Luxury is a subjective thing, but it’s something that is pretty much unequivocal when it comes to the Range Rover Sport. Particularly when you add the ability to waft along in utter silence for a remarkable amount of time.
The current Range Rover Sport came out in 2022, but it wasn’t until the plug-in hybrid came along more recently that the true luxury potential had landed, adding the sublimely silent operation that a big battery brings.
With the ability to run on electricity alone for up to 112km, the Range Rover Sport PHEV is the ultimate urban Range Rover: quiet, practical and incredibly economical, while retaining all the flexible power and responsiveness you would expect from one out on the open road.
The hybrid system prioritises electric-only running (something that is easy to do with a larger battery), particularly at urban speeds, and even on the rare occasions the engine needs to kick in, the transition is smooth and unobtrusive, while the 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol engine is as silky as ever.
Silent running may seal the Luxury COTY for the Sport, but the sheer quality of the rest of the package sets it up in the first place, and it presents a superbly comfortable cabin, with all the latest technology and, possibly most importantly, that trademark imperiously commanding view of all before you from the driver’s seat.
And no true luxury vehicle is complete without an extensive range of personalisation options, and the Range Rover Sport rather predictability convinces here too, with vast array of choice for both the exterior and interior available.
Of course, the Range Rover Sport range is far broader than just the PHEV, with a full complement of mild-hybrid diesel and V8 petrol engines also on offer, stretching across a price spectrum of $170,000 to $380,000. Just like a proper luxury car should.
Runners up: Mercedes-Benz E Class, Porsche Cayenne.
AA DRIVEN CAR OF THE YEAR CLASS WINNERS FOR 2024
City SUV
Family SUV
Large SUV
Passenger
Hybrid/EV
Sports/Performance
Lifestyle/Adventure
Safest
People's Choice
And the overall winner is...!