Not SVR but SV as Range Rover reveals new 467 kW flagship Sport

MOTORING NEWS - Less than a year after revealing the standard model, Land Rover has taken the wraps off of the flagship version of the new Range Rover Sport that replaces the previous SVR.

Renamed SV after Jaguar-Land Rover’s SV Bespoke customisation division, the newcomer also becomes the most powerful production Land Rover/Range Rover product ever made, as well as the most dynamic according to the Solihull marque.

Aggressive

Aesthetically reworked from the regular Range Rover Sport fitted with the R Dynamic package in the subtlest way possible, the SV receives carbon fibre tipped quad exhaust outlets, a more slanted front facia as a means of improving airflow, new lower side mouldings and carbon fibre detailing on the side air vents, around the grille, bonnet vents and the Range Rover script itself.

As an option, buyers can opt for a full carbon fibre bonnet similar to the erstwhile SVR Carbon Edition, as well as 23-inch carbon fibre alloy wheels that saves 9kg per wheel compared to the standard alloys that also measure 23-inches.

BASS what?

Inside, the changes have been equally as undramatic as apart from SV badges, a black ceramic gear lever, bronze inserts and a first time translucent edge for the shift paddles, Land Rover has fitted what it calls BASS or Body and Soul Seats trimmed in Windsor leather and with illuminated SV backrests.

A first for the marque, the carbon fibre shelled front chairs are the main drawing card of the SV’s interior as, per their designation, optimisation has taken place with the 29-speaker 1 430-watt Meridian sound system to create what Land Rover calls “the most engaging and immersive in-car audio system” ever made.

In practice, the audio uses AI software to scan the type of media being played, while then sending vibrations into the seats themselves for the full “immersive experience”.

According to Land Rover, the seats can also improve mental and physiological wellbeing as together with the Coventry University’s National Transport Design Centre, six specific tracks have been integrated into the audio that works in conjunction with the seats to reduce anxiety and improve blood flow to the heart; cool, poise, soothe, tonic, serene and glow.

Dynamically revised

Outside and underneath, the SV’s attribute as being the most dynamic Range Rover Sport ever made comes by way of a revised chassis and suspension, the latter debuting a world first 6D adaptive setup that removes the need for a rear anti-roll bar in order to better maintain pitch and roll angles.

Able to the drop the SV’s ride height by between 10 mm to 25 mm lower than of the standard Sport, suspension has been designed to work in tandem with All-Wheel Steering system, the Active Torque Vectoring and Active Locking Differential to create what Solihull calls “a more focused, sports car-like driving experience”.

In addition, Land Rover has fitted a new electronic rack for the power steering, constructed a new rear subframe and wrapped the mentioned 285/23 at the front and 305/28 at the rear wheels in Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 tyres.

The final tweak is the fitting of carbon ceramic brakes as standard. A first for any Land Rover model, the Brembo sourced brakes are said to reduce unsprung mass by 34 kg over the standard Sport’s cast-iron steel stoppers, while also featuring an eight-piston caliper setup the front, the biggest ever fitted to any Land Rover or Range Rover product.

While the size of the disc itself wasn’t disclosed, Land Rover did confirm a choice of four colours for the caliper as well as the rear item; black, red, yellow or bronze.

Mild-hybrid in place of supercharged V8

Up front and in spite of Land Rover confirming the extension of production of its iconic 5.0-litre supercharged AJ-V8 back in March, the SV eschews this for the BMW-sourced 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 under the unofficial designation, P635.

The nomenclature provides the biggest hint to the SV’s prowess as the engine, with added 48-volt mild-hybrid assistance, produces 635 pferdestarke (PS) which equates to 467 kW of power and 750 Nm of torque.

Uptakes of 44kW/50Nm over the SVR’s 5.0-litre engine, the Sport SV, despite weighing 2 458 kg, will still get from 0-100 km/h in 3.7 seconds and on to a limited top speed of 290 km/h.

Worth noting though is the mentioned performance has been calculated using the SV’s new Dynamic Launch Mode that keep power unchanged, but ups torque for a few seconds to 800 Nm. As before, drive is routed to all four wheels through the ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic gearbox.

Price

Now available for ordering with deliveries due to occur before the end of the year, pricing for the Range Rover Sport SV is yet to be announced, but expectations are it start around the R3.5-million mark based on the existing P510e Autobiography’s R2 891 000 sticker.

Article: Caxton publication, The Citizen

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