Range Rover has lifted the covers off its much anticipated, and ultra-limited two-door Range Rover SV Coupe at the ongoing Geneva Motor Show. In much the same way the Range Rover created the genre of upscale SUVs nearly 50-years ago, it is defining a whole new genre with its first full-size luxury SUV coupe.
Just 999 examples of the SV Coupe will be produced by Land Rover Design and Special Vehicle Operations. Each SV Coupe will be hand-assembled to the client’s personal specification by the experts at the SVO Technical Centre in the UK – a first for Range Rover.
The SV Coupe is powered by a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine that develops 557 hp and 700 Nm of torque, making it the fastest-ever full-size Range Rover. The engine is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission, delivers powers to all four wheels through a permanent all-wheel drive system, equipped with a two-speed transfer box.
The SV Coupe is capable of accelerating from 0-100 km/h in 5.3 seconds, and will keep accelerating to a 265 km/h top speed.
The SV Coupe’s ride height is lowered by 8 mm over the standard Range Rover, to deliver enhanced driving performance and aesthetics. The active suspension system also automatically lowers the vehicle by 15 mm at cruising speeds of 105 km/h or above to enhance stability and minimise fuel consumption.
There are five different ride height settings in all; which allows a whopping 205 mm of vertical travel between its lowest (Access height) and highest settings.
Four alloy wheel options are offered, between a 21-inch, and for the first time, a 23-inch polished six-spoke wheel option, shod in 275/40 R23 all-terrain tyres.
Despite having two fewer doors, the SV Coupe is in fact 13 mm longer than a short-wheelbase four-door Range Rover (at 5,000 mm), width is identical at 2,073 mm while the SV Coupe’s height is a tad lower at 1,794 mm versus the regular Range Rover’s 1,869 mm.
Design wise, with the exception of the bonnet and lower tailgate, all of the two-door SV Coupe’s aluminium exterior panels are new, as are the front and rear bumpers.
The headlights are also unique, featuring Pixel-laser LED headlights with 144 LEDs and four laser diodes to provide five times higher luminance than standard LED lights.
Along the flanks, chrome metal side vents with mesh inlays and metal surround complement frameless doors with ‘Power Close’ functionality.
Eight body colours are available, in gloss or satin effects, four offered for the first time on a Range Rover. Additionally, SV Coupe clients can also specify one of four exclusive duo-tone gloss Contour Graphic options.
The SV Coupe features four full-size seats (20-way electrically adjustable front and 10-way adjustable rear) – wrapped in specially selected semi-aniline leather from a single, ‘hand-picked’ tannery. The cabin appointments and seats themselves can be specified in contrasting upholstery (or duo-tone colourways), front to rear. Single tone colours are also available.
Elsewhere, Nautica veneer – a first for Range Rover – combines craftsmanship with a patented new form-following process to fuse walnut and sycamore wood trim. It joins three elegant wood veneer options for the steering wheel rim, door casings, centre console, instrument panel and boot floor.
The Range Rover SV Coupe is scheduled to go on sale in Q4 of 2018, priced from GBP 240,000 in its home market in the UK.
Keyword: Geneva 2018: Range Rover SV Coupe World Debut - First Two-Door Large SUV, 557 hp