2016 Land Rover Range Rover Sport HST Limited Edition: Bridging the 170-hp Sport Gap

Coinciding with an update that spans the entire range of Range Rover Sport for 2016, Land Rover is adding a new model to the baby Rover mix, in between the entry-level Range Rover Sport and the beastly Supercharged model. Dubbed the Range Rover Sport HST Limited Edition, it comes with a more powerful version of the base Sport’s supercharged V-6, plus a host of unique features and options, and is making its big debut at the 2015 New York auto show. The idea is to nip at the spicier versions of the BMW X5 and the Porsche Cayenne.

In reality, stating that the HST Limited Edition sits between the Range Rover Sport and the Sport Supercharged is a bit of stretch. With 380 horsepower on tap, the HST is just 40-hp stronger than the base Sport—and still quite far away from the Supercharged model’s 510 ponies. Even so, it’s a compelling proposition, especially once you realize you maybe don’t need a luxury SUV that can hit 60 mph in 4.6 seconds and take the time to peruse the HST’s particulars.

 Coinciding with an update that spans the entire range of Range Rover Sport for 2016, Land Rover is adding a new model to the baby Rover mix, in between the entry-level Range Rover Sport and the beastly Supercharged model. Dubbed the Range Rover Sport HST Limited Edition, it comes with a more powerful version of the base Sport’s supercharged V-6, plus a host of unique features and options, and is making its big debut at the 2015 New York auto show. The idea is to nip at the spicier versions of the BMW X5 and the Porsche Cayenne.

In reality, stating that the HST Limited Edition sits between the Range Rover Sport and the Sport Supercharged is a bit of stretch. With 380 horsepower on tap, the HST is just 40-hp stronger than the base Sport—and still quite far away from the Supercharged model’s 510 ponies. Even so, it’s a compelling proposition, especially once you realize you maybe don’t need a luxury SUV that can hit 60 mph in 4.6 seconds and take the time to peruse the HST’s particulars.

Like the rest of the 2016 Range Rover Sport lineup, the HST Limited Edition gets a standard power-operated tailgate, higher-resolution backup- and surround-view cameras, the Land Rover InControl app (which offers smartphone-activated features like remote start, locking, etc.), and the Auto Access Height feature, which automatically lowers the truck for easier ingress and egress. Pricing for the HST will be announced later this year, but Land Rover has a rather large target to shoot at on that front. The base Range Rover Sport starts at $64,275 for 2015, while the Sport Supercharged commands a heady $80,920—we figure the HST Limited Edition will start somewhere in the high-$60K or low-$70K ballpark.