Land Rover has put a new motor in the 2010 Range Rover Sport Supercharged. As before, the force-fed V8 is shared with the Jaguar line, but with 5.0 liters of displacement, it's much more in step with the motivational needs of a nearly 3-ton SUV than the old 4.2-liter engine. Horsepower swells from a mere 390 to a whopping 510, while torque climbs from 410 to 461.
These are big numbers, so we couldn't resist the opportunity to compare the 2010 Land Rover Range Rover Sport Supercharged to the current reigning performance champ in the SUV kingdom, the 2010 BMW X5 M. Keep in mind this isn't a straight-up comparison. The vehicles weren't tested on the same day, and they have different personalities. The BMW is set up to give you maximum performance on the street, whereas the Land Rover is still aiming for some nebulous middle ground. Sure, it comes with a potent engine and summer tires, but it's still lugging around enough off-road hardware for a weekend run from Paris to Dakar. So this comparison is just for fun, OK?
For those keeping score, the 2010 Range Rover Sport Supercharged has a $74,195 base price with destination. Our tester had rear-seat entertainment ($2,500), adaptive cruise control ($2,000), upgraded wheels ($1,000), extended leather ($1,000), a 360-degree camera ($800), a locking rear differential ($500) and HD radio ($350).
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