2017 Range Rover Sport (Facelift) spotted up close

Expected to go on sale in first half of 2017.

Introduced at the 2013 New York International Auto Show, the second-gen Range Rover Sport will be due for a facelift next year. A new spy shot published by Punto Kilometrico blog gives an early look at the car which will take in soft changes.

The 2017 Range Rover Sport is expected to get subtle styling updates on the outside. New honeycomb design grille, updated air intakes, vertical fog lights and restyled bumper should be the changes on the front. It's yet unknown what changes will be seen on the sides, if indeed there are any. The rear-end could be updated with new tail light graphics and bumper, which are not reflected yet on spy images.

The interior changes of the Range Rover Sport may include an updated infotainment system with new upholstery and trim. Land Rover has upgraded the screen to a 10-inch unit this year, but further enhancements to the InControl Touch Pro system are reportedly on the way. It wouldn't be a surprise if Land Rover threw in a few more amenities for added luxury, following the semi-autonomous features, new colour options and the fatigue detection system that were brought in this year.

Also See: Camou-free 2017 Land Rover Discovery spotted out in the UK

The 2017 Range Rover Sport should march ahead with the 2.0- to 4.4-litre turbodiesel engines and the 3.0- and 5.0-litre supercharged petrol engines. These are paired to an 8-speed automatic transmission as standard in the current model, and the ZF 9HP 9-speed transmission from the Evoque is ruled out, as it is not compatible with Land Rovers having longitudinally mounted engines. Needless to say, all Range Rover Sport models are four-wheel drive.

The facelifted Range Rover Sport is expected in the UK market in the first half of 2017, and its SVR variant will follow. Land Rover could also program the launch in the same timeline as the Mercedes S-Class facelift's rollout.

[Image Source: Punto Kilometrico]