Range Rover Sport SV Edition 1 2024 Review | First Drive

The Range Rover Sport SVR was an incredibly successful halo model. It sold well, it made money and the owners loved it. It was an effervescent thing, fizzing with character, if not the kind of objective polish to challenge rival machinery from Porsche and BMW. It was also the product of a confused era for JLR’s Special Vehicle Operations division, but it cultivated the adoration of owners and onlookers alike.

It’s that loving legacy that we think has in part informed the immediate success of its follow-up, the all-new Range Rover Sport SV. We say immediate, because it was. With just 2,500 units earmarked for production, prospective owners were invited by Range Rover to partake. Before the car was even announced, knowing not what it was to look like or any specifications whatsoever, these invitees sold the thing out in a flash, even with a starting price of no less than – I hope you’re sitting down – £171,000. If you look at Land Rover’s configurator now, the figure reads £185,000.

This is a huge moment for JLR, not just because this is the successor to one of its most beloved models but because it needs to be the four-wheeled manifestation of a new-found focus within SVO. It needs to take the top-flight Sport from soft-focus super SUV, to dynamic powerhouse, while retaining the rowdy charm of its predecessor. Above all else, it needs to be worth that asking price which, incidentally, tops the next most expensive Range Rover Sport by some £50-£70,000.

The proof, therefore, must be in the driving and drive it we have, on the rutted roads of the Algarve, the smooth billowing Portimao Circuit and on a mountain top off road course. 

All that being said, curbside appeal and inimitable style are the Range Rover brand’s enduring cornerstones. There’s no denying that what is on the surface and the associated status is hugely important. Consider too the difficult task of integrating sporting pretense and aggression, into this refreshed, deliberately minimalist monolithic, upwardly mobile design language.

Happily the SV carefully treads the fine line between too little and too much, reinterpreting and refining some of that rough-and-tumble SVR DNA for what is a more sophisticated car. Bigger vents join big wheels, big brakes, big exhausts and carbon touches everywhere, including the bonnet if you so choose. But this is not the bitten thumb at the likes of Khan and Overfinch that the old SVR used to be. 

Will some miss the SVR’s more outlandish edge? Maybe. But the new SV is truer to Range Rover’s maturing brand image, with more of the go and less of the show. It looks more like an OEM creation than the product of a tuner’s fever dream.

To look at it, you know it’s the expensive one, you know it’s the fast one; it looks the business, so that’s the job done.

So what about under the skin? What’s new? This is where the real hard work has been put in. So let’s count it down. How about entirely bespoke, McLaren-style variable hydraulically linked suspension, joining at the rear an entirely bespoke subframe? How about a limited-slip differential, carbon ceramic brakes (a Range Rover first) and the option of 23-inch carbon fibre wheels (a world first)? It all rather gives us hope that this could be the first Range Rover Sport to properly duff up the contemporary high-performance Porsche Cayenne.

Though as you hit the start button and prod the throttle, an elephant appears in the room, for us and for SVR loyalists. The engine – also new – is a BMW M-sourced, SVO-fettled 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8, not dissimilar in configuration and output to that found in the BMW M5. I will say unfortunately too, that it’s also not dissimilar in character. SVO has obviously come up with its own exhaust system and this car does improve on the flat sound of the M5, with discernibly V8 vocals. But they’re nothing like the hot rod soundtrack of the old blown 5.0-litre lump.

That however, is where the less-than-favourable comparisons start and end where this car and the SVR are concerned. This engine is torquier, more versatile and more powerful. With some 635PS and 750Nm, it’s an absolute powerhouse of a thing, getting this 2.5-tonne monster up the road like no Land Rover or Range Rover I’ve seen or driven before. 

With prodigious power comes the need for a degree of control and indeed, that’s where all the new supporting hardware comes in. It’s in no way an exaggeration to say that this 6D Dynamics suspension system is utterly transformative. In terms of the way this car handles a road – from the smoothest of European stretches to the most English of rutted rubble – and in terms of the breadth of its capability, it’s utterly central to the SV experience and indeed, that lofty price. 

It just feels expensive, sophisticated and yields a level of mass control that’s entirely out of sorts for a car of this type full stop, let alone one with a Range Rover badge. This system to the dynamic abilities of the Range Rover Sport is like an Iron Man suit to the combat ability of King Henry VIII. It’s what elevates it into an erena with the Cayenne Turbo GT and DBX707.

The system does away with traditional anti-roll bars, instead utilising four multi-valve hydraulically-linked continuously variable semi-active dampers in tandem with switchable volume air springs. This means fine control can be exerted over the car’s pitch and roll and the result is dramatically reduced heave under acceleration, similarly slashed dive under braking and fine body control.

Conversely, driving on the road in a relaxed manner, the whole thing slackens off, managing road imperfections beautifully, even by comparison with a normal Range Rover Sport. If you want a perfect comprimise with with a touch of excitement, that retains some sporting control, suspension, steering and gearbox in Dynamic, engine in SV via the individual mode.

SV mode drops the already 10mm lower SV by another 15mm. That in turn works with the car’s hard geometry to yield more camber and therefore, a bigger tyre contact patch under cornering load. Meanwhile hydraulic pressure is up by 51 per cent, and therefore associated roll and pitch control is improved. It also sharpens the throttle mapping, steering and winds off the traction and stability control with the more lenient TracDSC programme.

The result is that on a track this high-riding SUV develops a character more akin to a fast estate car. The way its mass is controlled through Portimao’s sweeping climbs and drops is borderline absurd. During the course of this the new carbon ceramic brakes also come into play. Sporting 440mm and 390mm front and rear discs, with eight-piston front callipers, they chew away at the numbers on the speedo with a reassuring ferocity, corner after corner. Happily, the clever suspension maintains absolute balance and stability in total concert with the brakes, too.

The balance of the chassis is decidedly neutral. Turn-in is positively willing thanks to the seamlessly-integrated rear-steer, while on-power rotation is always an option thanks to the active locking rear limited-slip diff. As much became abundantly obvious particularly through sector three and as you tumble through the final turn onto Portimao’s Start/Finish straight. Get your exit right and the twin-turbo V8 will slingshot the Range Rover Sport SV to 150mph before you’re braking for turn one. Given a long enough straight this thing will stomp up to 180mph. 

If I were to criticise anything? The engine has a very soft limiter and combined with the eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox that’s not quite the perfect dual-clutch impressionist, getting to know your shift points is a must. That engine really doesn’t have a hunger for revs like rivals from Aston Martin and Lamborghini. On the road and indeed on the track, too, the steering, while much quicker than standard Range Rover variants, didn’t weight up as I might have liked given the forces the Sport SV can now conjure and the lack of feel left me a little in the dark. 

But these critiques say nothing of this car’s incredible, inescapable capability. It took a few moments to digest the fact that this was a Range Rover doing all this stuff in such a rounded, cohesive manner. That you can feel the Matt Becker magic (ex-Lotus, ex-Aston Martin) is probably the biggest complement I can pay it.

What was decidedly more Range Rover-like, was its performance on the off-road course, which suffers academically in that it doesn't wade as deep and doesn't ride as high. The SV and its incredible suspension exhibited superb independent articulation – thanks to the lack of mechanical links – prodigious traction management and rocksteady stability. It’s definitely a little short in this arena compared to its Land Rover stablemates but in its segment, amongst Aston Martins, Porsches and Lamborghinis? It’s positively Defender-like.

Full disclosure, the cars on the off-road sections used the SV’s standard-fit all-terrain tyres. The Michelin Pilot Sport S5 tyres on the cars there for dedicated track work won’t be available from first delivery. Secondly, the carbon splitter at the front was removed, which Land Rover advises owners do if off-roading is on the menu. It’s the work of a few moments and six fixings.

The long and the short of it is that between its composure on the road, its retained off-road prowess and its bewildering track capability, this isn’t just the most broadly capable Range Rover ever made. I’d hazard to suggest it’s the most broadly capable machine in its segment.

Is it the best in any one arena? That’s a different question. Comparison to rivals is where things get a bit murky for the Sport SV, especially considering its price, but I’ll get to that.

You might imagine the dynamic stuff is where the SV treatment starts and finishes and truthfully, you’re not too far wrong. It's largely Range Rover Sport as we know it inside but there’s some special stuff going on. Clamber aboard and that expansive infotainment screen is where you left it in the standard Sport, likewise the driver’s display and steering wheel. But Then you see ‘SV’ below the airbag, which illuminates red – along with the see-through paddle tips – when pressed. 

Doing so also brings up the special SV dash mode, which shows speed, revs and a map of how much G force you’ve generated over the course of your drive, both in terms of acceleration deceleration and lateral movement. 

You also note the new seats which feature SV badging and a good bit more support, though perhaps not enough for the very fastest track work.

In terms of trim, it’s all very plush, with swathes of leather, ultrafabrics sustainable textiles, piano black and in our car, carbon and shadow chrome trim. In true Range Rover fashion it’s a rather pleasant place in which to ensconce yourself, with good visibility, a nice glasshouse and plenty of space in the back and boot. Though most of the physical controls feel nice, the odd squeak and rattle does have us wondering if fit, finish and long term durability compared to the Germans is in question.

There are fewer physical controls than on a 'normal' Sport, too, with climate controls now fully – and thankfully, accessably – integrated into the infotainment screen. It does leave the centre console looking a bit, well, naked. We'd like to have seen a nice tactile physical drive mode selector bespoke to the SV, along the lines of those in rival models.

The seats do hide other secrets, though. Called ‘body and soul seats’, they harbor a clever new array of transducers that work with AI to feed your body the music you’re listening to. The car also comes pre-loaded with ‘wellness programmes’ that play curated tracks depending on whether you want to raise alertness or relax. It’s very clever tech but in practice, when you’re just listening to your own music or podcasts, it can feel a little gimmicky. Happily there is also a full massage function as well as heating and cooling.

In terms of options, obviously this is the definition of a top-of-the-line car but some key bits and bobs are boxes you need to tick. Those mad 23-inch carbon-fibre wheels for instance, which save over 35kg in unsprung rotational mass. Otherwise it’s the Range Stormer Concept-esque forged items, which we must say are very pretty themselves. Likewise the incredible carbon ceramic brakes are a big box to tick. Though the steels are fine on the road, there is something to be said for the longevity of carbons, though I’d strongly suggest not picking them if you fancy exploring the rough stuff.

As for the Range Rover Sport’s innate features? The curved touch screen sits nicely suspended above the dash and is powered by Land Rover’s increasingly-excellent Pivi Pro infotainment system. It’s crisp, responsive, intuitive and save for a few menus that don’t want to close on their own, really rather simple to use. Obviously, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are present and correct.

Viewed in isolation and not thinking about price, the Range Rover Sport SV Edition 1 is an astonishing creation. The folks at SVO have outdone themselves, equipping the Range Rover Sport with hardware that allows it to masquerade as a 180mph track car, a compelling sportscar and a mud-plugging Land Rover of old all in one. It’s a crowning achievement of a halo model.

I can’t help but wonder, however, just what the limits of the Range Rover Sport’s upward mobility are. Is this car worth the minimum of £171,000, without all the carbon bits? Technically, it’s very brilliant, but priced thusly, the Sport SV begins to brush shoulders with some very prestigious badges and similarly capable machines. The Aston Martin DBX707 and Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT are arguably the crisper, faster sportscar pretenders and certainly the Aston has the more prestigious badge, expensive look and exciting engine. Then again, that’s to say nothing of just how dedicated the Range Rover-faithful are. These are all sold out after all.

Conversely too the Porsche, nor the Aston, nor a Urus or any other luxo-exotic pretender to SUV supremacy would see which way Range Rover went in the rough stuff and it's probably more relaxed on-road than the exotics. Comfier than a Urus, vastly more engaging than a Bentayga. In short, the Range Rover Sport SV Edition 1 is a consummate Jack of all trades. That it masters none doesn’t diminish its appeal whatsoever. That its price tag is approaching that of some supercars definitely does, if not to the people that really matter: the ones that are taking delivery right now.