Full scale production begins on new Range Rover Sport
FULL production gets under way today on Jaguar Land Rover’s latest new product, the all-new Range Rover Sport.
The Indian-owned company has invested millions of pounds in new productions facilities at its Solihull plant so that output for the Sport and its all-new sister, the flagship Range Rover, can reach 95,000 units a year.
However, the company’s global growth intentions are illustrated by ongoing development of the Lode Lane site which will see the all-new aluminium body plant which has been specially commissioned for the two new vehicles mirrored in a new factory elsewhere on the site.
The new plant will have the capacity to double production volumes to nearly 200,000 for these two marques alone.
A private briefing to motoring journalists by the company to mark the start of Sport production will also see the company’s new engine plant at the i54 site near Wolverhampton eventually producing a new four cylinder power unit for the Sport.
The all-new design of the Sport, which includes a weld-free all aluminium monocoque body, means the completed vehicle is 39% – or 420kg – lighter than the outgoing model. This not only makes the new vehicle more agile but it is capable supporting both a four cylinder engine as well as new diesel hybrid, likely to be available from next year.
JLR has high hopes for the new vehicle, launched in a blaze of publicity at the New York Motor Show in March.
The launch was carefully chosen as Manhattan remains the model’s largest single market, although the firm has high hopes for the Sport in new markets such as China and Russia, while dealers from across Europe and the sub-Saharan area of Africa have also been given a glimpse of the new vehicle.
While it has been developed alongside the Range Rover and shares some commonality with its sister vehicle, the all-new Range Rover Sport benefits from 75% unique parts, a significant number of which JLR says will directly influence the way the new Sport looks and feels.
At launch, the new Sport will have a choice of four engines – two supercharged petrol engines (5.0-litre 510PS V8 and the new 3.0-litre 340PS V6) and two diesel engines (3.0-litre 258PS TDV6 and 292PS SDV6). The powertrain line-up will be expanded later this year by the addition of a high performance 4.4-litre 339PS SDV8 diesel version.
