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Spyshots: 2017 Range Rover Sport First Photos

It looks like Land Rover can't keep its hands to itself and is already making changes to the Range Rover Sport, an SUV that's barely two years old and that many would consider to be up-to-date.
2017 Range Rover Sport Spyshots 10 photos
Photo: SB-Medien
2017 Range Rover Sport Spyshots2017 Range Rover Sport Spyshots2017 Range Rover Sport Spyshots2017 Range Rover Sport Spyshots2017 Range Rover Sport Spyshots2017 Range Rover Sport Spyshots2017 Range Rover Sport Spyshots2017 Range Rover Sport Spyshots2017 Range Rover Sport Spyshots
The second-generation RR Sport made its debut in March 2013 at the New York Auto Show. Since then, it's been constantly upgraded: tweaked gearboxes, a Hybrid engine and the awesome SVR performance model.

This half-camouflaged prototype was spotted testing near the Nurburgring race track in Germany by our spy photographer. It's the first time photos of this SUV have been taken, and they are quite revealing.

The mid-cycle facelift focuses mainly on the front end look, probably trying to make the 2.2-ton vehicle appear sportier and more elegant. The new design language features a couple of vertical air intakes to the side of the bumper and a grille that looks like a frowning face.

The mesh of the upper grille has been changed while the clamshell hood now has a recessed area in the middle, a first for any Range Rover. Changes are a little less obvious at the back, but it might be too early to count our chickens.

As we've already established already, the Range Rover Sport has a full range of engines that includes everything such an SUV needs. So we are likely going to see everything being carried over with emissions and fuel consumption tweaks.

The only type of model not offered by the Sport is a rear-wheel drive one with a four-cylinder engine, a bit like the BMW X5 sDrive25d. But we think it wouldn't sell well and might go completely against the Land Rover ideology. Another option would be adding more power to the SVR model since the BMW X5 M currently outguns it by 35 hp.

Considering the typical life cycle of a Range Rover SUV is around eight years, we expect the updated Sport model to be revealed in late 2016 as a 2017 model year.
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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