Just because the 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport is engineered to go fast on paved roads and blaze trails where few can tread, that doesn’t mean that safety and technology take a back seat. For example, in the event of a collision, the driver and front passenger are protected by front airbags and thorax-protecting side-impact airbags that deploy from the front seats. Additionally, all outboard passengers are protected by a side curtain canopy that deploys from the roof. Impacts also prompt the engine and fuel system to shut down, the doors to unlock, and the emergency flashers and interior lights to illuminate.

To keep the Range Rover Sport stable and highly maneuverable on a wide variety of surfaces, Land Rover’s Terrain Response system, also used to critical acclaim in the LR3 and Range Rover, is included on the Sport. Five settings can be selected by twisting a large, center-console mounted rotary knob. A general setting handles everyday, dry-pavement driving, while another addresses slippery and traction-compromised conditions created when traveling over grass, gravel or snow. Finally, three different modes are reserved for true off-roading: one for mud and ruts, one for sand, and one for intense rock crawling. Once set, the system modulates ride height, engine torque response, traction control, Hill Descent Control, and all gearing.