Land Rover says diesel power coming to North American lineup

Land Rover has pulled the cover off the 2016 Range Rover Sport HST that will get its debut next week at the New York auto show, but the big news is found two-thirds of the way down the company’s press release: the SUV manufacturer is bringing its 3.0L turbodiesel motor to North American versions of the Range Rover Sport.

The diesel is a 254-hp/440 lb-ft mill that will, in Land Rover’s words, “broaden the appeal of the Range Rover Sport in the US [and presumably, Canada too. –Ed.] and provide more customer choice.”

Now back to Land Rover’s headline: the Range Rover Sport HST (a trim that sounds like it’s aimed at the Canadian Revenue Agency) uses a 380-hp version of the brand’s 3.0L supercharged V6, positioning it a step up from the 340-hp base and HSE models, but still miles away, performance-wise, from the stonking 510-hp V8 used in the Supercharged model.

Smoked head- and taillight housings, and 21-inch wheels (even the Supercharged starts with just 20s) set the HST’s appearance apart from the rest of the Range Rover Sport line. Beyond the uprated engine, Land Rover says suspension revisions also contribute to improved driving dynamics, and All Terrain Progress Progress Control is standard with the Terrain Response 2 system.

Other news for the 2016 Range Rover Sport line include the availability of a no-touch tailgate, which will open at a wave of a foot under the rear bumper, and the InControl system, which lets Range Rover Sport owners interact with the vehicle via a smartphone, as well as other enhancements to boost “practicality and desirability.”

Land Rover will start taking orders for the 2016 Range Rover Sport in April, with deliveries beginning in late summer.