Range Rover Sport SVR 2018 UK first drive

Well, the Range Rover Sport SVR certainly isn’t an exercise in restraint, that’s for sure. When this, the biggest, baddest Range Rover Sport money can buy, rocked up on the scene back in 2014, it did so with all of the subtlety of a severely hung-over grizzly bear. 

Created by the in-house skunkworks that is Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations division, the SVR was equipped with an apocalyptic supercharged V8 engine, a stance that looked steroid-enhanced and a Nürburgring lap record to boot. It was rabid and exciting and gave off the impression that it would punch you in the face just for looking at it the wrong way. In short, we loved it, and subsequently awarded it the full five-star rating when it was put under the microscope that is the Autocar road test.

Now, it’s been ever-so-slightly refreshed for 2018, and the good news is that it’s even more of a sporting SUV brute than when it was launched four years ago. The headline change here is that the 5.0-litre supercharged V8 - a powerplant that never felt particularly lacking in the performance department - now produces 567bhp at 6000rpm, and 516lb ft from 3500rpm – improvements of 24bhp and 14lb ft respectively.

The chassis has been fettled, too, with Land Rover engineers tweaking the SVR’s active dampers to improve turn-in and grip and better contain body roll. That's no small task when you consider the fact that the SVR tips the scales at 2310kg. A body-coloured carbonfibre bonnet has also been introduced as standard, marginally reducing weight over the front axle. For a not-so-modest £6225, you can opt to leave the carbonfibre exposed, while also adding further carbonfibre panelling around the body. Our test car came equipped as such, and we’ll leave it up to you to decide whether that look is a tasteful one or not. The cabin, meanwhile, gains the latest dual-screen infotainment system first introduced on the smaller Range Rover Velar.

For all of the gawdy exterior details - the black 22in alloys, bright orange paint and lashings of carbonfibre - and performance-orientated underpinnings, the SVR is actually a hugely comfortable and refined beast to drive. Even with the firmer suspension, it rides in the manner you expect a Range Rover should, ironing out ruts and bumps in the road. You sit high up in the firm, but largely supportive, sports seats, with a commanding view of the road and no shortage of interior space. The cabin is plush and luxurious, and every bit as high end as you would expect from a car costing almost £100,000. It’s all very calm, very relaxing and very Range Rover.