The Torque Talk Episode 6 ( Range Rover Sport SV)

 Range Rover Sport SV 2024

by Mandla Lubanzi

The all-wheel-drive Range Rover Sport SV is the most powerful Rover ever, crushing the previous 575-hp Range Rover Sport SVR in the process. Flying a fox hunt with its 626-hp twin-turbo V-8 is like flying fighter jets. The Range Rover Sport SV, which has a top speed of 180 mph, receives supercar treatment in the form of lightweight carbon fibre wheels and massive eight-piston Brembo callipers to grip its carbon ceramic brake rotors. Aside from its quad exhausts, the Range Rover SV is designed to represent Land Rover luxury. Its knob-free infotainment panel has gone completely digital, and its bolstered front bucket seats house components for its 29-speaker surround sound system. There's nothing earthly about this high-performance utility vehicle, even if it sits over an inch lower than previous Range Rover Sports.

The Range Rover Sport SV is Land Rover's wholly new manifestation of performance-luxury transportation for 2024. Taking a page from a supercar's playbook, the Range Rover Sport SV enters the 600-hp club, gets a carbon-fiber wheel option, carbon ceramic brakes, and a specially modified air suspension to keep it stable on the road course. It will most certainly outperform its all-season tires instantly. The Range Rover Sport SV is not for the faint. 

Beneath the bonnet is a powerful 626-hp twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 engine with 553 pound-feet of torque, linked to an eight-speed automatic. The Range Rover Sport SV is all-wheel drive, and Land Rover claims it accelerates to 60 mph in under 3.6 seconds. After driving one on a Portuguese racecourse, we believe it. Depending on the drive mode, the SV can sit nearly an inch lower than other Range Rover Sports thanks to its unique 6D Dynamic suspension system. To reduce body roll, the SV features hydraulic dampers and airbag suspension rather than conventional anti-roll bars. 

The SV includes all-wheel steering and brake-based torque vectoring to handle life's left and right twists. With a top speed of 180 mph, the Range Rover SV promises to deliver performance that will most likely be limited by the driver's common sense rather than the all-season Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires. There are optional 23-inch carbon fibre wheels (claimed to save 20 pounds per corner) with broad 305s on the rear and 285s up front. A set of optional Brembo carbon ceramic brake discs measuring 17.3 inches in front and 15.3 inches in back would halt all of the meat.

The front callipers with that option are eight-piston clampers for a reason: the SV has plenty of space to slow down quickly. The performance is genuinely amazing, and despite the Range Rover Sport SV's great height and heavy weight, body roll is well-managed. On the road, it's better to use the Comfort driving option, but even so, hard bumps might unsettle the cabin, especially with the huge 23-inch wheels. During the European test drive, we also had the opportunity to take the Sport SV off-road, and we were impressed that its on-track and on-road performance do not demand any compromise to Land Rover's go-anywhere philosophy. When we have the opportunity to take the Sport SV to our test track, we will update this section with results from our thorough testing program.