Land Rover Range Rover SportAugust 2009

Every WAG's favourite wagon is back after extensive mid-life surgery (not unlike its owners then) that freshen up the looks, spruce up the interior and sharpen up the road manners. But this is more than a facelift, because the changes beneath the skin are pretty dramatic.

Two improved engines are on offer, a 3.0-litre TDV6 diesel and the range-topping 5.0-litre Supercharged V8 - which really has to be driven to be believed. Packing a 503bhp punch, it will deliver the sort of performance that should blow its owner's Jimmy Choos off. Capable of 0-62mph in five seconds, it feels every bit as quick as that figure suggests, leaving you stunned that a 2.7-tonne vehicle can shift with such urgency.

But Land Rover has also worked hard to ensure it can do more than pulverise straights. The chassis has been fine tuned, adding Active Damping and a full Brembo brake system that does a phenomenal job of hauling all that mass to a standstill.

With the new 'Dynamic' mode engaged, the latest Sport corners cleanly, keeping flat and level, like a fast estate car. There's also noticeably more feel through the steering wheel, inspiring the confidence to place it on the road deftly at speed.

So it's something of a shame that the vast majority of buyers will opt for the diesel, which will be the biggest seller by a huge margin. That said, it offers useful surges of performance that will more than satisfy most Range Rover Sport customers, blending its class-leading power and torque (268bhp and 472lb-ft) with the potential for 25.5mpg fuel economy. And it benefits from the same dynamic advantages as the standard model.

One possible criticism concerns the Sport's firm ride, which certainly helps you feel the road more through your backside than before. This will suit some owners, but those after magic carpet comfort should look elsewhere.

An improved interior means that, even in its most basic trim, the Sport is a much more luxurious place to spend time than the outgoing model. The upgraded leather on the seats, the soft-touch textiles and the array of electronic equipment makes an immediate impression.

There's also less clutter on the dashboard, with control of most of the car's systems transferred to a TFT touchscreen display mounted within the centre console - one of 1,500 new parts that make up the interior of this new model.

Other new toys include five cameras to assist with parking, providing a 360-degree view of the car when reversing, and a system that detects oncoming cars and dips the headlights for you. An impressive multimedia system with screens in the rear should also help keep all occupants entertained on long journeys and there are heated and cooled seats all round.