RANGE ROVER VELAR SVAUTOBIOGRAPHY / Presence meets performance

RANGE ROVER VELAR SVAUTOBIOGRAPHY

SV Autobiography is all about bespoke finishes, quilted leather and plush materials going into an existing Range Rover model to give it an even higher premium look and feel. Much like the Range Rover Vogue Autobiography that sits at the top of the Range Rover totem pole, the Velar SV Autobiography follows along those tread marks – adding performance and exclusivity to an already impressive package.

WHAT ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS?

Being the flagship of the Velar range, the SVA has rather subtle design cues to set it apart from its garden-variety siblings. These count the sportier lower valance with larger air intakes, wider side sills and a lower rear bumper with chrome vertical quad tailpipe pieces – more garnish than actual exhausts tips – and 21” (optional 22” fitted to our test car) alloy wheels with red callipers. There’s also an SV Autobiography badge on the boot lid.

Interior appointments include the quilted leather seats and colour contrasting stitching on the heated steering wheel and piano black inlays. These are small touches that elevate the cabin ambience to even loftier heights of luxury.

MOTIVATION

Powering the model is the tried and tested 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine that musters 405 kW and 680 Nm allied to an 8-speed automatic gearbox and all-wheel-drive. Of course, this is the first time that the Velar boasts this engine and what a mighty difference it makes to the overall character of the vehicle.

While the 3.0-litre turbodiesel remains the pick of the bunch, having a snarling V8 in the Velar moves from being just a stylish SUV to one that has the muscle to take on the Germans. It might be an old engine architecture but, oh, does it have thick layers of character.

It starts with a bass note when fired up that remains audible while pottering about town. Give

Arguably the most stylish model in the Range Rover portfolio, the Velar was met with much fanfare when it was locally introduced early 2018 and was the first of the current crop to feature a new cabin architecture that now spans the entire range. Headlining the Velar range is the SVO (Special Vehicle Operations) fettled variant dubbed the SV Autobiography (SVA), replete with a snarling V8. Lerato Matebese reckons there’s now more substance to go with those sharp looks.