Range Rover Sport SV debuts at 2023 Festival of Speed

The BMW-sourced 4.4-litre petrol V8 produces 60PS (44kW) and 50Nm more than its 5.0-litre supercharged V8 forebear, which is good for 0-60mph in 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 180mph. Maximum torque is available momentarily when launch control is engaged. Reigning in the torque and power is a new hydraulic interlinked air suspension, a world first in linking front to back and side to side. Range Rover promises a near-level stance while cornering from the height-adjustable air springs. The car rides 10mm to 25mm lower than the previous Range Rover Sport depending on which driving mode is selected via the SV button on the steering wheel. New rear subframe and suspension links combine with revised geometry to match the handling prowess to its straight-line firepower.

It’s also the first Range Rover to have the option of carbon ceramic brakes. Either with or without the carbon ceramic discs, the Sport SV has Brembo eight-piston callipers – the biggest ever brakes fitted to a Range Rover. The pistons themselves are arranged in a cross shape to enhance their efficiency.

In dropping the ‘R’ of its SVR predecessor, the SV also has a more subtle appearance. Visual clues to the surprisingly subtle SV include what Range Rover describes as an ‘airflow enhanced front end’ which is balanced by reprofiled and lower body sides. At the back, functional exhaust tips. There’s no tailpipe fakery going on here. Adding to the aesthetic are the optional carbon fibre wheels. At 23 inches, they’re the largest carbon fibre wheels to be fitted to a production car and save a total of 35.6kg compared to the standard cast alloy alternatives. More carbon fibre is available for the bonnet (with an exposed centre section) and smaller areas of trim both inside and outside the car.

Not that weight reduction is ever a prime consideration with a Range Rover. With the standard wheels and brakes it tips the scales at 2560kg. Inside, it’s business as usual with plush materials and plenty of kit, wrapped up in a package that has a minimalist appearance. New for the Sport SV are vibro-acoustic seats. They vibrate in time to the audio, allowing listeners to feel what they’re hearing. Each front seat contains two speakers, adding to the tally of 29 inside the car in total. There are six ‘wellness tracks’ that are said to enhance mental and physiological wellbeing by influencing the occupants’ heart rates, but it works with whatever is being played.

Prices for the SV are yet to be confirmed, but we’d expect the fully loaded First Edition to be somewhere comfortably north of £150,000 placing the Sport SV right among high-end SUV competition. Visitors to the Goodwood Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard had the chance to see – and hear – the Sport SV as it tackled the 1.16-mile hillclimb course.

Photography by Joe Harding and Jordan Butters