Land Rover is bidding to take on the rising tide of SUVs from luxury manufacturers with a special version of the Range Rover.
A maximum number of 999 Range Rover SV Coupés will be made, and sold for £240,00 each, rivalling the likes of the Bentley Bentayga and Lamborghini Urus.
The clue to the car’s construction is in the name. SV stands for Special Vehicle, the calling card of Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations division, which has already produced a number of specialist limited-edition models.
All-new construction
The two-door coupé is said to pay homage to the original two-door Range Rover of 1970. And it is much more than an upgrade of the existing Range Rover – the bonnet and lower tailgate are the only body panels carried over, the new panels crafted in aluminium as are the new front and rear bumpers.
Eight exterior colours will be offered, four of them new to Range Rover and dubbed Constellation, Parallax, Liquesence and Obsidian – nope, we have absolutely no idea what colours they actually are!
The SV Coupe will be the fastest Range Rover available – its 5.0-litre V8 supercharged engine will push out 565hp and 700Nm of torque, resulting in a five-second 0-60mph time and a 165mph top speed.
It will also be designed to handle – its ride height is lowered by 8mm over the standard model and above 65mph it lowers by another 15mm to aid stability and fuel consumption. The SV Coupe is also the first Range Rover for which 23-inch wheels are available.
Despite the performance specification, the SV Coupe loses none of the full off-road ability that Land Rover is known for. The permanent all-wheel-drive remains, as does the two-speed transfer box and locking rear differential. Land Rover’s Terrain Response 2 electronics are also retained.
The air suspension offers five modes, from a 5cm height reduction to ease access to the boot, to two off-road modes and further modes that can increase the ride height by up to 8cm.
Technology highlights inside include a 10-inch display, a 12-inch digital display ahead of the driver and a full-colour head-up display. The 1700w sound system has 23 speakers, including a dual-channel subwoofer.
Upmarket interior
The interior is upholstered in a choice of four two-tone finishes, while there are also four single-tone colours. The seats are heated, cooled and covered in a bespoke leather in a graduated diamond quilt design. The front seats adjust 20 ways and the rear seats 10.
Three wood veneer options, applied to the steering wheel rim, door panels, centre console, instrument panel and load floor, include a Nautica veneer that merges walnut and sycamore.
The SV Coupe will be hand-built at Land Rover’s SVO unit in Warwickshire, with each created to the individual specification of its buyer.
