Range Rover Velar P550 SVAutobiography Dynamic Edition 2019 Review

If you’re not overwhelmed by the sheer, mountainous power of Range Rover’s latest iteration of the mid-size Velar, you will be by its title: Officially the new British hyper-V8 is the Land Rover Range Rover Velar P550 SVAutobiography Dynamic Edition. Key that into your order form and you’ll likely develop a case of RSI.

The mighty, limited-run P550 (for metric horsepower) Velar, which will only be manufactured for a year, tops the range at $176,412 before on-road costs.

It comes at a time when the Velar range has been subjected to a dramatic model-culling /more-streamlining-for-land-rover-line-up-120045/ which saw the number of variants of the mid-sized Range Rover reduced from 65 to 13, beginning with the base P250 S and topping out with the mighty P550 V8 reviewed here. Between the two, the P250, D180, P300 SE, D240 SE, P380 HSE and D300 HSE are all available in R-Dynamic form, as well as in base spec.

The arrival of the new Range Rover Velar also signals a minor update that includes, on all variants, a power tailgate and the adoption of Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, as well as DAB+ radio.

The monumental, 405kW/680Nm P550 variant is the attention-grabber. Weilding the first V8 engine to be shovelled into the Velar engine bay, the P550 SVAutobiography Dynamic Edition tops not only its siblings but also blitzes its Mercedes-Benz GLC and BMW X3 M Competition in terms of power outputs. It is matched only by its blood cousin, the Jaguar F-Pace SVR, https://www.motoring.com.au/jaguar-f-pace-svr-2020-review-australia-119938/ which shares the same platform and the same supercharged 5.0-litre V8.

The $176K price-tag also lifts the top-of-the-range Range Rover Velar model above competitors including the Mercdes-Benz GLC 63 AMG S ($168,100), the BMW X3 M Competition ($157,900), the Porsche Macan Turbo ($142,000) and the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio ($149,900).

So how does the mid-size SUV that is normally the epitome of elegance and visual restraint shape up as a macho muscle car?

Unlike some of its competitors, the muscle-bound Velar remains pretty understated. Obviously, you get the big wheels, the adaptive, adjustable suspension, the bigger, red-calliper brakes, the variable-mode driveline and, of course, the choice of how loudly you want to announce your presence, but the hyper Velar remains (in much the same manner as the Jaguar F-Pace SVR) relatively discreet.

Notwithstanding, there are numerous styling show-and-tell tweaks, including bigger air intakes in the front bumper, a new grille and side skirts, as well as the requisite quad parallelogram exhausts.

Underneath, there’s a new aerodynamic tray sited below the transmission that helps it cut through the air even more effectively than regular Velars – which have a drag coefficient of 0.32 and are rated as the most aero-efficient Land Rovers of all time.

Inside, there’s no question of where your money has been spent. The seats are trimmed in a quilted Windsor leather, and a lot of the details have been given the exquisite touch. This includes a dressed-up steering wheel with a “specially contoured” rim, alloy paddle shifters, a knurled finish for the rotary shifter on the centre console and a special start-up screen ahead of the driver.

Indeed, there’s a wonderful sense of luxury once you step inside. The multi-adjustable front seats eliminate any problems of finding a comfortable driving position and everything is placed where instinct tells you it should be.

Well, not everything… The sat-nav controls remain as confusing and frustrating as ever and a lot of trial and error is needed just to operate the trip computer. In compensation, Bluetooth connections are quickly and easily made.

As a mid-size SUV, the Velar is a mix of adequate interior room and handy, practical load space. Helped by the 40-20-40 split-fold rear seatback and power tailgate, the Velar’s boot stretches from a very generous 673 litres to an eminently useful 1705 litres.

While you’d rather not load up your top line Velar with muddy hiking or other off-road equipment, there is room for a vast amount of designer luggage. The load space is essentially unencumbered and can be made more accessible by dropping the air suspension down to its lowest height.

What awaits with most expectation though is the drive experience. Land Rover’s Special Vehicles Operation didn’t spend 63,900 hours honing just the driveline and suspension to make the SVAutobiography simply good-handling.

Yes, there’s a satisfying grumble from the exhaust as the engine is fired up and, right from the get-go, there’s clearly a lot of eager kilowatts and Newton metres ready and willing to get to work.

A requisite action, once the muscle-bound Velar is up and running, is to select the sound-enhancer touch-screen button on the left side of the centre console.

And, yes again, the promise of immense power is delivered, in spades. The not inconsiderable mass of the Velar SVAutobiography is absolutely no issue for the 680Nm produced by the blown V8 and that 4.5sec 0-100km/h acceleration is not plucked out of mid-air.

It might be slightly off the Jaguar F-Pace’s pace (4.3sec), as well as BMW’s X3 M Competition (4.1sec), and even further behind the Mercedes-Benz GLC63 AMG and Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio (both 3.8sec) but, to be honest, it never feels it. The fact is anything capable of dropping below 5sec for the 100km/h sprint, particularly a weighty SUV, is undeniably fast.

There is a penalty to be paid though -- fuel consumption. Although the official claim is 11.7L/100km and we saw 9.1L/100km on a two-hour freeway cruise, the powerhouse Velar averaged 14.3L/100km over a mix of conditions more realistically reflecting what a regular owner could expect. And, naturally it responds best to the highest-octane fuel available.

The mass doesn’t noticeably bother the way the V8 Velar steers and stops though. It’s almost nonchalant when being slingshotted from corner to corner and the ultimate grip levels of the staggered wheel/tyre combinations (265/45R21 front, 295/40R21 rear) are confidence-inspiring.

The only negative is that the big, low-profile rubber is compromised in its ability to absorb smaller road shocks which at times are transmitted into the cabin, along with noticeable suspension noise. Sharper speed humps can set up quite a cacophony inside the otherwise serene cabin.

It’s on the open road that the Range Rover Velar SVAutobiography’s air suspension settles into its comfort zone, where the wallow, lean and fore-aft pitch experienced in some weighty SUVs are relegated to distant memories.

Yielding to expectations, the SVAutobiography Velar also offers numerous driveline modes that not only further sharpen the handing, but also provide for quicker off-the-mark launches. However, it is, in all honesty, hard to see many buyers of the ultimate Land Rover Velar ever using the function on road, or on the racetrack. Or even exploring this SUV’s undoubtedly adventurous off-road abilities.

And that brings us to the question concerning the actual role of these trumpeting SUV behemoths in the general marketplace.

The Range Rover Velar SVAutobiography is a triumph of engineering over physics. Although some may question why, the classical dilemma concerning immovable objects versus irresistible forces is pushed along a bit here.

Like its competitors from Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Porsche and Alfa Romeo (and Jaguar), the most muscular Range Rover Velar is testament to the skills of development engineers and the willingness of customers to pay big bucks simply to have the best that technology can deliver.

In its segment, the Range Rover Velar P550 SVAutobiography Dynamic Edition does a fantastic job of combining style, size, practicality and sheer performance into a single, homogenous entity.

How much does the 2019 Land Rover Range Rover Velar P550 SVAutobiography Dynamic Edition cost?
Price: $176,412 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 5.0-litre eight-cylinder supercharged-petrol
Output: 405kW/680Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 11.7L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 272g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP