Range Rover SV: 1.6 million ways to make a car your own
With the SV, Range Rover raises the bar on performance, luxury, personalisation and fun
It’s a sweltering day in Mumbai, and the plan is to drive out to Oleander Farms in Kajrat for the day in the luxurious Range Rover SV. The car draws up to my door, and for once, I hop into the back seat, instead of behind the wheel. Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations division, known for pushing the envelope and creating sportier versions of the cars, has now raised the bar for luxury with the Range Rover SV.
Available in the standard and extended wheelbase versions of the car, the SV gives buyers two options—a sporty-looking Intrepid design or a Serenity design, which is the one I am riding in, and I can see why it’s named so. Serenity has a lot of white in the cabin—in the surrounds of the knobs on the dash, the gear lever and a white bar running right across the dash. The door panels follow the white theme, and the central console, front to back, sports a textured white finish. The two-tone seats in white and tan look like rich, creamy chocolate gateaux. Upholstery colours can be changed to suit your taste, but that is not the only thing that can be individualised. You can choose from mind-boggling 1.6 million options to personalise this car.
Fully stretched out in the back with the front passenger seat folded away, I am wrapping my head around that information while gliding over Mumbai’s potholed roads, wondering if they had all been re-paved to perfection overnight. There is barely a jiggle in the cabin. It is so calm that I pull out the snazzy table that rises out of the central console at the back, angle it to myself, open the refrigerator at the back of the armrest, and pour myself a glass of water. Not a drop spilt, not a quiver in the surface. The ride quality is exceptional, a cut above the regular Range Rover.
There are more gizmos to pamper me—noise-cancellation headphones and 13” entertainment screens—but as my life is hectic, I prefer to enjoy the silent calm of this cabin. The noise-cancelling speakers in my headrest work so well I could almost meditate. The hush of the cabin, and the fully stretched-out position in this Signature suite, which is available in the long wheel base (LWB) version, is lulling me to sleep. That doesn’t happen often, and I am impressed.
Halfway through the journey, I decide to wake myself up and switch to the driver's seat. The large barge feels surprisingly light, the 4.4 litre V8 brings up a nice swell of torque every time you accelerate, and it never lets you feel the size or weight of the car. The 8-speed gearbox shifts up seamlessly, and downshifts come reasonably quick. You can switch to the dynamic mode or use the paddles for heightened responses. Where you do feel the weight of the car is when you want to bring it to a halt in a hurry. The breaks feel spongy and catch on pretty late into the pedal travel.
On the winding sections of road to Oleander Farm, the car is pretty settled for its size without much roll. Steering in dynamic mode is good and overall, the driving is effortless. This is not a car for hustling; it is for leisurely cruising, and it does that well.
If you do want to hustle, you can do it off-road—the terrain response system and ample ground clearance ensure that you can clamber up hills and steep gradients, go through slushy ruts and drive in snow relatively easily.
We arrive at Oleander Farms and park by the lake. I step into the 40-degree heat and it drives home just how comfortable and cool the cabin was. I take in the gorgeous view and have a good look at the SV too. On the outside, matt gold accents, which sounded a bit bling, are tastefully done. The front grille is reworked and has a gold accent surrounding the sides and base. The Range Rover logo on the nose gets the matte gold inlay and a bar below the multi-slatted airdam. Around the sides, the 23" wheels get double-spoked alloys where the inner spoke is gold gives it a propellor-like look. The trademark vertical bar on the front door now has a matte gold surround with a matt chrome inlay and the SV logo. There is another gold accent on the rear fender and a ceramic SV roundel logo on the back. The tailgate has the event suite, which is perfect for this picnic spot, I open the split tailgate, fold out the cushions, lift the backrest, and I have a seat with my own set of speakers—there are 33 of them in the car, including two in the tailgate so you can enjoy your favourite music and take in a good view.
Apart from the 1.6 million ways of personalising this car, there are a a variety of engine options on offer with the Range Rover SV, including a 3.0 diesel or petrol. The 4.4 V8, which I drove, and a 3.0 PHEV are are on offer in both short wheel base and extended wheelbase.
While the Range Rover SV has definitely upped the ante on luxury and comfort, it can cost you a crore upwards of the regular Range. Is it worth that much more, especially considering rivals offer that for less? Well maybe not, but then they are also offering you 1.6 million ways to make the car your very own and have something unique.
Renuka Kirpalani is executive editor (video), Autocar India.
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First Published:4 Aug 2023, 12:00 PM IST
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