New 615hp Range Rover SV Black completes set
Sport SV Black too aggressive? OCTA Black too off-roady? Land Rover finally goes full-fat
Never let it be said that JLR doesn’t give the customer what they want. Following the Range Rover Sport SV Black, then the Defender OCTA Black - not to mention black with even more black already being a colourway possibility for all the models - there’s now a full-fat Range Rover SV Black as well. Going to be a moody stand at Festival of Speed this year, that’s for sure.
SV Black spec hardly feels worth repeating now - it’s the ‘darkest, stealthiest Range Rover ever created’; the wheels are 23s, the shifter is satin black ceramic and there’s Moonlight Chrome detailing throughout the interior, alongside black birch veneers. Unlike the recently announced Blacks, there is a choice of bodystyles for this one; both the Short Wheelbase version (£188,025) and Long Wheelbase (£204,925) are powered by the 615hp, 4.4-litre twin turbo V8.
Arguably of more interest are the revisions to the ‘regular’ flagship SV model. Engine choice remains between the V8 or the straight-six hybrid - 550hp in the SWB, 460hp in the LWB - with a selection then to be made between the ‘bold and dynamic’ SV Intrepid theme or the ‘pure, elevated luxury’ of SV Serenity.
Standard kit now includes Body and Soul Seats (they use BASS so you can as well), with six wellness programmes; they also help occupants to feel music as they pulse to a rhythm, a sensation which can be enhanced in the SV with new Sensory Floor tech. The AI-enhanced, SV-specific sensory audio option, standard on LWB models, puts transducers under the floor for those onboard to feel the music through their feet in the deep pile carpets (as well as their body in the seats) for an even more immersive experience. The relaxation programmes work with it as well. Does sound quite smart - it’s surely going to be an option ticked more often than not with the BASS standard.
New tyres are coming for the SV as well, albeit just on selected 22s for the moment. They’re Pirelli P Zeroes with more than 70 per cent bio-based and recycled materials in their construction, including rice husks and recycled steel. So don’t go replacing them with budget rubber at the first MOT.
The standard SV starts at £161,865 for the P550e of regular wheelbase; the long boy is from £178,290 for the P460e. Those cars are available to order now, with the Black following later in 2025. So there are bargains aplenty in the classifieds: this delivery mileage SV looks fab at £137,500. We can even do black on black, if you really must…
When are manufacturers going to call time on ‘Black Editions’ probably when ‘sports people’ and ‘rappers’ stop buying them, so not anytime soon.
While many high end SUV’s are doubtless very capable as a luxury conveyance or a commensurate mud chugger, few look the part.
The couple that do, belong to different ends of the of the pack Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, and the Range Rover Sport, they do share one thing in common, they look great in any (primer Grey inc) colour, except black.
Murdered out colour aside, the killer for me is the size and weight. It's simply too heavy and large. I'll never want, or drive, something that is so massive. I'd be much happier with a Renault 5 EV. If image was your thing, I'd much rather have the R5 on the drive than this.
Sad, as I remember Rangies being a car of elegance, driven by posh people.
Now! almost every time I see one, there's trouble looming. Aggressive drivers, who are either Rappers or Albanian Gangstas, or people trying to look like one or the other in order to make people fear them.
But obviously JLR are happy with their new market and are making money.
In the UK there are 615 footballers in the Premier League. In the States, there are 1696 NFL players, 450 NBA players and 1200 MLB players. When it comes to rappers, there are less than 50 in the UK who could afford a car like this (a lot more in the States could afford it but most of them aren't buying Range Rovers - they're more likely to go for a Tahoe, Escalade or a Navigator). Even if every single one of the aforementioned bought this model, or indeed any black coloured Range Rover, which they clearly do not, less than 4100 buyers is tiny compared to the amount of sales JLR have had for the Range Rover and I'm pretty confident more than 4100 Range Rovers sold were black coloured cars.
The fact is the majority of buyers for this car, the Rolls-Royce Black Editions or any other black-on-black cars are neither sports people nor rappers. Where do you get this utterly ridiculous idea from?
“The fact is the majority of buyers for this car, the Rolls-Royce Black Editions or any other black-on-black cars are neither sports people nor rappers. Where do you get this utterly ridiculous idea from?”
I stated ‘sports people” not footballers, those associated with sport. But I agree, it is a lazy stereotype. However, seeing as you appear to have an insight into the demographic of the average buyer, maybe you’d like to share them with us, so you’re no longer subjected to outdated waffle.
Slightly left-field, but kind of makes sense.
But two years later, they're doing company-wide all-black "Editions"? Why? Surely to make these brands actually stand alone there should some element of distinct brand and product strategy - instead we've ended up with Narvik Black variations-on-a-theme all announced within days of each other.
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