CARVERSAL

Land Rover has just released details about its new performance-oriented 635-horsepower Range Rover Sport SV. It is the latest project from the JLR’s special vehicles team and is considered their most technologically advanced and dynamic SUV yet.

Design Cues

As for its design, it introduces subtle design changes over its regular sport model, including wider front and rear tracks, increased camber, a revamped front bumper with an all-new grille, side skirts, and a rear bumper that is integrated with the functional quad exhaust system.

The front treatment of the SUV is mainly introduced to satisfy the cooling requirements of the V8 engine and brakes. Range Rover provides the Sport SV with their first ceramic brakes kit, eight-piston calipers, and 23-inch carbon fiber wheels as optional extras. The kit reduces the SUV’s upsprung mass by 70kg over the regular Sport. As for its weight, considering its standard cast-iron rotors and 23-inch forged alloy wheels, the unladen weight comes out to be 2,560 kg.

The carbon-fiber treatment comes as optional in the SUV. The treatment includes carbon fiber integration on its bonnet, interior, and outer trims. The customer also receives an option to remove the front splitter to make it more suitable for rugged terrain by improving its approach angle. The Land Rover’s terrain-response system has also been retained as an option on the SUV.

Dimensions and Platform

The Chassis of the regular sport has been adapted from the traditional sport and sits 10mm lower than before due to its performance-based orientation. It also features air suspension incorporated in its new linked hydraulic system. This system is unlike the system used in modern supercars. The unit isn’t just diagonally linked across the car but is also directly linked left, right, front, and rear to help contain its pitch and roll movements.

Due to this, there are no mechanical anti-roll bars. Still, Special Vehicles says that the system is potent. The previous Sports had the 48V anti-roll bar system, which is claimed to be able to put a total force of 1600Nm into the anti-roll system. However, this system can produce 2300Nm into the roll control and 4000Nm into the pitch control. JLR says the SV can pull 1.1g laterally, which leans only 3.5-4 degrees.

The SV comes with all-season tires, unlike the SVR, which uses regular-summer tires as standard. The tires in the SV are factor-fit all-season Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S- 285/40 R23s at the front and 305/35 R23s at the rear.

The Range Rover SV also comes with an electronic rear differential and active rear steer as standard to support its sport modes and effectively put out the performance. The steering ratio has also been quickened from 17.5:1 to 13.6:1.

Interior

Coming to its interior, the SV offers new seats with integrated head restraints, which can be specified in leather or technical fabric. The steering wheel also has a unique design with less circumference than before, a thicker rim, and delicate hand positions. It is also integrated with the SV button to activate the SV or the personalized drive mode.

The head restraints are also available in the rear row, but other than that, the interior architecture of the SUV largely remains the same as before. The Transducers can be optionally fitted in the backs of the front seats to provide more surround to its music system. The music system of the SUV is developed in collaboration with SubPack, which is responsible for the tech of the Transducers.

The 635-hp V8’s specifications

The SV pushes out 635 hp and 800 Nm of torque from its 4.4L BMW-sourced V8, twin-turbo integrated and incorporated mild hybrid tech. For comparison, the previous SVR was supercharged and produced just 575 hp with its bulkier 5.0L V8. The SV can do 0-96 kph in 3.6 seconds and reach a top speed of 290 kph. It can also drive on four wheels with the help of its 8-speed automatic gearbox.

JLR is also planning to launch the Range Rover EV version next year. The Land Rover Discovery Sport, Range Rover Sport, Evoque, and Velar are also going electric by 2025.

Production Schedule

JLR says the first year of production, comprising exclusive Edition 1 models, is already sold out. The first overseas customer deliveries will be before the end of this year. All Edition 1 units are being sold through invitations only.