Range Rover has a habit of making some quite lairy four-wheel drives. The previous-generation Sport SVR, after all, was one of the go-to models for drivers after a high-riding SUV that could out-accelerate a lot of supercars and make a real clatter from the exhaust while it did so. It was immensely popular, too, which is probably why Range Rover has returned to create a go-faster model of its current Sport with this – the SV.
But while it might’ve been tempting to bung a large engine into the Sport and leave it at that, Range Rover has given the SV a far more comprehensive series of upgrades to make this car as sharp and as capable as ever – without losing any of the well-regarded aspects that you’d expect from a ‘traditional’ Range Rover.
There’s a lot more going on here than just a slightly beefed-up exterior. There are some particularly eye-catching design features available on the SV; new 23-inch carbon fibre wheels which shave 76kg off the car’s weight, hydraulic interlinked suspension that keeps the ride controlled during all types of driving and there’s even ‘in-car sensory audio technology’ that can make your seat vibrate in the same tempo as the track you’re listening to.
The SV acts as a halo for the entire Sport range, too, and while a limited run has sold out entirely, Range Rover has said that ‘if there is demand, they’ll build more’ – so we’d bank on plenty of these rolling out from the factory in the future.