Range Rover Sport Dark Edition

Range Rover Sport Dark Edition | Test Drive

20 March 2025 Redazione News, Stories, Tested

Its on road behavior is that of a large sedan, a now extinct species because SUVs like these are increasingly capable of excelling in apparently distant situations such as asphalt and gravel. Or rather, let’s be precise, because no one does it like a Range Rover, as long as you are not afraid of dirtying this shiny black body or the enormous 21-inch wheels.

Words Andrea Albertazzi / Photos Alessio Becker

We tested both new Range Rovers over the past year and the office’s preference was essentially divided between the two sides, tending to exalt one rather than the other for a mere question of gut feeling. I have always been among those who have carried the flag of the Sport version, without for this reason hiding behind those exorbitant powers that in the top portion of the price list mark 530, 550 and even 635 horses. No, the word Sport – at least on a gigantic two and a half ton SUV – comes more as a characterization, an aesthetic accent that outlines a sportier image, while maintaining intact the three golden characteristics of any latest-generation Range Rover: comfort, luxury and those off-road skills that will try in every way to dent the immaculate dress of a car that with only a couple of optional features has no trouble exceeding the one hundred thousand Euro threshold.

The model I have here is called Dark Edition and as you may have guessed it doesn’t take much imagination to understand that it is a version characterized by dark shades. Body in Santorini Black, tinted windows and 21-inch burnished wheels. It is a huge black spot with a gargantuan panoramic (and opening) glass roof, a magnet for the suffocating heat of these weeks, if only it weren’t for the fact that the passenger compartment really is the ideal place to get through the months of July and August. Air conditioning strictly set to 18.5° and the apparent heat is something to leave to those who stay outside, or even better to those who stay in the city.

After spending the canonical test weeks using the RR Sport for every possible commute, I decide to disrupt the photographer’s plans and set aside an off-road context for once. Too obvious, already done and to tell the truth, I really want to understand how much the Range Rover Sport knows how to dress up as a traveler. From the habitability side there are no surprises, given that we are talking about a car almost 5 meters long (495 cm), 2 wide and 1.82 high. Once on board there is room for five adults and for an unlimited amount of luggage, with the proverbial possibility of lowering the height of the loading platform, very useful when dealing with heavy objects. The leather interior is then obviously equipped with dual-zone climate control, heated seats and numerous compartments for storing all sorts of objects, even large ones. Let’s not forget the charging shelf for smartphones and the double drawer in front of the front passenger.

This is the outline, what makes life on board comfortable while using two digital displays, the one in front of the driver’s eyes, slightly inclined and perfectly customizable and the one in tablet style, a very reactive and intuitive 13.1 inches, from which you can control all parameters of the car. With all I mean connectivity, navigation, multimedia, info of all kinds, but also climate and the super efficient Terrain Response 2, these last two items perhaps less comfortable than they would be in the form of physical buttons. But then again, this is the trend and so, on the central tunnel we only have space for the ignition button and the large automatic gear lever.

Given its generous dimensions, the Range Rover Sport moves around the city with the necessary caution that a car of this type requires. Practical when it happens to climb onto a sidewalk to go around an obstacle and more challenging at a very busy intersection during rush hour traffic. The positive side is that you will govern the situation from above, at least as long as you do not prefer to advance with the ground clearance reduced to its minimum; which also simplifies access, especially for those who are not on the national basketball team. Once on board, the outside world is a muffled and distant backdrop. I start the engine, a 3-liter turbodiesel equipped with Mild-Hybrid technology and ready to deliver 249 horsepower and up to 600 Nm of torque. The engine is always very quiet – the soundproofing of the cabin accentuates this quality – but when you ask for more power than usual you are favorably surprised by a sound that is very reminiscent of that of a petrol V8. And we are talking about an in-line 6-cylinder diesel, do not forget that.

Carrying 2,390 kg, do not expect a drag-strip acceleration, just enough to get out of trouble without regretting having chosen this specific engine. The power is more than enough, especially considering that the air suspension rewards a relaxed ride, an aspect also underlined by the pronounced shoulder of the tires. In fact, despite having 21-inch rims, the side view could make you believe you have smaller wheels precisely because of a 50-inch shoulder. An aesthetic situation that becomes thinner when the suspensions go down to the minimum possible run.

Speaking of this, away from the motorway – a scenario in which the Sport proves capable of gobbling up hundreds of kilometers like an elephant would with its peanut breakfast – the Terrain Response 2 proves once again exceptional, allowing fords of up to 90 cm, a maximum travel (of the suspension) of 28 cm and the ability to adapt predictively to the type of terrain, confirming the usefulness of the numerous cameras scattered around and essential even when parking. On secondary roads you always have to pay attention to the dimensions you carry, but once the climb towards the hairpin bends of the Col des Champs begins I realize that size and weight are never a problem for the RR Sport.

The diesel engine is smooth and the automatic transmission manages the 8 speeds independently without ever needing to act on the paddles on the steering, or on the lever itself, also useful for setting it to Sport and therefore maintaining a higher number of revs. The 600 Nm of torque are obviously the strong point of this 3.0cc, making it full-bodied and vigorous, but far from thirsty. In this regard, despite an 80-liter tank, it is possible to travel almost 600/650 km with a full tank. The differences with other SUVs are evident at any time and in any circumstance. Starting from an apparently refreshed look at the front, but profoundly revised at the rear (compared to the previous generation), the RR Sport continues to be in a category of its own, because it combines comfort and on-board luxury on par with the Bentley Bentayga, with the possibility of leaving the asphalt and climbing even far from the map. The only condition? Don’t be afraid to hurt it, because the Range doesn’t know what surrender means.

The Dark Edition trim embraces the same definition of Sport, where an aesthetic blackening helps to blend the lines and attract a younger audience, even if it wasn’t really needed. Yes, because Range Rover has largely established how much it is the king of the jungle, a cut above any SUV and that’s precisely why I believe that a diesel engine is perfect for 98% of potential customers, since it can do everything it needs and way more than that. At this point, having three hundred more horsepower would be something superfluous, providential only for those who want to show off their road supremacy and perhaps accompany every powerful acceleration with the roar of the V8 and the smell of petrol that soon becomes a distant memory. In the real world, whether it’s the street of a trendy neighborhood or a trail that runs along the side of a mountain, this is the SUV you’ll want to grip the steering wheel of.