Range Rover SVAutobiography stalks Bentayga

The latest brainchild from Jaguar Land Rover's SVO (Special Vehicle Operations) has reached Aussie shores. Named the Range Rover SVAutobiography, the flagship variant is priced from $333,715 – a market position that comprehensively undercuts its obvious rival, the Bentley Bentayga.

And the Range Rover SVAutobiography – in particular the long-wheelbase variant – is aimed fair and square at the owner who has someone else do the driving.

Short-wheelbase variants are available too, taking the Range Rover SVAutobiography to four variants, powered by either the 4.4-litre diesel V8 or the supercharged 5.0-litre petrol V8, which has been uprated to 404kW. Each of the variants represents the final word in Range Rover luxury, but the SVAutobiography has conceded little of the brand's traditional off-road capability, according to JLR Group Product Manager, Brett Lewis-Driver.

"It's incredible how capable this thing is, even still with 22-inch wheels. You could take this car off-road and it would surprise the daylights out of you how good it would be…

"Obviously you're going to have limitations with tyre sizes and so on – you can actually put different wheels and tyres on the car if you needed to, like people do…

"But the car has low-range transmission still, it has air suspension that can raise up 180mm from the base to the top, it has all the traction aids and Automatic Terrain Response that everything else still has…

"Towing is still up there at 3500kg… it doesn't lose much.

"It's absolutely a Range Rover, without any doubt."

Land Rover claims that the Range Rover SVAutobiography is the most luxurious and powerful production model in the brand's 45-year history.

As we revealed early last year, the SVAutobiography picks up changes applicable across the Range Rover model line-up for 2016, including new bonnet lettering for the brand name. Distinguishing the SVAutobiography, which is modified at SVO's Technical Centre, from lower-priced Range Rover models are the exclusive badge on the tailgate and the grille finished in Graphite Atlas and polished chrome.

Inside, the Range Rover SVAutobiography is adorned with knurled aluminium for various fixtures including the idle-stop button bezel, front and rear centre consoles, plus the 'captain's chair' armrest adjustment.

Rear-seat passengers (just two – the SVAutobiography only seats four all up), have access to a chiller compartment and power-deployable tables. Additional features include solid aluminium coat hooks in the C pillars, aluminium seat-rail finishes and deep twist-pile mohair carpet mats.

In the luggage compartment the sliding load floor is constructed from aluminium and woodgrain veneer. Event seating stowed in the rear can be mounted on the lower folding section of tailgate to spectate at sports or music events.

The Range Rover SVAutobiography arrives in Australia with the rest of the updated model range for 2016. Changes across the range consist of idle-stop for the V8 diesel variants, which also gain All-Terrain Progress Control. The Surround Camera System has been improved, as is its graphic display, and the rear camera is now fitted with its own integrated washer jet. Opening the tailgate with a gesture is another new feature and Automatic Access Height lowers the vehicle automatically, for easier ingress.

Prices for the Range Rover SVAutobiography are:
V8 turbo-diesel SWB – $330,410
V8 turbo-diesel LWB – $342,910
V8 supercharged petrol SWB – $356,210
V8 supercharged petrol LWB – $368,710

Other models in the line-up are priced as follows:
V6 turbo-diesel SWB Vogue – $179,800
V6 supercharged petrol SWB Vogue – $189,910
V8 turbo-diesel SWB Vogue – $200,610
V8 turbo-diesel SWB Vogue SE – $222,610
V6 turbo-diesel hybrid SWB Vogue SE – $226,900
V8 turbo-diesel SWB Autobiography – $240,310
V8 supercharged petrol SWB Autobiography – $253,110

V6 turbo-diesel LWB Vogue – $189,100
V8 turbo-diesel LWB Autobiography – $252,110
V8 supercharged petrol LWB Autobiography – $265,010