Land Rover's new Range Rover Sport SV is a beast on and off the streets (2024)

Long known as the brand that champions off-roading, Land Rover has pushed deeper into its on-road playbook for the new 2024 Range Rover Sport SV. The midsize SUV showcases the redactive, stylish finery that is a hallmark of the current generation of Rovers alongside first-to-market technology and equipment.

From the crowded, narrow and hilly streets of Lisbon, Portugal to the narrower and winding streets of Melides, and onto Algarve Motorsports Park at Portimão, the Range Rover Sport SV Edition One proved a versatile, hospitable host.

It's not in-your-face aggressive with a roar to scare smiling schoolchildren or a tremble that can be felt in the kidneys like products from the Dodge family of brands. Range Rover Sport SV is a mesh of performance and luxury, toeing the line without getting dragged down by the definition of either.

The trialed version of the SUV came fully loaded. Its exterior was enhanced by the SV Carbon Fiber Exterior Pack, carbon fiber badging, SV Edition One script on the front splitter and an active exhaust with quad tailpipes wrapped in carbon fiber. Its Carbon Bronze matte paint job struck the right high-end, earthy tone.

The 23-inch carbon fiber wheels were wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 tires as standard. Buyers can opt for newly formulated Michelin Pilot Sport 5 Summer tires, optimized for dry weather performance, which will be available later this year. The dealer-installed option are the same type of tires as on the new Aston Martin Vantage, but with different tread attributes specifically for the Landie.

Compared to the traditional Range Rover Sport, the SV model features fresh front and rear bumpers and reprofiled lower body sides.

The look is aggressive but not inelegant. This car stays true to its roots, but amplified, without looking like a predator.

Under the hood is a 626-horsepower, twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter mild-hybrid V8 engine that is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission that has been specially calibrated for SV. Drivers have access to 553 pound-feet of torque, which helps move the SUV from zero to 60 miles per hour (mph) in 3.6 seconds and hit a top speed of 180 mph.

This is where the luxury performance capabilities shine, thanks to the SV Mode drive mode. The turbocharged throttle press doesn't cause a takeoff, but instead a steady rise in power and, with ample press, you're hitting Lamborghini-friendly speeds on the track, in an SUV, with ease.

On the streets, even when plodding along behind the local cyclist in a more traditional drive mode, the pedal provides reasonable response, performing equally well here as on the track.

Solid braking performance comes courtesy of Brembo carbon ceramic brakes that features the world's first X-shape eight piston caliper arrangement. Slowing for corners on the track was as immediate as necessary with only as much effort as anticipated.

The SUV's 6D Dynamics hydraulic air suspension was the star of the show. With control over forward, aft, side-to-side, yaw and pitch movements, the Range Rover Sport stayed pleasantly planted. Even when on track, riding in the passenger seat beside a professional driver who was pushing the model to its limits, no leg or arm bracing was required. The same was true when hopping behind the wheel and driving with inevitably less precise movements.

Sure, there was some shifting, but the movement of the body was remarkably limited, especially on the tight curves in Portimão. Many low-slung sports cars have more body roll than this high-riding five door.

Add in those new-to-market tires and the Rover just holds to the tarmac in truly impressive ways.

Portimão is also home to a bit of an off-road course. Though not as tough as some of the terrain Land Rover has put its vehicles through in the past during model introduction test drives, the terrain proved difficult enough to show how good the car's hill descent control is (a measured application in ways that would make a Ford Bronco engineer fan himself with jealousy) and how steady throttle control allows the SUV's torque do the work without needing a two-speed transfer case.

Taking the SUV around a 31-degree side incline showed how rigid the car's frame is and how comfortable it is with extreme driving situations.

The unimproved roadways around southwestern Portugal gave the dynamics system a different test, and it passed on virtually every opportunity to dislodge passengers from their comfortable seats.

Rear-wheel steering solidifies the Sport model as more than just your average family hauler. Land Rover executes its maneuvering better than what you'll find in many models with similar technology, including the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV. Off-roading is made easier by the tech, but ultimately for most buyers the trick is how tightly the SUV can turn around a parking lot or u-turn in traffic. It nails both with impressive results.

The interior of the car is properly fine. Though not as plush as the Range Rover SV, the Sport SV offers plenty of comfort and elegance to go around. Chief among the delights are the 16-way heated and ventilated SV Performance front seats with massaging capability. They hug without squeezing and hold without restricting, all while providing a plush landing space for the posterior.

Body and Soul Seat (BASS) technology allows riders to experience the pulses of music in their body via physical movement rather than just spacial sound. This means that the volume doesn't have to be turned up as high to achieve a visceral reverberation, saving the ears without losing out on the immersive sound experience when paired with the SUV's Meridian Signature Sound System.

Users can opt for five different levels of pulsing, pairing with different beats, for yet another level of thoughtful finery in the SUV.

Land Rover equips the model with its latest infotainment system, housed within a 13.1-inch touchscreen. The screen isn't always as responsive as one would like, but the interface is one of the most aesthetically pleasing that you'll find.

Built-in navigation works flawlessly, projecting on the screen in front of the driver as well as the centrally located touchscreen. That center screen also controls all climate control and settings functions, and is relatively easy to use while on the go.

The heated seats are more robust than the lauded ones Subaru and Volvo have in their vehicles, and the temperature dial seems relatively accurate, as opposed to what you get in, say, a Nissan.

The Landie wins again for its adjustable levels of safety sensors. Turning down the sensitivity allows a driver to navigate the tight bridges and roadways Europe is known for without having to listen to consistent, annoying beeping. Because they are still on, when you're in a particularly tight situation and cannot see well due to the Rover Sport's large haunches, you're able to navigate with assurance.

The Range Rover Sport SV is an SUV for buyers with a need for speed, luxury and off-road performance. But, it's perfectly happy as a parking lot princess. There isn't another vehicle on the market that walks that line so well.

For $181,775 including destination and delivery fees, it better. That's a chunk of change.

If you want one, you'll need to get in line. This year's allocation is already sold out.