By: Denis Droppa
Newly landed in South Africa is the Range Rover Sport SVR, the most potent vehicle yet to emerge from the Land Rover stable.
The SVR badge is reserved for the company’s ultimate sports models and this is the first vehicle to wear it, with a Jaguar F-Type SVR reputed to be following next year.
A product of Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations, this super SUV gets an extra 29kW and 56Nm over the current range-topping Range Rover Sport V8 derivative, with claimed fuel economy unchanged at 12.8 litres per 100km.
With outputs of 405kW and 680Nm from its five-litre supercharged V8 engine, this new range-topper accelerated ballistically when I drove it at its international media launch in Pennsylvania, USA, last week.
Mashing the fun pedal to the floor shoots this high-riding sportscar – because that’s what it really is – to 0-100km/h in just 4.7 seconds and onto an electronically governed 260km/h top speed. A two-stage active exhaust provides a racecar-inspired howl to match.
REALLY AGILE FOR AN SUV
A lightweight aluminium body – 39 percent lighter than its steel-bodied predecessor – gives the new generation Range Rover Sport a notably athletic handling demeanour for a large SUV, as I discovered during a few hot laps around a racing circuit.
The quicker-shifting eight-speed auto transmission has corner recognition that prevents gearchanges during a bend, and the SVR’s suspension and brakes have also been upgraded to deal with the extra muscle.
But it’s a sports SUV that’s not afraid of getting its wheels dirty, and it went straight from the racetrack to a muddy offroad circuit without batting an eyelid.
Though the 21-inch 275/45 all-season tyres are somewhat low-profile for the most gruelling of offroad terrains, the SVR still has plenty of dirt-taming ability courtesy of its permanent four-wheel drive, 272mm ground clearance, a low-range gear, height-adjustable air suspension, and a Terrain Response system that automatically selects the most suitable drive programme for the surface. It can also wade through water up to 850mm deep, and has a towing capacity up to 3 000kg – making it a true workhorse.
Visually the SVR is identified by its larger air intakes, dark-finish grille and quad exhaust pipes, and inside it gets very distinctive sports seats.
Yours for R1 885 925. - Star Motoring
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