It’s part muscle car, part Maybach, part Matt Damon, and after the new GST price cut, it’s partly affordable as well. We drove the new Range Rover Sport SV, and came back completely surprised.
The Range Rover Sport SV Edition Two, previously priced Rs 2.95 crore, exshowroom, is now Rs 19.7 lakh cheaper (Rs 2.75 crore). It’s not just another luxury SUV, but sits at the top of the Range Rover Sport lineup, staring down rivals like the MercedesBenz GLS and Audi RS Q8.
It’s designed and engineered by Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations (SV) division – and is the performancefocused version of the Range Rover Sport.
Take the steering wheel and the SV Edition Two reveals its intent – as it growls when you press the accelerator. That growl comes from its 4.4litre twinturbo V8 petrol engine (626 bhp and 750 Nm). In our acceleration test, it went from 0100 km/h in just 4 seconds – a figure belonging to a sports car, not a bulky SUV.
Bulky it is, but the bulk doesn’t show, thanks to its advanced 6D Dynamics suspension, which uses interconnected hydraulic dampers to almost eliminate pitch and roll (pitch is forward and backward tilt of a vehicle, and roll is sideways movement), whether speeding on a highway or encountering the nowinfamous broken and waterlogged roads of Gurgaon.
But its size is its limitation on the congested Indian road infrastructure – we found it difficult to park in most malls, and difficult to navigate narrow lanes.
The focus is on sportiness, not comfort – the seats seem to be highly bolstered, not on the softer side.
While the price has come down, it’s still expensive, and the SV Edition Two doesn’t have the visual flamboyance of a Lamborghini Urus or an AMG SUV, and it may not suit a buyer who wants a showstopper. But one thing remains – it’s a magnificent blend of luxury and sport, and is engineered for those who want the absolute best.
