2013 Land Rover Range Rover Sport Reviews

The 2014 Range Rover Sport range is:

In the course of a few crowded hours one afternoon this week we charted the extremes of the passenger vehicle spectrum.Leaving the smooth tarmac of South Wales we swept along gravel surfaces that could belong to a stage of the World Rally Championship. There followed a dissection of B to C hardtop that could hardly have been incised more sharply in a roadster.Then, on England's original off road torture ground, we descended a slope so towering and precipitous that it can't be walked. That behind us, we sauntered to day's end along the motorway at 150km/h, the supercharged V8 barely ticking over.  The next day we drove up into, through and out of a 747. But that's another story. All of this was accomplished in one vehicle (and on one type of tyres).The top line variant of Range Rover's new Sport is a polymath, a renaissance figure, one whose breadth of fully realised abilities should not be possible in a single SUV. There are undoubtedly rivals that perform some or even most of the Sport's feats, some of these with marginally more competence.None bring off the lot with the Sport's all-pervading sense of driver cosseting ease. The second generation Sport needed to stand further apart from its senior sibling than did the first. It does so and writes its own ticket for any form of journey you care to undertake.On sale in November, prices are up by some one per cent for an altogether better car. The turbo diesel line-up starts at $102,800 for the TDV6 SE, powered by a 190kW/600Nm 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6. The SDV6, with a 215kW version of that engine, is $113,600. The higher spec HSE is $125,800 and the flagship Autobiography $145,500.If diesel doesn't do it for you, the HSE grade also comes as a 250kW/450Nm 3.0-litre supercharged petrol V6 for $123,100. The gloriously excessive 375kW/625Nm 5.0-litre supercharged V8 is $161,600 in HSE Dynamic grade and $182,400 as Autobiography Dynamic.It's a gaping price range for what is essentially a variant of the Range Rover "proper" (the previous Sport was built off Land Rover Discovery underpinnings) yet in keeping with the diversity of this Rangie's range. The base car, which is priced at the level of an over optioned Evoque, gets as standard 19-inch alloys, leather trim, six-way driver and four-way passenger electrically-adjustable front seats, rear parking sensors with rear camera, dual-zone climate control, and eight-inch touchscreen with hard disc drive and satellite navigation.To that the spicier SDV6 adds high- and low-range gearing, adaptive suspension, Terrain Response and 20-inch alloys. It's here that the Sport lineup really begins. HSE spec chucks in paddleshifters, xenon headlights, nicer leather, yet further adjustable front seats and steering column, aluminium tread plates and front parking sensors.The fully blinged Autobiography raises the player's game to 21s, high-beam assist, 18-way electrically-adjustable front seats, front seat cooling and heating, mood lighting, centre console fridge and Meridian audio. The V8 Supercharged variants cop amazingly enabling dynamic suspension and torque vectoring with an active rear locking differential. Elsewhere it adds $8100.Indeed, in keeping with being a serious rival to top end BMW X5s and Porsche Cayennes, the Rangie doesn't stint on big priced options - try $1420 for the blind spot monitor that can had on a $50K Commodore, $3,200 for climate control and an outrageous $4200 for premium metallic paint. Transforming this five seater SUV to seven costs a further $3700 for all grades. A hybrid diesel is en route.There's so very much of this, a tech four de force. Yet the Sport's coolest aspect is in rendering you largely ignorant that this vast battery of trickery is at work. It's this seamlessness - from the eight speed ZF auto to big brained automatic terrain selector - that makes the Sport the luxury vehicle of the 2013.Yet possibly the most impressive aspect is what's not there; as much as 420kg and at least 230kg in weight saved over the previous model, reducing acceleration times and fuel figures alike, an equation in which the all aluminium platform is chief denominator. The drive enhancements take the Sport, indeed Land Rover a whole, into a new realm.Retaining and even enlarging upon Land Rover's traditional offroad competencies, the Sport thoroughly deserves that much abused appellation. The steering is direct at three turns lock to lock. It's a new system, as is the four-corner air suspension which delivers greater than average travel.Upper variants get a dedicated Dynamic mode in the Terrain Response system, tying down the body and reducing roll when the hardtop corkscrews, abetted by slotting the gear shifter into sport. But left to its own devices, the auto selector is adept enough to identify and adapt to conditions. Dynamic Active Rear Locking Differential combines with torque vectoring to keep nose and tail in the designated direction under intense duress.One bespoke tyre suffices for the Sport's multitude of tasks - Pirelli Scorpion Verde. No need to risk a manicure changing rubber between rock crawling and B road hauling. Very roughly speaking, the Sport's a visual blend of the Evoque and the senior Range Rover. Longer than its predecessor at 4.8m, it's still shorter than comparable SUVs and most of the big luxury sedans it's going to blow away sales wise.A black pack, which eliminates shiny bits, is pretty mean looking on an icy white Sport. The cockpit is a masterpiece, distinctly Rangie but it's own thing too. It is, yes, sporty.Love that gear shifter, hand fillingly functional but cool. The rotary dial is still there, but confined to selecting drive modes. Thumb operated toggles on either side of the steering wheel control ancillary functions.There's limo like legroom for rear seat passengers, the outside two of whom are cosseted in buckets as supportive and comforted - indeed as heatable or coolable - as the front. Optional is a powered third row occasional 5+2 'secret' seating, which folds away into the floor. As a five seater it will take that many adults and suitcase for each.  Cabin quality has to be felt to be appreciated.Yet to be crashed, and unlikely to be, it's reasonably assumed the Range Rover's five star NCAP rating applies here. New items reflect the polar extremes of the Sport's ability - traffic sign recognition, perpendicular park assist, depth sensing for wading a creek, and active lane assist. Flank guard alerts you to the imminence of a car park scrape. Vast Brembo brakes provide awesome stopping power, augmented by tremendous feel through the pedal. More mundane, but crucial, the spare tyre is full size.Again, you have to ask can the same car be so variously outstanding? Dynamically, the supercharged Sport V8 keeps pace with a Porsche Cayenne - some five seconds from to 100km/h from standing makes it by same distance the fastest ever Land Rover model. Yet it crawls on rocks and wades a creek to almost a metre's depth as readily as the doughty Discovery.The company calls it the "fastest, most agile and responsive" vehicle in its history. This is possibly an understatement. The narrow, sheep infested mountain roads of Wales would keep one of Audi's or Benz's faster grand tourers honest. I doubt any would handle these with the aptitude of Sport V8. Such body roll as there is hardly any more noticeable than the RS4 wagon we'd driven the previous week, despite the Sport being some 500kg heavier.Its immense output goes to the ground as immediately as you wish, and seemingly in any cornering attitude, seldom activating the electronic safety nets. It just shouldn't be this adept - especially when a little over an hour later it is descending a 45 degree dirt gradient like a lushly upholstered mountain goat with minimal driver input.Yet while performance reaches new highs for an SUV with this badge, ride remains that of Range Rover - cosseting and unruffled, even while tastefully tuned note of the bent eight is roaring. Driving the top diesel in similar conditions the next day should be a massive anti-climax and in truth anything feels underdone after the visceral punch of the supercharged petrol monster.That it isn't a bum note has much to do with it sounding hardly at all like a diesel. Or feeling overly like one. Launched on a runway drag contest it cannot scale the top model's heights but it's speed rises steadily and surely, born along by almost equivalent torque. In the real world, the SDV6 will leave little cause for complaint.Only the extra ask for items that should be standard on a car of this stature prevent a full five star rating for the V8. It is an exceptional achievement and surely the luxury car of the year.

There are classic oxymorons that keep garden-variety morons like me awake at night. Think about 'military intelligence', or 'a little big' -- or even perhaps 'adult male'. Among those brainbenders is the term 'sporty SUV'.But our first drive of the 2014 Land Rover Range Rover Sport in sunny Welsh countryside proved the label's validity. We strafe a lightly used airport runway at 240 km/h in the Sport, before running it through half a meter deep river of muck. Could you do that in a Cayenne, an X6 or an ML? Possibly. Would you ever consider it? Unlikely.Relatively long story short, the confusingly accurate "sporty SUV" label isn't just stuck on the Range Rover Sport--it's earned.Here's the even shorter story on how the Range Rover Sport's grown better: Range Rover. The first-generation car was a steel body on a frame; now it's an aluminium spin-off of last year's brand-new Range Rover, with just a few inches of height and length subtracted to suit it for a differently shaded personality. The same crash diet that shaved 318 kg from the bigger ute nips about 363 kg from the Sport. In performance terms, that's like kicking out four adults before hot laps.In essence the Sport's a slice off the Range Rover, but there's plenty of influence from the smaller Evoque in its profile. It's almost pure Range Rover from the doors forward, save for a slimmer nose and winged headlamps, but the roofline picks up the Evoque's sleekness and its rounded rump. The cockpit? It's all Range Rover, with calm stretches of leather and wood devoid of the busy clusters of buttons that had cramped the Sport's style.Two drivetrains are on tap this time, and they divide camps neatly, into nicely done and awesomely hot. A new supercharged, 250 kW 3.0-litre V6 engine is the new base engine, delivering a nice 90-degree V6 snarl and sub-7-second acceleration, in tandem with a sweet paddle-shifted ZF eight-speed automatic.The supercharged V8 comes from a different planet entirely, one maybe with a timeshare in the American South: it barks out 375 kWr with NASCAR authority, ripping off 5-second runs to 100 km/h.With either, the Sport's ride/handling worldview tilts firmly to sport. The bigger Range Rover specializes in coddling; the Sport's air dampers and variable-ratio steering quicken up the pace, and with the V8's Dynamic setting, dial out much of the innate lean and scrub dictated by its height and weight. It's much closer now to the benchmarks set by the uber-utes from Germany.At the same time, it's an incredibly capable muckraker, with either the base Torsen four-wheel-drive setup, or the more advanced dual-range system, with its active rear locking differential. With more ground clearance than ever, the Sport can extract itself from almost anything the bigger Range Rover can, and its slight size advantage might let it squeeze through where the executive-class Landie might not--say, an abandoned 747, like the one we were guided through carefully, from cargo hold to a first-class arrival through the nose.The Sport's cabin has never looked better, and extra room in almost all dimensions solves one of the least happy aspects of the first-generation ute, though the second-row seat isn't quite as supportive as the Range Rover's. These are the sacrifices, folks. If you're an occasional user of a third-row seat, the Sport gives in to convention with a pair of semi-usable jump seats that fold away tidily when not in use. We suggest if you're beyond Highlights for Children, you don't try to clamber in them.All 2014 Range Rover Sport models come nicely equipped, including custom Meridian audio systems (three in total, ranging up to 1,700 watts and 23 speakers); advanced safety systems aided by cameras; an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment interface that frankly could use a couple of Palo Alto software geeks and a quick reskin; and of course, the latest generation of Land Rover's Terrain Response 2 traction management system.The Range Rover Sport shares nearly all its structure and powertrains with the bigger Range Rover, and it shows--on the scale, on the way it keeps an even keel when it's sunk knee-deep in mud.The new 3.0-litre supercharged V6 is an assertive-sounding engine at full throttle, with a hearty snarl that subdues quickly as the Sport flicks into higher gears, back into a more relaxed part of the powerband.But it's really the 5.0-litre supercharged V8 you want, if only for the NASCAR intake and exhaust riffs that were frankly the inspiration for its soundtrack. It's scored at 375 kW and 624 Nm of torque, and ripping off a 0-100 km/h run in 5 seconds is in the realm of Cayenne Turbos and Grand Cherokee SRTs.Top speed is 225 km/h, unless the Dynamic pack's specified--it's lifted to 250 km/h. Either way, the Sport's stick shifter is in control--it's not a rotary like the control in the Range Rover or Evoque--unless you flick the paddle shift controls, letting the ZF automatic do what it does best, click off clean shifts without any drama.The Range Rover Sport's more obviously, and vastly, better on pavement than it was in its first lifetime. A procession of electronic assistants get tuned for more focus and more grip than they do in the bigger Range Rover. If you don't see as much daylight between the bigger ute and the Sport, you'll feel it, particularly in the V8 versions.The Sport's stock and trade are some of the same air suspension and electric-steering bits as in the Range Rover, but that flagship's setup is deliberately set for a more relaxed feel. The Sport's most neutral state, when its ride height is set to normal via a console-mounted switch, and its Terrain Response system dialled into street driving, still yields quicker steering responses with more deliberate counterweight and a much calmer ride than the first-gen Sport.The extra technology in the V8 Sport crafts a handling personality that's strikingly different from the base Sport, from the Range Rover, and about as deft as the other ultra-powerful SUVs (even if the SRT Jeeps and Cayenne Turbos are still ultimately, slightly, quicker).If it's not quite the thunderclap that is the Cayenne Turbo or the SRT Jeep, the Range Rover Sport makes up for the tenth or two of acceleration with unbelievable off-road talent. The basic, lighter-duty setup  is a new four-wheel-drive system with a Torsen limited-slip differential and anti-lock brakes limiting wheelspin, and a 42:58 torque split that can shift to 62 percent front, or up to 78 percent to the rear.It's offered only on the V6, and wasn't ready in time for our first drives. The more rugged version, standard on the V8 and optional overseas on the V6, has a low range and locking differentials, with a torque split of 50:50 that can switch to 100 percent, front or rear wheels, as traction suffers.We spent the better part of two days in Welsh hills and English river beds, letting Terrain Response's Auto mode do all of the work some of the time, and opting for its individual modes (Grass/Gravel/Snow, Mud/Ruts, Sand, and Rock Crawl) as we trudged through the countryside without the benefit of pavement.The Sport's slight size benefit versus the Range Rover isn't so noticeable, but the increased ground clearance over its last-generation edition is. It's up to 28 cm, and the air suspension can extend itself another inch and some change when it needs to extract itself from especially difficult off-road scenarios.With nearly 55 cm of cross-wheel articulation, that doesn't happen too often--but when it does, the Sport can isolate its roll bars, and make the most of its wheel travel. It can even deploy that additional reserve of ground clearance when it's wading close to its 85 cm maximum, and seconds later, lower itself almost silently down a steep grade thanks to a much quieter hill-descent control system.We think the Sport's tugged and stretched its performance wrapper in the right directions. 

It only takes 10 minutes to get an impressive taste of the all-new Range Rover Sport. That's perfect, because we only have 10 minutes of drive time during the fact-packed press preview of the SUV sporty at Land Rover's test track at Gaydon in the British midlands.The Sport has just been cut away from the mid-level Discovery and twinned with the all-new Range Rover, a move that has created non-identical twins at the top end of the Land Rover family.The luxury Range Rover is already up and running in Australia and the Sport comes in November, with pricing still to be revealed but an impressive set of standard luxury and driving equipment.Apart from the switch to an all-alloy body, the new Sport becomes the first Range Rover with a seven-seater cabin - thanks to a third row of "secret seating" intended for youngsters - and other innovations run from a laser-driven heads-up instrument display to a torque-vectoring transmission system to improve the car's on-road dynamics.If there is one thing that points to the transformation of the Sport, it's the gear lever in the centre console. The luxury RR has a rotary control that ensures it's always a full automatic, but the Sport is a car that is intended to be driven.That also includes front seats that are set 20 millimetres lower, with a console raised by 9 millimetres, to give a more driver-focused cabin.It's easier to compare the Sport with the Range Rover than the previous Discovery-based model, because it reflects a new approach to the top end at Land Rover."We're about taking quantum leaps forward with every new model we do," says Nick Rogers, the vehicle line director for Rang Rover programs."Range Rover Sport has helped us transform our business. It's new people. They are 80-85 per cent conquest customers."The new Sport is part of the 65th anniversary celebration for Land Rover and it's about as far removed from the British off-road original as it's possible to get."It's Land Rover's take on the dynamic SUV. It's a sports tourer. The key aspect is long-range comfort," says Rogers.The unveiling of the Sport is a 'soft' launch that is big on facts and figures, but short on driving. Carsguide will have a full driving review later in the year, most likely from the off-road tracks and winding country roads of Wales, before the first deliveries - and the all-importing bottom line - in the final quarter."Pricing will be revealed in June, and it's on sale in November," says Tim Krieger, brand manager for Land Rover Australia.The new Sport is still pitched up against the BMW X5, Porsche Cayenne and Mercedes-Benz ML, but also picks up extra points from its twin-brother role with the Range Rover.That means a choice of engines from a four-cylinder unit almost identical to the EcoBoost motor in the Ford Falcon through to a supercharged V8, a weigh loss program that's stripped more than 400 kilos - 500 with the baby four - active anti-roll suspension, an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox, the ability to wade through water up to 850 millimetres deep, and true off-road capability.But the Sport turns sharply away from the Range Rover in one way."It really is re-focused to emphasise its dynamic ability. It's lower than the Range Rover, it's more agile with improved ride comfort," says Stuart Frith, chief program manager. "We wanted to transform the on-road dynamics, with impeccable composure." The bottom line is that 75 per cent of the parts in the Sport are new and different from the Range Rover.Once the technology workshops are out of the way, we get out 10 minutes of play time. Land Rover says this is not the first drive, but we're driving and we're first.But first there is time to consider the car's WiFi hotspot, the soft-close doors and electric tailgate, and a cooler compartment in the centre console that's big enough for a bottle of champagne.But that all zaps into the background as I fire the supercharged V8 for a romp around Land Rover's high-speed test track and a couple of quick laps over a ride-and-handling course.The first impression is very good, as I'm sitting in the car and not perched on top - like riding an elephant, as my colleague Stuart Martin calls it - Range Rover style.The Sport is very quick with the top-end engine, it responds enthusiastically to manual use of the transmission - with a race-style layout that means you push forward on the lever for downshifts and pull back to go up a gear - and it is quiet and brilliantly built.But it's the cornering and ride control that is most impressive.I've driven some quick SUVs, and the Cayenne GTS is my current driving favourite, but the big Brit is incredible in all types of turns. It sits flat on its adaptive dampers, responds eagerly to the wheel, and can be hustled through all types of turns without complaining.The rock-and-roll behaviour of most SUVs, even BMW's M-tweaked X5 and X6, is defeated and it runs through curves at more than 160km/h on the test track while also defeating cobblestone bumps at just 60km/h.I find myself wondering about fuel economy, and the performance of the four-cylinder starter car, and how it goes without the adaptive suspension, and just how badly it's going to hit the hip pockets of people who want one in Australia.But then I rush through another corner and the torque-vectoring driveline makes me look like a high-speed hero.It is the most impressive heavyweight SUV I have driven, even if it's only for a few minutes and only within the limited area of an artificial test track.The Sport looks terrific and the little details are great, right down to air vents for the third-row seats and a V8 performance model that will crack to 100km/h in less than five seconds.It will also lap the Nurburgring test course in just over eight minutes, a reflection of the driver focus that even includes the positioning and shape of the steering wheel.We still have to see how it goes in the real world, and at home down under, but after the first 10 minutes the new Sport is looking good. In fact, it's looking great.

Noxious brown water was lapping over the bonnet of Land Rover’s new flagship. Forget towing a boat, I’m in danger of turning the $200,000 Range Rover into one. At the time — midway through a 5km survival swim up Morrocco’s Oued Ourika — it is only of passing concern.I was far more focused on what was happening under the surging torrent as the luxury four-wheel drive lurched from boulder to boulder. I could feel the Terrain Response software shunting torque to alternate wheels trying to scrounge grip against the current and shifts in weight.The result was technology and engineering won out and the 2.2-tonne turbodiesel kept ploughing resolutely on, despite being literally out of its 900mm wading depth and coping with ground that was causing a Defender with off-road rubber nearly as many problems.It had already survived some axle-deep sand dune runs and a rock crawl that had Land Rover PR Tim Krieger wincing on the few occasions when the 260mm of front and 300mm rear of wheel travel were exceeded and the Rangie did bottom out. That wheel travel was tested again in the river run, where one of our group managed to drop two wheels off a silt ledge and can’t the SUV on a 45 degree lean that no one believed it could recover from.We were already discussing how they were going to extricate the car from the bottom of a ravine when the driver managed to recover it — despite doing almost everything wrong, from trying to swing back up the ridge, thereby increasing the tilt, to gunning the engine and making the Rangie jump. The car was built from the ground up for just this purpose and it’s a travesty that very few owners will be have the chutzpah to test the extreme capabilities of their decidedly luxurious SUV. One wouldn’t want to despoil the leather interior now, would one? It’d be like mucking out the stables in a pair of Gucci loafers.Regular owners can rest easy though, because the Range Rover is probably even more composed on the freeway, where revisions to the steering and suspension have all but eliminated the head-shake that beset the previous model at speed and improvements to the insulation make it a serene workplace. Even with the speedo needle nudging 200km/h, it was as composed as a well-trained butler. And the steering wheel, which spun like a child's toy on the sand, stiffens up to sports car levels on the road. Other carmakers should tear it down to find out how to make an electric steering system that works at all angles.All models have a 3.5-tonne towing capacity and unless you intend to regularly use it, the V6 turbodiesel’s 600Nm and 0-100km/h time of 7.9 seconds should do the job for most owners. The diesel V8’s 700Nm make it the pick for heavy haulers, while the supercharged petrol V8’s 5.4-second sprint time gives it performance bragging rights.VALUEIf you have to ask, you can’t afford it. Given there’s no direct competition, Land Rover benchmarked the car against everything from BMW’s X5 and 7 Series to the Audi Q7 and Mercedes-Benz GL-Class and S-Class — and says the Range Rover is quieter than them all at highway speeds. The V6 turbodiesel will go on sale in February at $168,900 in HSE trim and will be the volume seller, though a $178,900 Vogue spec will also be offered.The turbodiesel V8 will be a $195,100 proposition in Vogue format, stepping up to $217,100 for the Vogue SE and $232,800 for the “with-the-log” Autobiography trim. The supercharged V8 is the sole petrol engine destined for Australia and starts at $224,400 in Vogue SE spec, rising to $240,100 for the Autobiography. A diesel hybrid will join the range late next year.TECHNOLOGYThe fourth-generation Rangie uses an aluminium monocoque chassis and alloy panels to trim more than 300kg of weight from most models. That is then promptly returned with an apps store of technology, reinforced aerodynamic shields under the SUV and heavy-duty air suspension to give it the legs to go anywhere. Even if anywhere will be no farther than a gravel driveway or grassy paddock for most owners.It is part of the Range Rover mystique that this vehicle is as capable as it is classy. To make life easier for owners, the Terrain Response system has been upgraded with a default auto mode that switches between five settings — general; grass/gravel/snow, mud/ruts, sand, and rock crawl — as it detects the surface it is travelling on. Each setting alters the car’s throttle response, gearbox shift points, centre differential and chassis systems to optimise drive.A dial still lets owners manually choose their preferred mode and there’s an adjacent switch to active the low-range function. The latest Bosch ABS software includes stability, roll and traction control, along with hill ascent and descent control. The V8 models also pick up a lean control system that uses hydraulics to adjust the stiffness of the front and rear stabiliser bars and reduce head-toss on uneven surfaces.All models have automatic variable damping that can be best felt when switching the eight-speed automatic transmission from drive to sport. That also sharpens throttle and steering response.DESIGNThe traditional Range Rover look has been refined and given a sportier makeover. The clamshell bonnet has been kept, the side fins are still there (though moved from the front quarter panel to the front doors) and the floating roof, courtesy of blacked out pillars, has been retained. The bottom of the two-part tailgate can still act as a standing platform at the polo, but both sections are now powered.Designers did sharpen the windscreen angle, which improves looks and fuel efficiency and the roofline itself has been lowered to give the big SUV an edgier look. The “camera style” bi-xenon headlamps are the easiest way to spot the Rangie, especially at night. It still has the presence of a truck, just a very good-looking one.SAFETYIt hasn’t been tested yet, but expect the Range Rover to keep its occupants supremely safe. The only criticism of the last model was it didn’t protect pedestrians. Land Rover has responded by fitting a raised bonnet and optimising the bonnet and bumper to absorb energy.Adaptive cruise control is now linked with an optional queue assist function for stop-start driving and there’s blind spot warning and automatic emergency braking systems. Front parking sensors are boosted with a reversing camera and there’s six airbags to cover all occupants.VERDICTComposure is a learned trait and the Range Rover has learned over the years how to do it with panache. The substantial price is matched by as much substance on and off the road as any potential buyer could desire. It’s not as nimble as an X5 but it is has more presence on the road and behind the wheel. Simply put, it is the most luxurious heavy-duty tow vehicle on the market, with the potential to do much more if the owner dares.Land Rover Range Rover TDV6Price: $168,000Warranty: 3 years/100,000kmService interval: 12 months/26,000kmSafety: Six airbags, ABS with EBD, BA, TC, ECS, hill ascent and descent, blind spot warning, reversing cameraCrash rating: Not assessedEngine: 3.0-litre turbodiesel, 190kW/600NmTransmission: Eight-speed automatic, four-wheel driveDimensions: 5m (L), 1.98m (W), 1.84m (H)Weight: 2.16 tonnesSpare: Full-sizeThirst: 7.5L/100km, 196g/km CO2

And there is likely to be more of it so with all the top resorts reporting big falls of crisp fresh white stuff, enthusiasts are dusting of their ski gear and talking snow talk.Carsguide this week takes a look at some of the newer off-roaders and others we think are some of the more desirable partners in snow.NISSAN DUALIS Price: From $28,990IT is a big seller overseas, but the compact Dualis has been slow to take off with buyers here.But it is a competent snow companion. It's not too big, nor too small, has composed on road manners and reasonable soft-road ability.In keeping with the current crop of smaller off-roaders, the Dualis has a wagon-style design, upright driving position and cabin that will swallow a decent amount of gear.The rear seats split fold 60/40 and the four-wheel drive system has a lock function that splits drive 50/50 front and rear when the going gets tough at lower speeds.The Dualis is powered by a 102kW/198Nm 2.0-litre four that delivers acceptable, but not outstanding performance.The Ti gets standard stability control, six airbags and heated leather front seats.Tick: Compact styling.Cross: Still relatively unknown. VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN Price: From $33,990THE Tiguan is essentially a grown up Golf and takes on all the attributes of its smaller brother, adding all-wheel drive into the mix with a choice of 2.0-litre petrol or turbo-diesel engines.It's slightly longer than the Golf and comes with the 4Motion Haldex all-wheel drive system.There is no low range but the Tig will get you out of most trouble in the snow.One of the impressive things about this off-roader is its handling. Anyone familiar with the Golf will be perfectly at home.Like all VW's the Tiguan is well equipped and gets standard stability control, six airbags and optional hill-descent system.Roof rails are standard and you will need them for a luggage pod because boot space is limited. However, the rear seats do fold almost flat. If you specify leather, the front seats are heated.Tick: Badge and handling.Cross: Luggage space and firm ride. SUBARU FORESTER Price: From $30,990LIKE the previous model, the Forester is a top seller and popular among skiers.The new-generation wagon answers the criticism of limited luggage and rear seat legroom by being bigger and even more practical.However, by growing 90mm in wheelbase and up in overall size the Forester has lost some of that on-road precision that marked the previous model as a standout. Some aspects of the cabin, like the dashboard execution, are not of the quality we expect from Subaru either.Pluses are its size and 2.5-litre boxer four cylinder engines. Subaru build quality is generally good too, as is the constant all-wheel drive system.The Forester has a five-star crash rating and raft of safety features that includes anti-skid brakes, stability control and brace of airbags. Manual Foresters get hill-start assist, which stops the car rolling backwards while first gear is engaged.Tick: It's a Subbie.Cross: Soggy SUV feel. RENAULT KOLEOS Price: From $29,990TO dismiss the Koleos as just a French car over the top of Nissan mechanicals is missing the point.The Koleos is well executed, solid and safe. It has six airbags, stability control and hazard lights that come on after an emergency stop.The "All-Mode 4x4i" all-wheel drive versions also get hill-start assist and hill-descent control.In auto mode, the torque split between the front and rear is automatically determined by the amount of available grip.Entry models are two-wheel drive while all-wheel drive buyers get a choice of the smooth Renault-sourced 2.0-litre dCi turbo diesel or 2.5-litre Nissan-sourced petrol four cylinder.There's plenty of room. The rear centre armrest is removable to allow skis to be pushed through and there are storage bins under the front seats and rear floor.Like the Tiguan, the range topping models with leather get heated front seats.Tick: Better looking than an X-Trail.Cross: Renault badge. AUDI Q5 Price: From: $59,900IT seems that just about any vehicle Audi launches at the moment is a sellout.The Q5 is one of them.Smaller than a Q7, the Q5 has the same off-road attributes in a smaller sharply styled package with good luggage space via the 40/20/40 split rear seats and optional cargo barrier that separates luggage.Two petrol and two turbo diesels are available and the S-tronic seven-speed gearbox contributes to good fuel figures.Audi's permanent quattro all-wheel drive system splits torque 40/60 front and rear, which gives the car relatively neutral handling.For those looking for something bigger, there's the A6 Allroad and the Q7.Unfortunately Audi is becoming just like its German rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz when it comes to equipment.Tick: Space and diesel.Cross: Expensive options. FORD TERRITORY Price: From $39,490THE Territory has just undergone a recent update to bring it into line with the rest of the Ford range.However, the cabin remains largely the same, and that's not a bad thing. It's good for a family and has seven-seater capacity.The Territory's cabin is well thought out and there is lots of storage space.Buyers have a choice of four AWD models or three rear-drive models.Stability control is standard, as are four airbags and anti-skid brakes.The TS and Ghia four-wheel drive models get seven seats as standard. Mum and Dad will also appreciate the standard DVD player in the Ghia.The reversible rear-load floor and compartment for storing wet items is handy.Tick: Practical and good looking.Cross: Getting on despite update. VOLVO XC60 Price: From $57,950THE XC60 is one of the best handling Volvo wagons around and one of the most attractive.The new City Safety feature is more than just a gimmick. The system applies the brakes if you are about to rear-end another car in low-speed situations up to 30km/h.Other Volvo strengths are the lane change warning system and blind-spot warning system. Volvo seats are renown for their comfort. 40/20/40 split rear seat is practical.There is a choice of either the 2.4-litre D5 turbo-diesel, which is about to be upgraded to a twin-turbo for better economy and efficiency, or the 3.0-litre turbo petrol six.Tick: Styling and equipment.Cross: Rattly diesel. LEXUS RX350 Price: From $81,900.THE RX350 has grown slightly, which translates into more interior room.This wagon, like all Lexus models, is packed with equipment that is optional on its rivals like satellite navigation, power rear hatch and rear reversing camera.The Sports Luxury gets active headlights that follow the curve of the road, plus a heads-up display.The safety package consists of stability control with cooperative steering function (VSC+), traction control, anti-skid brakes, electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist.There is also, hill-start assist, 10 airbags and a first-aid kit.The rear seats split 40/20/40 and there is a wet-storage area in the luggage load floor. Thule luggage pods are also available.Tick: Standard equipment.Cross: Looks bloated. MAZDA CX9 Price: From $51,990It looks big and feels big but once under way, the CX9 shrink-wraps around you.It's well sorted on the road, has a host of safety gear and with seven seats, has plenty of room for the family.The cabin quality is better than the CX9 too.The 204kW/366Nm 3.7-litre V6 has plenty of poke but slurps petrol like a celebrity lining up for a free drink during Melbourne Cup week.The 60/40 split fold rear seats can be released from the luggage area.Tick: Rear seating, quality.Cross: Fuel economy. TOYOTA PRADOPrice: From $48,600THE Prado is the ideal family load-lugger if you need serious space and room for the family.It comes with eight seats and long-range fuel tank of 180 litres.The full-time 4WD system has a low-range setting for heavy off-roading.However only the higher spec Prados get standard stability control, anti-skid brakes, hill-descent control and six airbags as standard so it pays to check the fineprint.GXL, VX and Grande buyers get foglights and roof rails with satellite navigation and height-adjustable air suspension standard only on the top-of-the-range Grande.Tick: Standard and GX lack standard safety gear.Cross: Clunky styling. NISSAN MURANO Price: From $45,990THE previous-generation Murano was a sleeper.In a lineup dominated by the Navara and Patrol, it never really stood out other than a competent family wagon and its soft curves alienated many potential buyers.But Nissan hopes to change that with the new-generation Murano.The styling is sharper, the 191kW/336Nm 3.5-litre V6 a sweet engine that delivers good fuel economy. The packaging is good. The automatic All Mode 4x4-i all-wheel drive system can distribute torque on demand to where its needed.The luxury Ti gets all the fruit, from navigation system to heated front seats, reversing camera, automatic rear hatch and Bose sound system. The 60/40 split rear seats on both the ST and Ti can be flipped forward from the back of the car.Tick: Engine, equipment.Cross: Cheese-cutter grille. RANGE ROVER SPORT Price: From $90,900THE Range Rover brand has a strong following and is the preferred luxury chariot for seriously well-heeled snowgoers.Like the bigger Range Rover the Sport gets the nifty "Terrain Response" off-road system which means you just have to twist the switch to get the required off-road mode.The Range Rover Sport has real off-road capability but we don't think too many owners would ever go bush bashing in the leather-line luxury off-roader, particularly with the stylish 20-inch wheels available some models.The 65/35 split rear seats also have folding cushions and the full-size spare is easily accessible under the car. However, some of the bigger wheel/tyre options make do with a spacesaver.Tick: Luxury.Cross: Reliability.