We really like the new look and design of the 2023 Range Rover Sport. It offers access to Rover’s legendary off-road capability in a modern curbside package.

With its all-new look and underpinnings for 2023, the Range Rover Sport is a beautiful and compelling luxury sport utility. It’s very British with aluminium (add the extra i) body panels and an understated capability to its luxury.

The Range Rover Sport is expensive when compared to most of its rivals, but comes with off-pavement gear that most of those options do not offer. It’s also available with four powertrains, including a plug-in option, and standard air ride suspension.

Our overall assessment of the 2023 Range Rover Sport is that if you have six figures to spend on a luxury SUV and want the best of all worlds, this one’s your best choice.

The Audi Q8 is more road-focused and sporty to drive when compared to the Range Rover Sport. If going off-road isn’t your thing and the faster-paced look of the Audi is more your style, the Q8 is a good option.

Similarly here, the BMW X5 is less about off-pavement capability and more about on-road luxury. The X5 is about on par with the Range Rover for luxury fitment, but has a more comfortable road handling feel.

The most luxurious option yet, the GLE-Class is Mercedes’ strongest competitor against the Range Rover Sport. Again, not as off-road capable, but far more posh and easier to fall in love with as a driver.

Most buyers of the Range Rover Sport are likely to be above $90,000 in purchase and are likely to be nearing six figures, all told.

The table below shows the most common trim levels and how much they will run you.

The 2023 Range Rover Sport is completely new for this model year. This marks the third generation of the Sport model. The new redesign comes with new technology, new drivetrain options, and more.

The new exterior look of the Range Rover Sport is sharper and more modern. Inside, big digital screens dominate the dashboard and promise lots of technology. Underneath the bodywork is the same off-road capability Range Rover is best known for, though dampened a bit as the Sport model is considered the more on-road version of Range Rover’s SUV lineup.

Four powertrain options include a muscular V8 and a high-range plug-in hybrid. These all include the latest version of Rover’s legendary all-wheel drive system and airbag suspension.

There are four powertrains for the 2023 Range Rover Sport. We drove the middle-road option, a turbocharged 3.0-liter six cylinder with 395 horsepower in output. The base engine is the same, but turbocharged to 355 hp. The same six is also in the plug-in hybrid model, combining with electric motors for 434 horses. Finally, the P530 First Edition models come with a turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 at 523 horsepower.

The turbo-six we drove was more than enough to make the Range Rover Sport feel well-motivated. The turbo delivery is smoother than most, offering a lot of power early in the RPM band. The smooth mild hybrid system decreases turbo lag while the transmission and all-wheel drive system make sure the wheels keep traction at all times. It’s a well-done setup that Rover has been perfecting for decades.

On the road, the air suspension does a good job of absorbing most of the pavement imperfections nicely. Few bumps transfer into the cabin. Steering, however, is less responsive and not as agile as other SUVs of similar size. At slower speeds, the off-road suspension often translates roughly into the cabin as well. That’s the price paid for good off-road performance.

Off the pavement, the Range Rover Sport, despite being “less capable” when compared to its Rover stablemates, is still more than able. It climbs and maneuvers through middle-tier off-road, just as unfinished Jeep trails and the like, without feeling quanked.

Land Rover and Range Rover vehicles rarely get crash tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The company’s sales figures are low enough that neither organization pursues testing.

The Range Rover Sport does receive high safety marks in Europe and Asia. Using those metrics, we can expect it would be considered just as safe here in North America.

When compared to other vehicles in its class, the Range Rover Sport is about average in reliability ratings. Compared to all other vehicles on the road, though, the Range Rover has lower dependability expectations and higher repair costs.

Most consumer complaints about the Range Rover Sport currently revolve around small items like door latches, infotainment screen issues, and tail lamps. So far, there are no active recalls for the Sport model.

We would recommend moving up to the P400 SE Dynamic trim level of the Range Rover Sport model. This adds the higher horsepower engine upgrade, the beautiful two-tone interior not found in the base model, and nicer exterior accenting.

For serious off-roaders, we’d also recommend the dual-range transfer case standalone upgrade. Most of the other upgrade options and packages focus on specialized convenience and aesthetic changes to the SUV.

The Range Rover Sport’s basic and powertrain warranties are just above average for the segment. Warranty coverage also includes roadside assistance and trip interruption benefits for the basic warranty duration.

• Basic: 4 years / 50k miles
• PowerTrain: 4 years / 50k miles
• Corrosion / Perforation: 6 years
• Emissions Performance: 8 years / 80k miles
• Further warranties are offered on the plug-in hybrid powertrain
• If buying used look at our best extended warranties

The 2023 Range Rover Sport is all-new, so used models will not be available for some time.

Editor's note and disclaimer: Car Talk is supported by our fans, readers and listeners. When you click on some of the links on our website, we may receive referral compensation. However, you should know that the recommendations we make are based on our independent editorial review and analyses.