Range Rover Sport SV: with greetings from BMW

With the addition of “SV,” Range Rover removes the “R” from the type designation of the most powerful variant in the Range Rover Sport range. So less is more in this case, because with its 635 hp and 750 Nm of torque, the new 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 is 60 hp and 50 Nm stronger than the 5.0-liter supercharged V8 from the previous SVR. The title of this piece gives it away: Range Rover is buying the new V8 with mild-hybrid technology from BMW. That does not mean, however, that the English sat back quietly for the rest, quite the contrary. The new Range Rover Sport SV features all kinds of smart technology that, according to the brand, make it not only the most powerful, but also the most dynamic Range Rover ever.

A generous dash of sports sauce

Taking a virtual lap around the new Range Rover Sport SV, the first thing that catches the eye are the huge air intakes in the front bumper and the cooling slots in the carbon fiber hood. These styling elements not only look cool, but they are much needed to properly cool the mighty V8. Viewed from the side and rear, on the other hand, the SV looks relatively modest. On the side is an additional carbon fiber lip under the sill, and at the rear, the SV is identified by its four exhausts. However, a fierce diffuser is missing, which we think is more in keeping with Range Rover’s image.

Of course, the Range Rover Sport SV stands on American pizza-sized wheels. In fact, you can get optional 23-inch(!) carbon fiber wheels. Behind these wheels is a Carbon Ceramic Matrix braking system – also optional – from Brembo. If you check all these weight-saving options, the SV weighs up to 76 kilograms less than the Range Rover Sport P530. Small beer in the world of SUVs, but fine nonetheless.

Interior Range Rover Sport SV

Inside, the details in particular make the Range Rover Sport SV special. Up front, you sit on SV Performance seats with integrated headrests and a racy design that offers more lateral support. This is no luxury given the SUV’s dynamic potential, but more on that later. The outer seats in the back seat also have the integrated headrests. Taking a seat behind the wheel, you’ll see a red glowing SV logo between the lower spokes of the steering wheel and large, transparent shift paddles. The layout of the dashboard is otherwise the same as the other Range Rover Sport versions.

Just under 300 km/h

With its monstrous power output, it comes as no real surprise that the Range Rover Sport SV achieves rather blistering performance. The sprint to 100 km/h is squeaked by in 3.8 seconds and the mastodon thunders on – if you dare – to a whopping 290 km/h. But these numbers really only tell part of the story. After all, the SV doesn’t just go fast straight, it goes at least as fast around corners. This is entirely due to the SUV’s clever suspension technology, which can achieve transverse acceleration of up to 1.1G.

Sit back and take a moment, because the number of systems present is considerable. We note Intelligent All-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Steering, Torque Vectoring by Braking and an Active Rear Locking Differential. With these systems, the SV pushes you through corners almost as if by itself. But then we haven’t yet covered the most special aspect of the suspension: the 6D Dynamics damping system. In it, Range Rover combines hydraulic shock absorbers with height-adjustable air suspension and pitch control. This allows the body’s rolling movements to be suppressed even more effectively without sacrificing comfort, and the car is more stable on the road. So stable, in fact, that Range Rover says the system makes conventional stabilizer bars unnecessary.

Updates to the entire Range Rover Sport range.

In addition to the introduction of the ultra-powerful range topper, the other variants of the Range Rover Sport also benefit from a model-year update. One of the most interesting additions is that the plug-in hybrid variants get more power. The P550e and P460e replace the P510e and P440e. The new type designations say it all: the P550e has 550 hp, the P460e kicks it up to 460 hp. The Range Rover Sport also gets a new version of the Pivi Pro infotainment system and Adaptive Cruise Control has been enhanced with new Country Road Assist technology. This system uses navigation data to automatically adjust speed when Adaptive Cruise Control is activated.

Price Range Rover Sport SV

The price of the Range Rover Sport SV has not yet been announced, but count on the fact that the BPM surcharge is not going to be mellow due to the amount of CO2 the V8 spews out. The fact that the Range Rover Sport SV emits 15 percent less CO2 than before due to the addition of mild-hybrid technology does little to change that. In short: those who want to be fast must suffer financial pain.