Range Rover Sport SV

With 626bhp, this sports SUV is the most potent Range Rover yet On sale Spring Price from £171,460

THE ORIGINAL RANGE ROVER Sport SVR was about as subtle as a loudspeaker in a library, and while that gave it plenty of character, it wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea. That’s where this new SV version comes in, offering a huge dollop of performance but a more grown-up approach.

Don’t go thinking that it’s become boring, though. Oh no: with a 626bhp turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 under its bonnet, the Sport SV is the most powerful Range Rover yet.

It’s also the quickest, sprinting from 0-62mph in just 3.8sec – around the same as the Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-hybrid and about 0.3sec slower than the Lamborghini Urus S. Plant your foot and it feels mighty fast, pinning you back into your seat as the automatic gearbox fires through the gears. True, it’s not as loud as the old SVR, but it still sounds suitably theatrical, with the exhaust popping occasionally with purpose (rather than continually).

But what’s the SV like on a twisty road? In short, mighty impressive. In its stiffest mode, the SV’S bespoke air suspension hides the car’s weight with surprising ease, giving you plenty of confidence to push on, while the optional carbon-ceramic brakes fitted on our car do a great job of reliably slowing that mass from speed. There’s a lot of pleasure to be had from threading the SV through a series of corners.

The lighter Aston Martin DBX 707 is sharper, but that car won’t be as comfortable when you’re driving normally. In fact, select Comfort mode and the SV soaks up bumps and potholes as well as a regular Sport.

Inside, differences are limited to material choices and new front seats that feature vibrating transducers, deepening the experience from the 29-speaker Meridian sound system.

The SV is undoubtedly a fine sports SUV that’s more comfortable than any of its rivals. Just bear in mind that it’s very expensive compared with the Cayenne, which is itself an incredibly capable choice.