Balancing yesterday and today in stunning fashion.
Nearly half a century ago, Land Rover defined the luxury SUV segment with the arrival of the Range Rover, a car so shrouded in mystery throughout its development that it was given the prototype name ‘Velar’ to mask it from the prying eyes of the media and industry heavyweights. But when that car debuted, it was just a two door, and it wouldn’t be for a couple of years before the Range Rover sprouted a pair of rear doors, taking on the form that we’re more familiar with today.
Range Rover however thought it would be fun to revisit its roots, both stylistically and in spirit, and has defined a ‘full-size luxury SUV coupe’ segment with this, the Range Rover SV Coupe. And make no mistake, this thing is pretty.
“The Range Rover SV Coupé is a celebration of the Range Rover bloodline. With a dramatic two-door silhouette, this breath-taking four seat coupé alludes to its unique heritage whilst being thoroughly modern and contemporary. Beautifully realised, superbly engineered, the Range Rover SV Coupé delivers the most distinguished, luxurious and exclusive Range Rover ever built.” — Gerry McGovern, Chief Design Officer, Land Rover
And truly, the SV Coupe is one seductive and alluring machine. The biggest change, aside from the shortening of the wheelbase and the deletion of the rear doors, is the altered roofline, which now drops in a far more dramatic fashion to emphasise the two-door nature of the SV Coupe.
The exterior can be had in a variety of colour combinations, including a new ‘Contour Graphic’ that is available in four two-tone colourway options. Exterior changes also include a new grille with a unique surround panel, as well as a reworked ‘gill’ sitting ahead of the front doors, which now feature a gorgeous metal mesh design as opposed to the usual tri-slat arrangement. Notably, the wheels on the SV Coupe measure a staggering 23-inches across, a first for Range Rover.
And for further distinction, you can option on a hue called ‘Liquiesence,’ which Range Rover says “brings a sensational liquid-metal finish to the Range Rover for the first time.” Nice.
“As you’d expect from Range Rover, the engineering integrity in the SV Coupe is more than just skin deep. This is a meticulously-honed vehicle that’s designed for SV clients who love driving.” — Mark Stanton, Director, Jaguar-Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations
Under the bonnet you’ll find a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 petrol mill, which produces a staggering 416kW and 700Nm. The SV Coupe can hit the century mark in just 5.3-seconds before roaring onwards to a top speed of 266km/h, making this the fastest full-size Range Rover in history.
Further, the suspension has been reworked to provide a more engaging driving experience for… well, the driver. The ride height has been lowered by 8mm, though Range Rover reassures that the SV Coupe “will remain composed and comfortable at all times.” Despite that lowered ride height, none of the off-road capability that is promised by the Range Rover badge have been compromised: This limited-edition, prized coupe will still be able to wade up to 900mm of water, and pull up to 3.5-tonnes behind it.
The cabin of the SV Coupe has been looked over by the boffins at SVO too, and has been revised in places to provide for the penultimate luxury SUV experience. The cabin, like the rest of the car, is hand-assembled to absolute perfection, and the experience begins with just the doors themselves: They now feature frameless windows (always a treat, for some reason), and offer a powered closing function, because you should never be hassled to close your own door.
You’ll find all of the latest technology offered on the four-door Range Rover, including the TouchPro Duo infotainment system, digital instrumentation, TerrainResponse off-road drive selector, and quad-zone climate control. All four seats are electrically-adjustable (20-way up front and 10-way in the rear), while all passengers will undoubtedly enjoy the 1700W 23-speaker Meridian Audio system, replete with its dual-channel subwoofer.
The Range Rover SV Coupe will go on sale in the UK for £240,000, putting it at the very top of the Range Rover tree (and that’s before owners go to town with the myriad of personalisation options offered by SVO). Australian sales of the SV Coupe are expected to commence by Q1 2019 with prices announced in due course, but with just 999 examples destined for this world, we wonder if there will be any left by then…
For more information on Range Rover, check out our Showroom.
