Few vehicles undergo such a dramatic change between generations as that of the new 2014 Range Rover Sport as well as its Range Rover sibling that was launched last year.

Land Rover started with a clean sheet design for both vehicles and the investment has paid off in spades.

Looking at just the 2014 Range Rover Sport, the new model improves significantly upon the previous model's formula with quicker acceleration, greater agility and most importantly lighter weight--to the tune of 800 pounds.

The key is its aluminum chassis, which features a design flexible enough to allow even more engines, the option of 5+2 seating split over three rows, and soon a high-performance variant possibly delivering as much as 550 horsepower.

In the SE and HSE models buyers will find a supercharged 3.0-liter V-6, rated at 340 horsepower, and in the Supercharged and Autobiography models they’ll find a supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 good for 510 horsepower.

With these attributes, it’s little wonder Land Rover is proclaiming the new Range Rover Sport as its fastest, most responsive and most agile vehicle it’s ever launched.

Though we’ve already seen the vehicle in person, as well as configured our own personal version, this is the first time we’re seeing it in action. From what little we see, the performance certainly looks promising, and now we can’t wait to get behind the wheel.