• Range Rover Sport now SA fastest SUV
• 250km/h achieved, verified
• Turbodiesel SUV owns speed record
The Range Rover Sport is now officially the fastest production 4x4 in South Africa, a report says.
Land Rover recently used the supercharged V8-powered luxury SUV to speed through a flying kilometre at Upington Airport’s 4900m runway.
Split laser-based timing sensors confirmed an average speed of 250.62km/h for both runs completed by the 375kW off-roader. With this speed, the Range Rover Sport now holds the class record for petrol-powered SUVs.
OFF-ROAD CAPABILITIES
The most agile and dynamic member of the Range Rover family proved its mettle in Upington and lived up to its claimed top speed of 250km/h (electronically limited). However, its performance, versatility and capabilities are by no means limited, the developers say, and it remains a Land Rover product.
With Terrain Response 2, Range Rover’s signature full-time all-wheel drive, as well as selectable low-range, it also has class-leading off-road capabilities.
WATCH THE VIDEO OF THE RECORD-SETTER
Lisa Mallett, marketing and communications director at Jaguar Land Rover South Africa and for sub-Sahara Africa, said: “Thanks to its light aluminium architecture,we would go as far as saying that the Range Rover Sport is the only car in the world that can safely do 250km/h, carve up mountain passes, easily scale rocky trails, cross water as deep as 850mm, and tow a horse box.
“With that breadth of capability it really is a super car. Those abilities don’t come at the expense of luxurious Oxford leather trim, satellite navigation and a Meridian audio system.”
Joining the five-litre supercharged Range Rover Sport on the runway was its diesel-powered stablemate. With its 4.4-litre V8 turbodiesel putting out 250kW/740Nm it achieved a class record speed of 213.53km/h.
*Official record published by Motorsport South Africa.