With the Range Stormer, Land Rover was also hinting at the fact that the next generation of its Range Rover luxury products would be infused with more technology and luxury than ever before. Land Rover was looking to vie with newcomers appreciate the BMW X5 or the Mercedes-Benz ML.
Both of these German rivals were high-riding SUVs, but neither focused on off-road capability. BMW and Mercedes both came to the conclusion that luxury SUV buyers didn’t really care how well their vehicles did off-road, and that all they wanted was the higher driving position and just the look of an off-roader.
Land Rover designed the Range Rover Sport specifically to rival the X5 and ML, and it engineered the vehicle to be good to drive on smooth tarmac, even offering spiced-up versions that were even better to drive. It even infused the production model with a little bit of sportiness, and it was the most engaging Range Rover to drive ever when it was launched, but the name “Sport” didn’t actually describe how it felt to drive, since it was still a comfort-oriented vehicle.
