- Facelifted Range Rover Sport enters advanced Nürburgring testing.
- Updated styling and technology tweaks should keep it competitive.
- First ever Range Rover Sport EV to be offered alongside ICE models.
The facelifted Range Rover Sport has been spotted pounding around the Nürburgring, and while Land Rover is still keeping the details under wraps, the location itself tells us plenty.
Automakers don’t usually send prototypes to Germany’s most demanding racetrack just for sightseeing. When development programs reach the point where engineers are fine-tuning ride, handling, braking, and overall refinement, the Nürburgring often becomes the final proving ground before a model is signed off for production.
More: Range Rover Sport SV Recreates A 2015 Icon, This Time With BMW Power
That’s true for JLR, which has maintained a testing HQ at the famous circuit for nearly a quarter of a century. The company has used the track and the challenging public roads surrounding it to develop everything from Range Rovers and Defenders to high-performance Jaguar models.
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The latest prototype spied at the Ring is the facelifted Range Rover Sport, which is expected to arrive as a mid-cycle refresh for the current third-generation model later in 2026 as a MY27 SUV. Although camouflage still conceals the finer details, it looks like the Sport is getting revised front and rear fascias, updated LED lighting elements, and a couple of other small tweaks to update the design that debuted in 2022.
The biggest changes, though, might be hiding under that skin. An upgraded infotainment system, faster software, and additional driver assistance features are all likely candidates. JLR has been steadily modernizing its technology across the Range Rover lineup, and the Sport should benefit from the latest developments.
Sport Goes Electric, But ICE Options Live On
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Powertrain changes are expected to be modest, at least on the combustion side of things. Existing six-cylinder, V8, and plug-in hybrid options should carry over with efficiency improvements and emissions tweaks. The bigger story remains the fully electric Range Rover Sport that’s already been spotted testing separately and is expected to share much of its technology with the upcoming 542 hp (550 PS / 405 kW) Range Rover EV.
That model could play a significant role in the Sport’s future as the world moves toward electrification, even if demand isn’t growing as rapidly as some brands once predicted in markets like the US, which is where JLR still makes most of its money.
Other EVs on the way from the company within the next 12 months include the first electric Velar and baby Defender Sport, plus of course Jaguar’s Type 01 sedan, the production version of 2024’s controversial Type 00 concept. And if the Jag generates as much conversation as we’d expect when it debuts this fall, it might be hard for the nipped and tucked Range Rovers to get as much attention, even if they’ll go on to sell in much bigger quantities.
