Range Rover Sport SVR 2018 Review

Understated Brit

On paper, Land Rover seems curiously keen to underplay the work involved in facelifting and updating its flagship Range Rover Sport SVR.

Officially, the British car-maker claims that, as well as some light cosmetic work (Velar-inspire grille, redesigned front and rear bumper), the Range Rover Sport SVR simply boasts a little bit more power (+18kW), a smidgeon more torque (+20Nm) and a few new choice lightweight parts, plus a couple of chassis tweaks.

It's a different story if you ignore the press release and actually speak to some of the men and women from JLR's SVO skunkworks who actually spent the last four years painstakingly developing the 2018 Range Rover Sport SVR for its launch.

They prefer to describe the difference over the phase 1 and 2 Range Rover Sport SVR as 'huge'.

In fact, one engineer claimed the only thing to carry over unchanged in Land Rover's Porsche Cayenne Turbo S rival are the Continental tyres that were co-developed with SVO and deemed so good they didn't need any improving.

Everything else was either redesigned, modified, lightened or thrown away and replaced in the pursuit of performance.

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Heart of the matter

It began with the engine. Squeezing out 423kW/700Nm from the car-maker's A113 supercharged 5.0-litre V8 involved far more than a quick ECU tweak.

Instead, the large Eaton supercharger was optimised and now features a faster pulley ratio to force even more air into the V8.

Engineers also worked on the air intakes to get more cold air in faster and redesigned the entire exhaust system to allow hot exhaust gases escape quicker, boosting power and cutting weight.

To help keep up with the more urgent power delivery, the old Range Rover Sport SVR's standard eight-speed automatic also had to be updated for faster changes.

And to cope with the monumental 700Nm torque peak, generated at 3500rpm, the new Range Rover Sport SVR gets beefier front half shafts.

Reigning in the performance are new brake discs that are the same 380mm diameter as the old car's but both thicker and heavier. Now featuring 'Land Rover' inscriptions, the callipers are high-performance six-piston items sourced from Brembo.

Even the brake pads themselves are new for the Sport SVR with a more resistant material used to reduce fade after repeated high-speed braking.

Both the standard 21-inch and optional 22-inch wheels are lighter than the old rims, while the wider, more comfortable fan-assisted seats are lighter than those in the previous-gen SVR thanks to their more exotic magnesium construction.

Finally, the old car's bonnet has been replaced with an all-carbon-fibre item that shaves another 3.5kg off the kerb weight. Mercifully, the exposed bare carbon finish isn't standard, but a $14,690 option best avoided if you prefer the low-key approach.

On average, the SVR is around 25kg lighter than the car it replaces – but that number can be even more if you avoid heavy optional extras like the panoramic roof that weighs an alarming 36kg.

The chassis changes are best described as 'extensive' with completely revised springs and re-calibrated dampers that are claimed to offer a suppler ride in its 'comfort' setting and more body roll in its most dynamic mode.

Perhaps more impressive is, according to the guys who developed it, the Sport's off-road prowess is unaffected by the performance updates and SVR owners can still tow the same 3.5 tonnes as any other Range Rover.

Proof of the pudding

The result is an SUV that can hit 100km/h in just 4.5 seconds (0.2 seconds quicker than before) and top out at 280km/h -- a 20km/h improvement over the old SVR.

Behind the wheel, performance is every bit as alarming as you might suggest for an SUV that still tips the scales in excess of 2.3 tonnes.

Flatten the throttle and you'd even swear it was quicker than its claimed figures, but this SVR is far more than its straight-line thrust.

On the highway, aside from a little extra tyre roar, the SVR is as quiet and refined as the Range Rover Sport it's based on, effortlessly cruising along at illegal speeds at barely more than tickover.

Off-road, on summer tyres it's almost impossible to get stuck, even on treacherous wet grass and deep mud. The low-ratio gearbox, trick Terrain Response electronics and locking centre and rear differentials simply shrug off almost any conditions.

Back on the road, the SVR seems happiest when you join your favourite back road.

It's then the fast Rangie belies its SUV capabilities and transforms into a cross-country weapon.

Initially, it's difficult to figure out what's more impressive: the way the all-wheel drive ensures not a single kW is wasted through loss of traction, the suspension’s ability to smooth out the most corrugated piece of black top, or the immense corner speed that can be carried.

Of course, there's still some body roll but the liberties you can take with a vehicle this big and heavy is shocking.

One engineer we spoke to cagily admitted that on real roads some SVO test drivers wagered they could drive the Sport SVR more quickly and confidently than the Jaguar F-TYPE. That might sound like PR hyperbole but after a full day behind the wheel we can see what they mean.

And we haven't even mentioned the best part – the latest Sport SVR's soundtrack.

Thanks to the redesigned exhaust and the new active exhaust flaps, the big Brit sounds nothing less than a savage in its Loud setting, with rifle-shot cracks and bangs.

Better yet, thanks to its infinitely adjustable valves, its raucous nature can be tamed to a throaty, cultured Euro V8 in other settings, or to whisper quiet when you're not in the mood.

As well as being faster, more agile and better sounding, the 2018 Range Rover Sport SVR is now also fractionally more efficient than the car it replaces. It's now capable of averaging 12.8L/100km (down from 13.7L/100km), but even at that rate you'll still be topping up its large 104-litre tank at a startling rate.

Priced from $238,200, the fastest Range Rover ever made will go toe-to-toe with Porsche's latest Cayenne Turbo.

No doubt its German opposition will be the faster and better handling of the two, but it's unlikely to be as much fun.

A Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is also an interesting alternative and one that looks a bargain, courtesy of its $100,000-lower sticker price.

But if you're wealthy, have petrol coursing through your veins and space for just one car to fulfil family duties, impress clients and relieve stress at the end of hard day at the office, the Range Rover Sport's far broader appeal could -- against all odds -- be the one car to rule them all.

2018 Range Rover Sport SVR pricing and specifications:
On sale: March 2018
Price: $238,200 (plus ORCs)
Engine: 5.0-litre eight-cylinder supercharged-petrol
Outputs: 423kW and 700Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 12.8L/100km
CO2: 294k/km
Safety rating: N/A