2024 Range Rover Sport SV review: International first drive (2024)

Here's a dilemma unique to this age.

The Electric Revolution is sweeping through every corner of the new car world, even large luxury SUVs. You've got to deliver an updated performance flagship, but the old model's engine can't keep up with emissions regulations and the brand's electric technology is not ready. But you need something and it has to be powerful and impressive.

What do you do? Go shopping at rival car makers, that's what, and see what they've got to tide you over.

Meet the new Range Rover Sport SV with the twin-turbocharged heart of the BMW M5.

This is the new-generation successor to the Range Rover Sport SVR performance SUV, which was one of the last cars in the Tata-owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) line-up with the characterful and raucous supercharged 5.0-litre V8.

That engine is gone, replaced with a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 from BMW, which Land Rover also uses in a less powerful state in the standard Range Rover Sport.

The Sport SV's engine has 467kW, which is 77kW more than the Sport and 7kW more than the BMW M5, but the same as the higher-performance BMW M5 CS.

Range Rover claims 0–100km/h in 3.8 seconds, but we also saw a claim of 4.1 seconds on the Range Rover website. When we asked for clarification, we were told 10–110km/h takes 3.8 seconds. Whichever it is, it's fast.

The Range Rover Sport SV is essentially a rival for the Audi RS Q8, BMW X5 M and Mercedes-AMG GLE63, all of which are priced between $230K and $270K.

The SV's nearest rival on price and performance is the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT at $365K, and then there's the $407K Lamborghini Urus.

Land Rover says no other vehicle can rival the Sport SV's breadth of capability, ranging from racetrack brawler to luxury conveyance and bona-fide off-roader.

Let's find out.

The third-generation Range Rover Sport SV hits Australian showrooms in March priced at $360,800 for the Edition One, which is a substantial $122,600 more than its SVR predecessor cost in 2018.

The Sport SV is the flagship in performance and price, costing $163K more than the current range-topper. So, it's fair to say the Sport SV is not a walk-up proposition for buyers wanting a little more than the model below it.

The Range Rover Sport SV is very much its own machine and has a unique appeal even within the Sport range. It's the apex predator, boasting exquisite luxury and ultimate performance.

This third-generation Range Rover Sport looks hewn from a single alloy billet. Purposeful and menacing. But it's not all aluminium and steel. It rides on the world's first 23-inch carbon-fibre wheels – made in Geelong by Carbon Revolution – which are a lot lighter than alloys.

Not sure how they'd fare off-road — other media have reported scratching and scoring. They're an option, so maybe don't tick that box if you plan on exploiting the Sport SV's off-road abilities.

Other carbon bits on the Sport SV include the bonnet and engine cover underneath, front bumper blades and splitter inserts, grille surround and even exhaust tips.

Not that all that weight saving makes the Sport SV a lightweight. It still tips the scales at 2560kg — if you've optioned both the carbon-fibre wheels ($16,130) and carbon-ceramic brakes ($13,500). Without those expensive add-ons, the Sport SV weighs 2630kg.

Under the bonnet, as we said, is a 4.4-litre twin turbo V8 sourced from BMW. It has mild hybrid capabilities but is not a plug-in. It's teamed with an eight-speed transmission and drives all four wheels.

This engine gives the Range Rover Sport SV the measure of its Audi and Mercedes rivals in terms of peak power and acceleration times, and surprisingly, is more powerful than BMW's mainstream version of this engine (460kW) — even though the Sport SV's engine is assembled at the same BMW plant.

Porsche can provide if you want faster — in a straight line at least. The Cayenne Turbo GT has 485kW of power and claims 3.2 seconds 0–100km/h, which is phenomenally fast, but this level of performance is only available in the less practical four-door coupe body style for $366K.

If you have $400K to spend, the Lamborghini Urus is within your budget. It offers 487kW and 850Nm and claims 3.6 seconds for 0–100km/h.

Clearly, then, there are options for high-priced performance SUV shoppers.

It's fair to say the Range Rover badge is more attractive than Audi, BMW and Benz, and the SV's host of technical firsts do make it an interesting proposition. We'll get to those shortly.

It comes in three colours unique to the SV – Obsidian Black, Flux Silver and a rather fetching Carbon Bronze Matte – the last two getting a Narvik Black contrasting roof.

If you haven't already put a deposit down, yours won't be one of the 100 Edition Ones arriving in the first 12 months.

Instead, it will be at least 2025 before you can experience what a Range Rover Sport with a BMW M5 engine feels like to drive.

Lastly, if you're wondering what this 'Edition One' gets that future editions won't, so were we. Land Rover's response to this question was somewhat strange: "we don't talk about future product".

So, in the absence of information, we'll take a stab and bet that the 'Edition One' branding on the front splitter, centre console, treadplates and puddle lamps are sure to go. Beyond that, we'd expect everything else to stay the same.

The Range Rover Sport SV is a five-door, five-seat large SUV with adult-sized seating in both rows. It measures 4.97m long by 2.03m wide and is 1.81m to the top of its twin antennas. The Sport SV has a 210mm ride height, which is 10mm lower than other Sports due to its unique air suspension tune.

The ride height drops to 195mm when SV mode is engaged to prioritise sporty handling. Conversely, engaging the Mud&Ruts off-road mode raises the ride height to 250mm to give greater clearance underneath.

Enough about measurements, let's dive inside the cabin, which has to be one of the most opulent and impressive in the SUV world.

The Sport SV definitely presents as a $400K car when you slide inside, from the retractable door handles and soft-close doors to the plush materials within. The front seats are unique to the Sport SV, feature 16-way adjustment, heating and cooling, and have an integrated headrest and carbon backboard.

They've also got a massage function, which Land Rover calls Body and Soul sensory technology. Basically multiple haptic transducers vibrate in time to the music to more fully immerse the occupant in the experience.

There's also a wellness program built in because, of course, there is. In this mode, the transducers vibrate along with six specially developed tracks to reduce anxiety, improve cognitive response and just generally make you feel better.

The material on the seat uppers is called 3D knit, and is a leather alternative that is more eco-friendly to produce and reduces the need for seams.

The cabin has a number of cubbies for storage, including two gloveboxes, two central cupholders, and a bottle holder and pocket in each door. There's also a largish chilled storage bin under the central armrest and a 15W charging mat for phones below the centre console.

The Sport's back seat is equally commodious and comfortable. There is a third climate zone back here with its own controls and air vents. USB-C ports provide charging to modern devices.

Land Rover claims the boot provides a generous 835L of storage to the roof line, expanding to 1860L when the rear seats are folded.

There is no spare wheel in the Sport SV. Instead, owners can deploy the can of goo or (more likely) call 24-hour roadside assist.

Yes, wireless in both cases. We only tested Android Auto during our launch drive and it worked without issue.

Other infotainment highlights include the driver's instrument cluster, which is a massive 13.7-inch digital display. It's paired with large head-up display on the windscreen, giving the driver all the information they need.

The centre screen is a 13.1-inch infotainment system called Pivi Pro, which we've seen on other vehicles including the Jaguar F-Pace. In my opinion it's one of the best infotainment systems in the world visually and functionally.

Part of that is the high-quality graphics and crisp screen response. Another part is basic system smarts that make using it easier and more intuitive. For example, the system doesn't wait for you to start the engine to boot, it does so the moment you unlock the vehicle and open the door, because it has its own battery.

It also loads a 'pre-drive' homescreen populated with features typically used at the beginning of a journey — climate controls, window demisters, seat heating, etc — before defaulting to the standard homescreen once the journey is underway.

The Pivi Pro screen is also how you interact with the Sport SV's complex drive systems, choosing between Comfort, Dynamic and SV, or the many off-road presets to handle everything from soft sand to mud and snow.

It's also how you control the 1430W 29-speaker Meridian sound system. Four of those speakers are in the two front-seat headrests, and are charted with cancelling unwanted sounds such as wind noise and tyre rumble, particularly during phone calls.

That still leaves 25 speakers dotted throughout the cabin, which give one of the best audio experiences of any vehicle regardless of price.

As for the Body and Soul system — aka bass-thumping seats… We sat through an in-showroom demonstration using some specially downloaded music tracks and the effect is impressive. The transducers thump the bass track and drum beat into your body, adding to the immersion and making it feel more like you're at a concert.

If they were optional, I'm not sure I'd tick that box. But they're standard, and they can be turned off if you find the effect disconcerting.

The Range Rover Sport SV has a voice assistant that requires you to say "Hey Land Rover" to activate, a little odd given Land Rover is trying to create more space between its Land Rover and Range Rover divisions. It also has a remote app that allows you to do basic things to the car like adjust the climate control and preload a destination, and more advanced things like remotely park and unpark the car.

Land Rover has given the Range Rover Sport range "Software over the air (SOTA)" capabilities, which means new features can be added instantly without waiting for your next service.

The Range Rover Sport has earned a full, five-star ANCAP safety rating since testing in 2022, off the back of Euro NCAP testing. That rating covers petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid variants. It's not totally clear if this score also covers the Sport SV, but we believe it should given it covers less powerful Sport variants with the same basic V8 engine.

The Range Rover Sport scored 85 per cent for its adult occupant protection rating, while child occupants get 86 per cent rated protection. Vulnerable road user protection is awarded 69 per cent, and safety assistance systems rated 84 per cent.

See Also

Range Rover Sport SV first drive: A rugged off-roader that feels like a race car

Land Rover claims that the Sport SV has "the latest safety-focused Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)", which includes all the features in the box below plus Driver Condition Response and Occupant Protection Assist.

During our test drive we found the lane assist systems' overactive aural reminder to be annoying, so we turned it off via the steering wheel button. Beyond that, all systems worked as we expected and without a glitch.

First the good news. If you've shelled out $360K plus options plus on-road costs for a Range Rover Sport SV, then you won't pay a cent for servicing during the warranty period.

That means, when you bring your Sport SV in every 12 months or 15,000km for servicing, you'll get a car wash for free too.

All Land Rover and Range Rover vehicles come with five years' free roadside assist too.

Land Rover's five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty also covers paint surfaces, plus there is a six-year corrosion protection warranty. The 12-volt batteries have a three-year warranty, while the mild-hybrid's traction battery is covered for eight years and a maximum of 160,000km. Range Rover guarantees that the traction battery will have at least a 70 per cent state-of-health (SOH) after eight years.

An independent insurance quote was not available at the time of writing, probably because the Sport SV is not on sale in Australia yet. We'd expect it to be more than the $4520 quote we received for the $195K Sport D350, which is the next most expensive variant.

This comparative quote is for a 35-year-old male living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circ*mstances.

The Range Rover Sport SV's powertrain includes a 48-volt mild hybrid system that Range Rover says contributes to a 15 per cent efficiency improvement over the old supercharged 5.0-litre V8.

That may seem like a lot, but it's less than we'd expect from a 12 per cent smaller and more modern engine for starters, with a mild hybrid energy recuperation system as well.

This is probably because the mild hybrid system is aimed more at refining the driving experience and providing an additional 20kW/175Nm to performance. It's not a Toyota-esque efficiency system that can halve your fuel use.

Range Rover claims the Sport SV will require between 11.7 and 12.5 litres per 100 kilometres in typical city/country driving. We saw 12.7L/100km during our 300km test drive, rising to almost 20L/100km during off-road testing, and the high-20s during our three-lap track test.

If you can achieve the 11.7L/100km average consistently, you can expect 770km out of a full tank of 98-octane premium unleaded.

Righto, two things I want to focus on for when it comes to the Sport SV's dynamics: the powertrain and the suspension system. Maybe I'll briefly touch on the brakes too, because having good brakes in a vehicle like this is kinda important.

First the engine. We said it's a BMW-sourced 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8, and it has 467kW and 750Nm on tap, rising to 800Nm when Launch Mode is engaged. That's comfortably more than the old supercharged 5.0-litre V8.

It's teamed with an eight-speed automatic transmission and drives all four wheels.

Now the suspension, and this is where we enter the realm of 6D. No, it's no Will Smith's breakout movie Six Degrees of Separation. 6D refers to Six Degrees of Freedom, which is the number of directions a body can move: left, right, forward, backward, up, and down.

This suspension system was specifically developed for the Sport SV, and it combines adjustable air springs with hydraulic interlinked dampers.

We've seen hydraulically linked dampers on vehicles before, although Range Rover is claiming this as a world first.

In essence, it's a way of independently yet sympathetically controlling each damper to reduce body roll while maximising tyre contact. What does it mean for you? When you're powering through corners, the SV will roll and pitch less and generally feel sharper and less cumbersome compared to a similarly tall and heavy vehicle.

If you're driving for comfort, the 6D system is said to help there too — and it does. It all adds to Range Rover's claim about this vehicle's breadth of capability. But you really notice the 6D system's impact during spirited driving where it keeps the SV flatter and more stable.

The Sport SV's four-wheel steering also helps the vehicle's agility, providing sharper turns at low speeds and more stability at higher speeds.

Our test car has the optional carbon-fibre wheels and carbon-ceramic brakes. In addition to reducing unsprung weight by one-third compared to conventional steel brakes, they hold up better under racetrack punishment.

Not that the standard brakes are underdone. Range Rover says eight-piston fronts measuring 420mm are among the best in their class for stopping power and temperature resistance. We'll have to take their word for now because all of the test cars we drove had the 440mm carbon ceramics, which are the biggest brake discs in automotive operation today.

And honestly, I'd advise not ticking that box. Sure, they're made to withstand racetrack abuse, but who's really going to take a 2.5-tonne Sport SV to track days? And braking feel is diminished, which you will miss every day.

I'll only briefly touch on the Range Rover Sport SV's off-road capabilities, firstly because our test was on a Range Rover-curated off-road course, and secondly what kind of owner will go bush-bashing in a $400K purchase?

Range Rover acknowledges that very few owners will thrash around racetracks and go mountain climbing in their Sport SV, but apparently that's not the point. Owners expect the Range Rover Sport SV to exceed their usage expectations, not limit them.

So, to that point, dear Future Owner, you need not worry. The Sport SV can do it all, and do it all exceptionally well.

The Range Rover Sport SV is built on Range Rover's MLA-Flex architecture, which is rated to tow a trailer or caravan (with its own braking system) weighing up to 3500kg.

The Sport SV's downball rating (aka maximum coupling rating) is 330kg. You read that right, 330kg not 350kg.

The Sport SV's gross vehicle mass, which is its safe operating maximum, is 3250kg, which suggests a maximum payload of 620kg — or 690kg if you optioned the carbon brakes and wheels.

The Sport SV's gross combination mass, which must account for car and trailer and people and luggage and all accessories, is 6750kg.

Do we recommend the Range Rover Sport SV as a tow vehicle? We have not tested its tow capabilities yet, but based on previous experiences towing with contemporary Land Rovers and Range Rovers, and the potency of the SV's engine, we have no reason to expect the Sport SV to be anything but highly competent in this regard.

If you want an SUV that can be thrashed on racetracks, bashed through the bush and punted serenely through city and country, then the Range Rover Sport SV is the only one that can do all three to such extremes of capability.

Porsche's Cayenne comes closest. We'd expect it to match (and maybe edge) the Rangie on the track, and come close in everyday driving, but it won't handle the rough stuff off-road as easily. As for the BMW X5 M and Mercedes-AMG GLE63, the former is not designed for off-roading, and the latter is far from the sharpest sword on-track.

This makes the Range Rover Sport SV a unique proposition: phenomenally capable in three disparate domains, and an absolute pleasure to inhabit. There really is nothing else like it at the price.

By the time you read this, the Range Rover Sport SV will be mere days away from commencing local deliveries. The bad news for anyone who hasn't placed an order yet is that you won't get an Edition One. The first year's allocation is sold out.

So, place your order today and you'll wait for MY2025 cars to come down the production line late this year.

Of course, you can always search available new and used Land Rover vehicles of all types at Drive.com.au/cars-for-sale, if you simply can't wait.

We strongly recommend taking a test drive at a dealership before committing because personal needs and tastes can differ. Find your nearest Range Rover dealer via thislink. While you're at it, test-drive the Porsche Cayenne and BMW X5 M because, well, why the hell not? It'll also provide you with some competitor experience.

If you want to stay updated with everything that's happened across the Range Rover Sport line-up since our review, you'll findall the latest news here.

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