There was never any doubt, really, about a second generation of Range Rover Sport SVR. The original was hugely popular, if the number seen in the classifieds (or doing 110 down the M40) is anything to by. And with very good reason: it was a brilliant fast SUV. It would comfortably go further off-road than most buyers would ever need, yet also deliver an engaging, charismatic, and highly capable on-road drive. It looked great, too. Perhaps it didn’t have the nicest image in the world - cheerily acknowledged, internally - but which of these super SUVs does? If you could afford it, the SVR was one heck of a nice way to travel.
Its replacement has now been confirmed, and it’s going to be a Range Rover Sport SV - that missing ‘R’ is important, too. Previous SVR models, like the old Sport and the Jaguar F-Type, were rowdy and rude performance cars; those with the SV badge have a stronger focus on luxury, and are typically found on big-boy Range rovers. Oh sure, the promise for this new model is for the ‘fastest, most dynamic and technologically advanced Range Rover Sport ever’, but that new name will surely bring with it a shift in remit. As will likely suit what is a more opulent Sport than ever. Not to mention JLR's efforts to become the world’s leading modern luxury car maker.
Indeed, the idea of the fastest RRS as an executive express rather than a high-riding hot rod is reflected in the launch strategy. To begin with, the new SV will be offered by invitation only (yep, really), with a limited-edition specification. Read: expensive. The old SVR launched at £93,000 and was a £125,000 prospect once it signed off as an Ultimate Edition; we’d expect the new model to cost at least that, if not somewhere closer to £150k, given what the standard Sport costs and its by-invitation status.
And, it should be said, given the car that’s promised. Land Rover insists that the Range Rover Sport SV will ‘introduce a number of innovative world-first, sector-first and Range Rover-first technologies that unlock the assertive model’s full performance potential’. Which sets the bar pretty high, given the standard car is already a very, very good SUV, and the old SVR was far better to drive than it had any real right to. The best bits of those two would be a mighty performance flagship. Expect around 600hp from BMW V8 for starters, and, according to the video, the ability to oversteer on a variety of surfaces. We’ll know for certain when the new Range Rover Sport SV is revealed on May 31st.
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