Special Edition Range Rover Sport HST Showcases New 395-HP Inline-Six

This week, Land Rover added a new special edition to its U.K. lineup. Called the Range Rover Sport HST, it gets carbon-fiber accents on the hood, grille, side vents, and tailgate. Inside, there’s some HST-specific trim and HST badging, which doesn’t sound particularly special. And since the release says nothing about it being offered in the U.S., there’s probably no point in converting its £81,250 base price to dollars. So why would we cover a Europe-only not-so-special edition? Because of what’s under the hood.

(Update: Land Rover has told us the HST actually will come to the U.S., but we’ll have to wait for an official announcement next week.)

Land Rover chose the Range Rover Sport HST to be the first vehicle in its lineup that gets its brand new, turbocharged and electric-supercharged 3.0-liter inline-six. This engine will replace Jaguar Land Rover’s dated V-6 that was more or less a V-8 with two cylinders missing. In the HST, it’s good for 395 hp and 405 lb-ft of torque, which Land Rover says is enough to launch the Range Rover Sport from 0-60 mph in 5.9 seconds. For comparison, the 380-hp HSE Sport hits 60 mph in a claimed 6.8 seconds. Eventually, a 355-hp version will be offered, as well.

Like the four-cylinder Ingenium engine it’s based on, the new inline-six uses a twin-scroll turbocharger. But it also gets an electric supercharger that needs only half of a second to provide maximum boost, a feature Land Rover says virtually eliminates turbo lag. To improve efficiency by about 20 percent, the engine has been paired with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system.

“Inline six-cylinder engines are inherently better balanced than V-6 designs and our all-new Ingenium unit builds on that promise to optimize efficiency in all operating conditions,” said Nick Rogers, JLR’s head of product planning, in a release. “Advanced features, including an electric supercharger, ensure distinctive Range Rover Sport performance and responses, while the intelligent MHEV system harvests energy to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions.”

We’re still waiting to hear when JLR plans to introduce its inline-six here in the U.S., but hopefully, we find out soon.

Source: Land Rover