-6’s 17/23. Opt for the 5.0-liter V-8 and, well, polar bears are swimming.

No doubt the Td6 shines because something like a bazillion percent of Land Rovers sold in Europe are diesels (actually, it’s 90 percent), and that’s in a diesel luxury-SUV market that is extremely competitive. The segment isn’t nearly as large here, but contenders that cross the Atlantic include the BMW X5 xDrive35d and the soon-to-arrive Mercedes-Benz 4MATIC GLE300d and GLS350d, as well as the upcoming Jaguar F-Pace. (The gasoline version of the BMW X5 was the one vehicle that the Range Rover Sport beat in that recent comparison test, but when we tested the diesel version our observed fuel economy was an even-better 25 mpg. We’re awaiting opportunity to test the new Mercedes and Jaguar models). It’s a little easier to stand out in the diesel-deluxe segment here: Sales of the Audi Q7 TDI and equivalent Porsche Cayenne diesel are “temporarily” suspended until the emissions scandal is resolved, and Volvo has “no plans” to offer us the diesel variant of its XC90.

Both outside and in, the Sport’s V-6 speaks in a soft voice, the usual clanking of high-compression ignition stifled by either lots of insulation or smart engineering or both. If you leave on the auto stop-start, which kills the engine at stoplights and in other idling situations, you get to experience the 3.0’s startup many times per trip. However, the inevitable shudder is so well-damped that most people won’t notice that it’s a diesel being re-fired.

In motion the Td6 is supremely stable and confident, the entirely non-dramatic tugboat powerplant—it’ll tow 7716 pounds—purring away in the deep background. If the driver demands warp speed now, the engine takes its best shot at responding, the go pedal quickly unlocking 443 lb-ft of torque for snap bursts, which—as is always the case with diesels—peter out as the revs rise. The Td6 effortlessly holds 80 mph on an expressway, but with a 4800-rpm redline, it is not built for sprints. The 60-mph mark falls at 7.6 seconds, and the quarter-mile comes in 15.9 seconds at 88 mph. It’s just about a dead heat with a Dodge Journey V-6, but don’t go taunting any Cayenne drivers. If you want fleetness, then you must go with gasoline, as the supercharged V-6 cuts the 60-mph time down to 5.9 seconds, with corresponding improvements to all the other acceleration metrics.

Land Rover sales have shot up in part due to energetic new designs that please the eyes and other senses. You know instantly that you’re in a luxury vehicle because it looks and feels and smells rich, down to every last perfectly tailored corner. The height-adjustable suspension gives the Sport a menacing squat in its default setting, as well as a capable lift in its off-road mode. For those planning to take all this style out onto the trails, the $1750 Extra Duty package makes sense. It includes several electronic aids, including the Terrain Response 2 menu of driving modes—and, more importantly, a two-speed transfer case. Our $84,190 test vehicle in HSE trim also had a $2800 Comfort package, an $1100 stereo, $1295 adaptive cruise control, and the inexpensive $500 panoramic roof, which is not an opening panel but a glass roof with a sliding shade.

If your mind bends toward luxury two-row SUVs, then the Sport Td6 must be on your shopping list (it's also available with a tiny third row). It might fall off for those who prioritize reliability, the last demon that Land Rover has yet to slay. Otherwise, this product comes out of the factory ready to compete.

Specifications >

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback

PRICE AS TESTED: $84,190 (base price: $67,945)

ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve diesel V-6, iron block and aluminum heads, direct fuel injection

Displacement: 183 cu in, 2993 cc
Power: 254 hp @ 3500 rpm
Torque: 440 lb-ft @ 1750 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 8-speed automatic with manual shifting mode

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 115.1 in
Length: 191.2 in
Width: 81.6 in Height: 70.1 in
Passenger volume: 108 cu ft
Cargo volume: 28 cu ft
Curb weight: 5335 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 7.6 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 21.7 sec
Zero to 120 mph: 41.2 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 8.5 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 4.0 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 5.5 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 15.9 sec @ 88 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 134 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 178 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.79 g

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 22/29 mpg
C/D observed: 24 mpg