Range Rover fits luxury, performance into diesel-powered Sport HSE Td6

The Volkswagen scandal, combined with dirt-cheap gas prices, hasn’t been good news for diesel-powered vehicles lately.

But diesels have been popular for decades in Europe and with good reasons - as the technology has improved in recent years, the power and fuel economy of diesels has gone up, while emissions have gone down.

And diesels work especially well in light-duty trucks, where their plentiful torque can be put to good use.

An excellent case in point in the new 2016 Range Rover Sport HSE Td6. Yes, that’s kind of a verbose title. But it’s an excellent idea: Marry a beefy Range Rover luxury SUV with a powerful and efficient diesel engine.

New for the 2016 model year, the 3.0-liter Td6 turbo V-6 diesel engine produces 254 horsepower and generates 440 lb-ft. of torque at just 1,750 rpm. That’s more than 100 additional lb.-ft. of torque compared with the conventional V-6 engine.

And since the big torque comes in at low RPMs, this engine is an especially good choice for towing heavy loads or going off road.

The fuel mileage is impressive, too: According to the EPA, the Range Rover Sport HSE Td6 delivers economy of 22 miles per gallon in the city, 29 mpg on the highway and 25 mpg combined. For an SUV this big and luxurious, that’s very, very good - 32 percent better than the gasoline-powered V-6. The range on a tank of diesel fuel is 658 miles.

Best of all, you don’t even really notice it’s a diesel. Acceleration from a standing start to 60 miles per hour takes a mere 7.1 seconds. With the all the low-end torque, you never feel short on power.

While Range Rovers have well-earned reputations for durability in the harshest conditions, the best feature might be the comfortable and spacious interior.

As in most of the brand’s vehicles, you sit up nice and high, with a commanding view of the road and excellent visibility at all four corners, which makes for a better sense of confidence while driving.

If you’ve driven any Range Rover or Jaguar model in the last couple of years, the display screen that controls the audio, navigation and HVAC systems is a breeze. It’s intuitive, simple and far less complicated than those of some European luxury cars.

The seats are firm but not hard, and the leather upholstery is first rate. Range Rover doesn’t cut any corners on the interior trim bits, either: This looks and feels like the premium vehicle that it is.

Speaking of premiums, naturally this is not an inexpensive vehicle. The Range Rover Sport HSE Td6 carries a base price of $71,450, but from there it’s easy to drive the price up - way up - in a hurry.

Our tester came equipped with the Front Climate Comfort & Visibility package at $2,620; Driver Assistance package at $2,900; Extra Duty Package, $1,750 and the excellent 825-watt Meridian Premium audio system at $1,850.

Throw in a few more options and our test Range Rover stickered out at $84,610. That’s real money.

Then again, the Range Rover Sport HSE Td6 has power, security and comfort. And I continue to be surprised by how many heads it turned. This one is a winner made that much better by the diesel option.