The new Range Rover Sport is 420kg lighter than its predecessor. Land Rover says it has worked on the driving dynamics of its second-generation Range Rover Sport with the aim of taking sales from its road-focused rivals, the BMW X5 and Porsche Cayenne.

“It was important to get really close,” said head project engineer Craig Carter. “In 90 percent of situations, we can match them on the road.”

Depending on the variant, the new car is up to 420kg lighter than its predecessor because of its new aluminum platform, which is also used in the new Range Rover.

To save another 18kg, the entry 3.0-liter TDV6 diesel and the cheaper version of the higher powered SDV6 do without a low-range gearbox, a once-essential item for a brand that prides itself on its off-road prowess.

Annual production will match the old car at 60,000, Carter said. However Chinese sales are expected to rise on the launch of a new 3.0-liter V-6 supercharged gasoline version. He said the reduced number of cylinders, six down from eight compared with the only gasoline version of the previous car, will make “a huge difference” to the tax bill for customers in China.

Land Rover has announced it will also sell a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline four-cylinder version that adapts the Ford-originated engine from the smaller Evoque. That’s expected next year, along with a hybrid variant based on the SDV6.

The standard SDV6 is expected to be the biggest seller in Europe, Carter said.

Topping out the model range is a 5.0-liter supercharged gasoline V-8, which features a so-called Dynamic pack, which is also available on the SDV6, that includes adaptive dampers, active anti-roll bars and an active rear differential. All new Range Rover Sport models have height-adjustable air suspension.

For the first time, the Range Rover Sport also has a seven-seat option, featuring two rear seats that fold into the trunk floor when not needed. Carter said the main rear seating area was much improved from the old model. ”The rear passenger space was too small, too tight, too difficult to access,” he said. “Now we have bigger doors and more space thanks to a wheelbase that’s 178mm longer.”

Clever technology includes a function to measure the depth of water the car is wading through using sonar sensors on the wing mirrors.

The Range Rover Sport goes on sale in Europe in mid-September
Target buyers: Affluent families