For The Ballers

A Victory & Reseda review of the 2025 Range Rover Sport

It is worth repeating that a vehicle speaks volumes about who you are. 

Take this 2025 Range Rover Sport, for example. Without looking at the sticker, you know what it stands for. You know it commands an air of superiority. It shows that you run a part of the universe. You may have impeccable taste in everything you touch. 

Previously, I worked with the newest iteration of the two-row sportier Range Rover. I found it to be an object of desire. You can fawn over the larger, and more expensive three-row model. You have to ask yourself whether your status can be upheld by going with the smaller namesake? 

This is where the tester you are seeing comes into play. This is not just any Range Rover Sport. It is the Autobiography trim with the uprated PHEV driveline. 

It is exactly what I envision in a Range Rover of any sort – and there are four of them in the lineup. The Sport in the Autobiography trim defines desire. It is luxury that you can roll up in at the Four Seasons Hotel for the weekend, then to the yacht club or golf links during the day, and the hottest club in town at night.  

Perhaps I’m projecting here. Yet, that’s the image I had in my head when I saw this vehicle arrive at my home. A fantasy that could be measured by the color of your American Express card, your status on Emirates Airlines, and the number of residences you own. Plus, the annual vacation in the Maldives, where even the baggage handlers know you by name. 

Yes, driving a Range Rover Sport is an elevated experience. You put on airs of when you do. 

However, it is a special vehicle with a cool vibe on the outside. It has to be that Carpathian Gray paint color with the upgraded 23-inch wheels in the style found on the SV, and made from aluminum with carbon fiber inserts. 

There is more to that. The flush-fitting door handles pop out to greet you before entry. The windows are flush to the roof. The rear end is clean with two LED taillight units running horizontally onto the liftgate. That’s a big liftgate, by the way. 

The front end has an air subtlety. Just two complex LED headlamp units with integrated turn signals and running lights attached to a stylish narrow grille. The name is spelled out as a reminder that you are driving a Range Rover – and nothing else. 

It is a lovely exterior. One fitting for a baller and a shot caller. After all, plenty of professional athletes drive one. 

The Autobiography’s interior is sumptuous. Range Rover calls the color scheme Light Cloud and Ebony. This is truly first class all the way. 

You have room for five across two rows. The front seats are solid with plenty of support. Negotiating the A-pillar and a competent seating position can be a challenge, however. The doors open wide and rear seat room space is just right with plenty of head, leg and foot room. 

In terms of cargo space, you can load up to 31.9 cubic feet behind the rear seats. The rear seats do fold down for more space, if you desire. 

The cockpit is stylish, with a fully digital instrument cluster that has superb graphics and loads of information. Controls are great to the touch, including the shift-by-wire transmission actuator. The antique brass-like finishes found around the cockpit and cabin that give it a personality that befits the Autobiography trim. 

Can we also mention that it has a little refrigerator inside the center console? Perfect for a couple of 16.9 fluid ounce bottles of water.

A 13.1-inch Pivi Pro touchscreen is a great hub for all infotainment. You have every convenience and connectivity choices available to you. Meridian’s 3D Surround Sound System adds to the experience of this fine cabin. 

 Of the two drivelines available, this 2025 Range Rover Sport gets its motivation from a plug-in hybrid driveline, known as P550e. It starts with the Ingenium turbocharged 3.0-liter in-line six-cylinder gasoline engine. Add an electric motor, a battery pack, and a J1772 CCS receptacle, and you get a 543-horsepower driveline that is smooth as silk. It also puts down 590 pound-feet of torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission sends this mass of power to all four wheels through torque vectoring and the Terrain Response 2 drive mode system. 

Range Rover states that it has a range of 53 miles on battery power alone. Using a public DC Fast Charger, you can recoup a full state of charge on the battery in an about hour. The most I was able to recharge was up to 81%, which returned about 44 miles of range. Also, I have been recharging a lot to see how the driveline performs. As far as a fuel economy average is concerned, I got 37.0 MPG between using the battery and premium fuel.  

The short answer to my performance question is that the Ranger Rover Sport PHEV driveline is absolutely lovely. It is also very effortless in either electric or gasoline. Acceleration comes on smoothly, but it is such a chill out type of SUV.

That chill vibe is reflected on the Dynamic Air Suspension system. It’s smooth like butter – that’s how I would describe the ride quality. It also lowers and raises automatically, especially when you exit or enter the vehicle. 

I found no issues with all other components that make up the driving experience. The all-wheel steering felt fine and had good on-center feel. It also handles and responds quite well, too. The brake pedal was on point and never hesitated to deliver solid stops in normal, panic, and wet conditions.

You have a choice of four Range Rover Sport trim levels. Pricing starts from $83,700. Our Autobiography PHEV tester came with a sticker price of $128,865.

In all, the 2025 Range Rover Sport Autobiography exhibited a fine luxurious drive. As you expect a vehicle from this brand to deliver. In equal measure, it exhibits the quality you also expect in a luxury SUV. 

More importantly, the Ranger Rover Sport exudes an air of superiority at just the right size. When you only need two rows of seats, an extensive feature list, exquisite luxury, and sustainable performance, the PHEV Autobiography is the specification to go with.

It certainly fits the bill for ballers and shot callers. 

DISCLAIMER: Vehicle provided by Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) North America – our opinions are of our own

All photos by Randy Stern