Road Test: Land Rover Range Rover Sport 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography Dynamic 5dr Auto

Land Rover has done what all sensible manufacturers should do and dropped a socking great V8 diesel into its sportiest model - the Range Rover Sport.

Which is great news. Obviously. More power and speed is never a bad thing, especially in a car as brilliant as the Sport. The SDV8 produces 334bhp and a not-insignificant 516lb ft of torque, which means 0-62mph takes just 6.9secs. In a car weighing nearly 2.5 tonnes, that's enough speed.

And it's not even like the Sport - a chunky great SUV, remember - feels unable to cope with this sort of pace. There's no pitch and roll, either under acceleration or during hard cornering, and you get decent feedback from the steering and seat as well.

So far, so great. But the SDV8 Sport has a problem, and it's all Land Rover's fault: the SDV6 engine, that's also available in the Sport with 292bhp and 442lb ft, feels every bit as quick in the real world. And in the theoretical world too, as it's only 0.3secs slower to 62mph. Plus, it's £6,555 cheaper.

It doesn't mean you should avoid the SDV8, as it's an impressive bit of kit, but just be aware that something equally outstanding is also available in your local dealer. Handy.