Review: 2025 Range Rover Sport Autobiography (350PS Diesel MHEV)
A £120k rolling masterclass in comfort, competence… and questionable tyre choices
Every now and then a car turns up that makes you sit back, sip your brew, and mutter, “Well… this’ll do.” The Range Rover Sport Autobiography is one of those cars. It arrives on your driveway like an impeccably dressed but slightly smug guest who knows full well they’ve brought the fanciest wine to the party. And so they should - because with a base price just over £100k and options adding another £20k, this particular Sport costs about the same as a well-spec’d terraced house up north.
But once you start living with it, you begin to understand where the money’s gone. It’s not just the badge, or the leather, or the tech, though there’s enough of each to keep you busy screen-prodding for days. It’s the sheer effortlessness of the thing. Range Rover has always been good at making big vehicles feel small, but this generation Sport has gone above and beyond. You can tell from the moment you glide off the driveway that you’re in something a bit special.
Engine & Performance – Diesel done properly
Under that broad, square bonnet sits the Ingenium 3.0-litre, six-cylinder twin-turbocharged diesel, boosted further by a mild-hybrid system to produce 350PS and a thumping wedge of torque. And honestly? It's a peach. Smooth, quiet, refined - with a surprisingly addictive background V8-style rumble that makes you smile each time you squeeze the throttle.
Wait, a V8 rumble, from a straight-six diesel?
Yeah, that’s not the engine, that’s the stereo.
Land Rover pipes a bit of synthetic bass through the speakers to give the diesel a touch more character. And to be fair, they’ve done a good job - it’s subtle enough to feel natural, and it does add a bit of theatre to the driving experience. I quite liked it.
Performance, as expected, is brisk. Not silly, not neck-snapping, but very much “I’ll get you there swiftly, sir.” It surges rather than sprints, blending diesel torque with electric assistance to give you the kind of shove that makes overtaking a non-event.
If numbers are your thing, it’ll get you to 60mph in 5.5 seconds, and top the heady heights of 145mph.
And the economy? Borderline witchcraft. Despite weighing roughly the same as the moon, I saw 38mpg on a long motorway run. Anything over 30 in something this size is cause for celebration; mid-30s is practically a street party.
Overall it never feels strained, and the power delivery is exactly what you want in a luxury SUV: calm, muscular, and completely unbothered by hills, overtakes, or the weight of your camping gear.
On-Road Ride & Handling - It shouldn’t be this good
It has no right to handle this well. None whatsoever.
You look at it - long, wide, tall, and clearly counting its calories in tonnes rather than kilograms, and you assume it’ll wallow about like a very expensive waterbed. But the Sport has other ideas. It dives into corners like it’s been binge-watching rally footage. Body control is superb, the steering is precise, and the chassis stays impressively flat even when you’re making “enthusiastic progress.” In fact, it almost encourages you to drive a little more aggressively - though that could be just me.
The real party trick, though, is the all-wheel steering. Good grief, it makes a difference.
At low speeds it shrinks the car around you, making tight turns and car parks almost relaxing. At higher speeds it adds stability and agility that seem physically impossible for a vehicle this large and plush. You end up doing double-takes, wondering if Land Rover accidentally sent you an Evoque.
The ride quality is pure Autobiography - cushioned, controlled, and near-silent. Rarely has this much mass felt so calm and collected.
And here’s another bombshell. I enjoyed driving the ‘Sport more than I did the Bentayga. Shocking.
Interior - Wallet-draining but wonderful
Inside, the Sport Autobiography is exactly what a £120k SUV should be: a leather-wrapped lounge with a command post up front. Everything is soft, everything is solid, everything is stitched. You could blindfold yourself and still know you’re in something expensive, mainly because every surface your hand touches feels like it cost more than your last holiday.
The seats? Sublime. Supportive, heated, cooled, massaging, and electrically adjustable in more ways than the average chiropractor. You sit high, you sit comfortably, and you sit feeling like life is going pretty well.
My only issue I had with the ‘Sport is that everything is on the central touchscreen, that annoyed me. However, it’s big, clear, and fast enough that you don’t get frustrated. The digital dials are crisp. The audio system is ridiculous, one of those setups where even a mediocre Spotify playlist ends up sounding like a studio remaster. And thanks to the mild-hybrid system smoothing out stop-start and low-speed transitions, the whole cabin feels hushed and serene, like a premium spa that also does 0–60 in well under six seconds.
Practicality - Vast, Versatile, Very Expensive
It’s a Range Rover, so of course it’s practical. There’s loads of room for passengers, loads of room for dogs (preferably muddy ones), and enough boot space to carry a week’s camping kit plus the sort of “tat” you always forget to unpack.
The powered tailgate and low floor help when loading heavy gear, though the sheer poshness of the interior does make you wince slightly when you’re chucking damp wellies or a dripping tarp in the back. It will take them all in its stride, but you’ll feel judged by the carpet.
Off-Road Capability – Brilliant chassis, betrayed by its shoes
On paper, the Sport is immensely capable, in off-road mode:
Ride height: 280mm
Approach: 29.7°
Departure: 29.8°
Ramp: 26.9°
Those are serious figures, proper off-road numbers, not the decorative ones some crossovers claim. With air suspension lifted, the Sport looks ready to follow Defenders into the rough stuff, and the terrain systems, cameras, and traction control wizardry all inspire confidence.
But… and it’s a big but.
This test car came wearing very road-biased tyres, the sort of rubber that’s designed for silent motorways and camera-smooth tarmac rather than slippery tracks and axle-deep mud. So while the chassis is more than capable of tackling rough terrain, the tyres were about as helpful as wearing ballroom shoes to a fell walk.
You can feel the clever systems working overtime. It tries its best, and to be fair, it gets further than most SUVs ever will, but you know what they say: tyres maketh the off-roader.
There’s also the matter of the single-speed transfer box. High-range only. No low-range. And yes, the electronics are brilliant at compensating, but sometimes old-school mechanical gearing is still the best tool for slow, controlled crawling.
So off-road? Excellent bones, slightly hobbled by the footwear and transfer box.
Comfort – Luxury done with confidence
You don’t so much “drive” the Sport as “experience” it. It floats without wallowing. It insulates without isolating. Wind noise is minimal, road noise almost non-existent, and the diesel engine only makes itself known when you want it to.
Despite having no physical button and dials (a pet hate), the heating and ventilation are simple enough that you won’t need a degree to operate them, and visibility is surprisingly good considering how thick the pillars look from outside.
It’s one of those vehicles that makes long journeys seem shorter and short journeys seem unnecessary because you end up driving the long way home anyway.
Fuel Efficiency – Almost unbelievable
I’ll say it again, on a steady motorway run: 38mpg.
In a two-and-a-half-ton luxury SUV with twin turbos, all-wheel steering, massive wheels, and the aerodynamic profile of a brick-shaped jewel case.
Final Thoughts
The 2025 Range Rover Sport Autobiography Diesel MHEV is a confident, luxurious, deeply impressive machine that blends refinement, performance, and practicality more smoothly than almost any rival. On road, it’s brilliant. Off road, it’s fundamentally capable - but hampered by tyres that would rather be at a posh wine bar than a muddy green lane.
Still, despite its foibles, this Sport stands as one of the finest luxury SUVs on the market. If you’ve got £120k burning a hole in your pocket and you want something that can tow, travel, glide, impress, and occasionally intimidate lesser vehicles at roundabouts… then this is your car.
Just budget for a second set of proper tyres. You know, the ones meant for actual mud.
