In this day and age, culture drives a lot of conspicuous consumption across the globe. Whether you're based in Los Angeles or Russia, there's a good chance that the Kardashian/Jenner clan has made an impact on some of society's decision making in regards to luxury purchases.
It sounds a bit sad, doesn't it? Well, unfortunately, this is the world we live in.
Range Rover SVR and Jaguar F-Type
Because of this, certain products have risen to fame off the direct and indirect endorsements from surgically enhanced, plump lips and suspect derrières. Land Rover's more high-end line of vehicles, Range Rover, has fallen victim to this. Has it hurt the brand? It depends on who you ask but what's evident is that the company's vehicles are in exceedingly high demand, with long waiting lists and buyers clamoring to get their hands on them.
And with the competition spitting out AMG sport-utility vehicles and things like the BMW X5M and X6M, it only makes sense for Land Rover's Range Rover to step up to the plate. Although the press has largely derided the 500 plus horsepower SUV as "nonsensical," buyers simply can't seem to get enough of them.
This neatly brings us to our subject, the Land Rover Range Rover Sport SVR. While you may already be familiar with the Range Rover Sport, those last three letters are staggeringly important. That's because this is a much more masculine slant on an already beefed-up SUV.
Range Rover SVR and Jaguar F-Type
The SVR is a newly developed product that was the brainchild of Jaguar Land Rover's (JLR) Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) group. Although I am sure some would characterize this as a skunkworks operation, the reality is it is a formal effort by the automaker. It has brought forth already legendary products in form of the Jaguar E-Type Lightweight Continuation as well as the Jaguar F-Type Project 7. For Land Rover, the first model is the Range Rover Sport SVR.
Walking around the SVR, you will note that it looks especially aggressive over the standard Sport model. That's because JLR ensured that it would be differentiated thanks to its new front clip, rear diffuser with integrated quad-tipped exhaust, new wheel and tire package and blue painted Brembo brake calipers. My test vehicle was specified with a black paint job that made this Range Rover look like especially sinister.
My Range Rover Sport SVR looked like the bad guy in action flicks.
Opening the door to the SVR, you're confronted with a lot of hide, carbon fiber and metal accents. What wannabe racers will adore are the race-inspired seats lifted straight out of the Jaguar F-Type. Not only are they more supportive as they feature more aggressive bolstering in the key places — yes, they are inflatable — they also look quite good with their integrated headrest and ability to be equipped with racing harnesses — I doubt anyone will ever actually use the seats in this manner.
In the second row you'll note that the rear seats get some minor bolstering but probably not anything that would really help in serious cornering. Space is passable but it's not the most roomy backseat in the history of Land Rover. If you want more breathability between passengers and more legroom, the reality is you're going to have to step up to the big daddy Range Rover. For an excess of space, you'll want to check out the long-wheelbase variant — it's a personal favorite.
Equipped with a supercharged, V8 engine that puts out a rather adequate 550 horsepower and just over 500 lb.-ft. of torque, you can say grunt isn't much of a concern. Mated to this mill is an eight-speed automatic. When put into Sport mode, it switches gears quite fast for a "slushbox" — very impressive work here. Zero to 60 happens in a spritely 4.5 seconds. Considering the SVR weighs in at over 5,100 pounds, this is an accomplishment.
Though this sounds mighty impressive, we haven't even gotten to the staggering parts yet.
Much like the Jaguar F-Type that this Range Rover shares parts with, the SVR makes a magical V8 sound. Not only is it loud, it has the most delightful quirks. Without the exhaust "open" — you can liven it up at the touch of a button — it has a rumbly and bassy tone. Light up the pipes though and you've got a beast that requires taming. The thing is that you can't. Letting off the throttle you're sure to hear an array of pops and bangs on the overrun and when you touch the go pedal to feed the motor you'll hear another bang. To say that this Range Rover has character would be an understatement. Two thumbs up, Jaguar Land Rover!
And though this vehicle weighs in at over two and half tons, it can be put on twisty roads for a bit of fun. It's certainly not the same fun as a sports car as the SVR has a much higher center of gravity and hasn't been on a balanced diet, but you'll be sure to giggle here and there when you get the tires squealing as they struggle to find traction.
What isn't funny is the stern warning on the visors making it very clear there is increased rollover risk. I don't recall that being there on the standard Sport. Although I personally feel you'd have to be trying very hard to achieve that feat, the warning is there for a reason. The SVR may sound like an F-Type and it may have the same engine but it's definitely not the same thing.
There are other reminders that this is a large SUV. Take, for example, the brakes that have extremely long pedal travel. I had to apply much more pressure than I would have expected in a vehicle equipped with a nice set of Brembos. Honestly, this was one of the SVR's sour points for me as a vehicle with this much power and heft should have more immediate stopping power. This was not an issue in a BMW X5M I recently drove.
Range Rover SVR and Jaguar F-Type
As noted before, you can push the Range Rover in the corners but I am not sure how long you'll want to. That's because as I've noted before, it does weigh a lot. That means you feel that weight wherever you go with the SVR. While other automakers building high horsepower SUVs have been able to make their products feel more nimble, that isn't the case with the menacing Land Rover. It feels much more like a tank, which is great for around town motoring but bad for when you want to hit some apexes.
The good news, however, is that the vault-like experience I describe does translate well when you're in New York City. Land Rover always provides a driving position that's up high so you can see all four corners of the vehicle — remember, these are purpose-built off-roading vehicles. Driving down Manhattan's 14th Street I felt like the king of the castle. While driving through a torrential rain storm, I realized that all hell could be breaking loose outside of the vehicle yet I would not care. I'd just raise the suspension to its highest level, dial up the music's volume and mosey on over to my destination.
Ride quality is better over the competition as the SVR is able to absorb bumps much better. Once and a blue moon you'll get caught off guard by a rogue dimple in the pavement, but they are few and far between. Rather than feel like an SUV mimicking a sport car's suspension it seems like Land Rover didn't change much in this department. This means you get essentially the same ride as you would in a standard Range Rover Sport — this is a good thing. It's a nice, isolated feeling that prioritizes comfort over feeling every crevice in the tarmac.
For me though, I think I'd rather not have the SVR. That's because at its price of $111,350* I could have a big daddy Range Rover long wheelbase. While the Sport SVR sure does let me have some laughs, at the end of the day it's not differentiated enough over the standard Sport for me to lose sleep over it. And when we're talking dollar for dollar, there's nothing quite like the long wheelbase flagship.
*This price does NOT include title, taxes and fees.
The LWB does everything you think it'd do, but better. And that's what I'd want out of my Range Rover. Unfortunately, the SVR just feels a bit too much like it's trying to be something it's not.
The Good:
- Power! The Sport SVR has a 550 horsepower V8 and eight-speed auto that are shared with the F-Type
- Also like the F-Type, this vehicle likes to make its presence known via pops and bangs on the overrun and throttle tip in — it's a lovely, lovely thing
- Because it's a Land Rover, it has an excellent and high driver's position so you can see all four corners, and feel completely at ease no matter where you're wheeling and dealing
The Bad:
- I don't believe its driving experience is really all that differentiated over the standard Range Rover Sport
- The brakes are a pretty big let down requiring significant pressure to get adequate feedback — would be nice to have more confidence in them when piloting something with this much power and heft
- Can be pushed into the twisties but you will feel its high center of gravity, heft and hear its screeching tires
The Lowdown:
The Land Rover Range Rover Sport SVR will go down in history due to its low production volume as well as the fact it's the company's fastest vehicle to date. It looks incredibly bad ass and, as expected, has a gorgeous interior. Unfortunately it still uses the old-school JLR infotainment display but I've ragged on that so much that even I am tired of talking about it. The bigger problem with the Sport SVR is that it's not sporty enough and it's not as much of a Range Rover as it should be — it could have a better ride and while the F-Type's seats are cool in theory, they're not the most comfortable for long hauls. Although I love the exhaust note, personally, I'd pass on the SVR. If I want a sporty 550+ horsepower SUV I'd take the BMW X5M as it feels much more nimble/purpose-built — relatively speaking here — and if I wanted a proper Range Rover I'd get the big daddy Rover at this price point.
Range Rover SVR and Jaguar F-Type
