Super velocity Range Rover Sport SVR lives up to its special tag
Friday, 26 June 2015
Not many brands top Range Rover when it comes to luxury, while its reign as king of the premium SUV domain is undisputed.
But rivals have been chipping away at its dominance, and serious threats are looming from Bentley, Maserati and Rolls Royce, all with high-end luxo SUVs in development.
While we minions beaver away in NZ's low wage economy, slowly eroding our debt mountains, the wealthy watch their gold pile higher. And they have to spend it on something, and so Range Rover is offering them vehicles that are a little more special.
Weary of the increased competition on the horizon, Range Rover isn't going to sit by and let other brands take the money being splashed about and so sitting atop the range are new models from Jaguar Land Rover's Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) division, the Range Rover Sport SVR being one of them. The most powerful Land Rover in the company's history, it lives up to its special tag rather well.
It packs more horsepower, dynamic tweaks and a visual makeover, the usual stuff of range toppers, but is it worth the $58k extra asked over the regular Supercharged Sport? It doesn't actually matter because Land Rover NZ secured 13 SVRs and all of them have been snapped up and a line has formed waiting for more. But with just 3000 being made each year, the wait could be a long one.
The SVR doesn't shout about its potential, in a visual sense anyway. There are new wheels, and bigger brakes, more grilles, a bigger roof spoiler and new bumper with larger air intakes to aid cooling for the boosted engine. It's all rather subtle, unlike the sound that erupts from the quartet of exhaust tips on start up. The main pipes are larger, while electronically controlled flaps in the muffler tune the noise, said to eliminate the sullying sound of exhaust flow, to let out the mechanically-made melody. Gas it and the roar is menacing. Lift off the throttle and electronics keep the fuel supply running to create all sorts of crackles and pops on the overrun. It sounds utterly sensational, a celebration of the combustion engine. Though there's a sound symposer to filter desirable induction noise into the cabin, it's the exhaust that dominates. There's no audible supercharger whine from the engine.
It's essentially the same 5.0-litre direct-injection supercharged V8 engine that powers my favourite Jaguar, the F-Type R Coupe. NZ Autocar workmate Peter Louisson prefers the middling V6 model, sweeter balance he reckons, but nothing is sweeter than excess horsepower. And this the SVR has courtesy of a recalibrated ECU and bypass valve for the supercharger which ups the boost to net an extra 30kW and 56Nm, bringing the totals to 405kW and 680Nm. The electronics have been further fiddled to allow more torque to be made available in lower gears, rather then restricting it as in the regular Sport, making it faster still.
Though weighty at 2451kg, the traction advantage of permanent AWD sees the SVR just a few tenths shy of the 1790kg rear drive R Coupe to hit 100, and two tenths behind the XF RS. It could be faster still if it launched harder, but it's all so refined this thing. That's its defining character really, despite the harder edge; the superb refinement levels haven't been eroded. It's harder hitting but not harsh.
Aiding speed, the eight-speed ZF auto shifts 50 per cent quicker, again electronic tweaks to thank as they've improved the precision of the fuel cut between changes and it sounds like a twin-clutch at full attack, fast shifting but smooth. The antidote to all the power and prodigious progress is provided by a new six-piston Brembo brake set-up.
The test SVR was rolling on 21s but an interesting option would be the 22-inch wheel that's encased in road-orientated 295/40R22 Continental ContiSportContact 5s front and rear. Pity they can't be optioned here. Probably not much good in the mud either. That said, as it's still a Range Rover, they've left the Sport's low-range transfer case and even the new bumper's lower section can be removed for off road duties. The Terrain Response system is retained too but about the only time it'll be used will be to dial in Dynamic mode to uncage the animal, morphing the SVR from tame posh school run machine to track-ready monster.
The permanent all-wheel drive system uses the same electronically controlled multi-plate clutch centre differential as the regular Sport with torque split 50/50, though it's variable up to 100 per cent in either direction. In dynamic mode it has a noticeable rear-drive feel to progress. The active rear locking diff has been recalibrated, locking up more aggressively to send drive to the wheel with best traction and the torque vectoring by braking is also recalibrated to help keep understeer at bay. The cross-linked air springs get new pistons to improve responsiveness, and the continuously variable magnetorheological dampers have been tweaked too, along with the variable-ratio steering (for added weight in bends) and the active-roll control active stabilisers.
So there's a raft of small but significant tweaks that have turned out a machine with two distinct personalities. It rides sweetly around town, flattening bumps, sailing over speed humps and is no less intimidating to drive than the V6 diesel, except for that exhaust note.
And the fuel consumption. It's said to average 12.8L/100km, but seems to devour around 17L/100km no matter what you are doing. It has a 105L tank though, so that should last you through to the weekend.
It's still a luxury SUV, a Range Rover at that, so it's quiet on road, and even the SVR-specific sports seats (both front and back) with racer-like bolstering and harness holes in the back rests don't clash with the otherwise luxurious interior fit out.
Heading off on tarmac adventures, you simply dial up the Dynamic mode, push the gear lever over into Sport mode, and it takes just a few bends to reveal a dynamic character tuned on the Nürburgring. The SVR evidently completes a loop of the Nordschleife in 8 minutes 14 seconds, but it's not the fastest truck; the Cayenne Turbo S said to have recorded a lap of 7:59.74. However, it does cost $303,800.
Anyhow, the suspension solidifies, the gears change with more force, the steering firms, the throttle response intensifies and the exhaust gets even more visceral. The V8 is largely in the zone at 2500rpm, on fire from 3000rpm and revs with vigour to 6500rpm, at which point the lion is roaring. Express gear changes keep it humming along, and to save your license from evaporating, you soon find yourself short shifting to reign in the velocity. Third gear is about as low you need to dip into the ratios, with second an occasional gear for the tight stuff, but then you need to monitor throttle inputs, finesse required to avoid an ESP-induced telling off.
The performance is impressive but it's not the most astounding aspect of the SVR. That's the way it negotiates bends, especially considering the numbers, 405kW, 2.5 tonnes riding almost a foot off the ground. From the way it turns in, to the way it holds on, even the way it stops, it's a mighty fine feat of engineering.
The variable steering is superbly consistent with its weighting, and there's a decent measure of heft in fast bends. It's not too quick yet still turns the SVR in with real zeal. Communications are on a need-to-know basis, the chassis builds nicely to the limit, a touch of understeer, but a little less gas and some more lock sees you right. It's also adjustable via the throttle and the steering to get you quickly back on track if that corner tightens or you need to avoid some debris or effluent on the road. The SVR inspires confidence rather than the usual timidity when hurrying along in something so huge.
The bumps are felt but sorted, the SVR not jostled about and you know the travel stops aren't going to be punished when quickly traversing bumpy roads at speed. Big, fast moving masses require plenty of braking muscle and the Brembos deliver a sharp bite, a heap of power, as well as tactile adjustability and the critical staying power.
Improvements? The wider 22-inch tyres would make it stick even more assuredly and ditching the lo-range would shave a host of kilos for even more thrilling performance.
The S in SUV here could stand for a number of things, but stunning about nails it. Big performance SUVs aren't everyone's cup of joe, but they cover many bases.
In race terms, the RR SVR would have to be on the front row of the SUV grid, alongside the Cayenne Turbo and the BMW X6 M.
THE STATS
Model Range Rover Sport SVR
Price $228,000
Engine 5000cc V8, DI/SC, longitudinal, 405kW@5000rpm, 680Nm@3500-4000rpm
Transmission 8-speed auto, all-wheel drive
Vitals 4.79s 0-100kmh, 12.8L/100km, 298g/km, 2451kg
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