Range Rover SVAutobiography: King of the SUV
In recent years a lot of luxury car brands, like Bentley, Aston Martin and Maserati have entered the luxury SUV segment. But are they any match for the car that defined this segment?
The original Range Rover got to see the light of day in 1970 as we celebrated last year. And at first, it wasn’t even designed to be a luxury car. It was more fancy than the other Land Rovers of that time but it was still very much a purposeful utilitarian vehicle. Vinyl seats and plastic dashboard were designed to be washed very easily. It was only 30 years later with the introduction of the third generation that the Range Rover moved into a higher, more refined segment. There had been a Long Wheelbase model in the first generation but this disappeared in the second generation and subsequently the third generation as well.
It was only with the introduction of the fourth generation that the Long WheelBase (LWB) was reintroduced, moving the Range Rover further up into the luxury segment.
Luxury tank
And that’s where we are today, the Range Rover SVAutobiography is the crème de la crème when it comes to Range Rover. Only offered in the long wheelbase trim (it’s not the same as the SVAD) there’s actually not a lot of options available on the car. Mainly because Land Rover SV already pushes in nearly every option available on the standard Range Rover. That makes it very easy for the buyer on that front but not on how to configure the car. Because choosing colors out of an infinite color palette is probably the hardest decision on this car. The car in question here was finished in one of the many two-tone paint schemes on offer, called Aruba.
One of the charms about a Range Rover is, whilst it looks posh, it’s still a very elegant car. No in your face styling that says look at me. And there’s just something visually pleasing and looking so damn expensive to a two-tone paintjob, it gives this slight hint that this is more than just your regular Range Rover.
It’s really on the inside that you see where all the money goes in the SVAutobiography. Every surface you can see or touch is either wood or leather. There’s not a single panel which doesn’t look or feel nice lifting the atmosphere inside. But it goes even further in the back.
Because let’s be honest, every second you’re driving an SVAutobiography is wasted potential of the car. It’s meant to be seated in the back and so much is obvious. The 3 seat configuration has been replaced by a 2 seat lounge with a central console. Push a button and a table appears from inside the console. There’s a 230V socket as well to keep your laptop powered. There’s also a built-in fridge with champagne glasses which opens by pressing another button. Perfect for keeping your champagne cold to celebrate another successful deal you’ve made. And speaking about pressing buttons, the doors also close at the press of a button, sadly you’ll need to ask the driver to open the door for you as this doesn’t have a button.
One thing that does lack and really aged is the rear-seat entertainment system. It doesn’t even look to be HD which is a shame.
Rugged chassis which hasn’t forgotten its values
I’ve already talked a little bit about the history of the Range Rover. The biggest introduction on the fourth generation Range Rover was the use of an all-aluminium monocoque body, a first for a 4x4 SUV. This had a massive effect on the weight of the car compared to the third generation without sacrificing comfort and rigidity. The body was a full 420 kg lighter as a result. But despite being more fancy and lighter, the Range Rover hasn’t forgotten its core values. The air suspension is able to raise the car to give it a higher ground clearance. The intricate air intake system allows it to travel through 900 mm of water. 300 mm more than a G-Class. It has something called Terrain Response 2 which detects the surface you’re driving on and adjusts the car’s reactions accordingly. It still has all the tricks it needs to perform off-road. But when talking about a car in this price segment, it’s less likely a lot of people will be using this to go off-road. Damaging the two-tone paint or denting a panel could quickly become an expensive replacement.
Powerhouse
In the SVAutobiography you have a few engine options, a 350 hp diesel, a 400 hp hybrid and the one we have here. The infamous 5.0L Supercharged V8. One of the very last of its kind as in the next Range Rover it will be replaced by a twin-turbo V8 which is a lot more efficient. But this supercharged V8, in this trim producing 565 hp, has always been an amazing engine. And the way that JLR makes this engine work in the hardcore end of the spectrum (ergo the F-Type R, F-Pace SVR, Range Rover Sport SVR) to the more luxury end of the segment (the Velar SVAD, Range Rover SVAD, and this one). Throttle response is still impressive thanks to the supercharger offering instant torque, however it is a lot smoother than what you’re used to.
As much as we love this V8, in the big SVAutobiography it is quite thirsty. Averaging at best 14L/100 km on highways and drinking a lot more when going onto the smaller roads. That said, the engine is butter smooth, the soft roar is completely different to other similar powered cars thanks to the long exhaust trajectory and oval tips. The hint of supercharger noise is a gentle reminder that this is one of the last. The last few years we’ve really gotten to know the AJ133 and it’s been a true gem with a lot of character. Something JLR have always managed to capture in their cars.
Is this the ultimate luxury SUV?
The Range Rover SVAutobiography really doesn’t mess around, even after being in production for 10 years it’s still very much a relevant car with few cars living up the name. The SVAutobiography sitting here comes in at a hefty 239.000€ which is a lot of money for a car. But the fact is that it really is more than a car, it’s a mobile office, a lounge on wheels,… It’s the culmination of luxury comfort offered in a car. There maybe is one other powertrain which makes the Range Rover SVAutobiography even better but you’ll have to wait and find out in our upcoming article on the Range Rover Ultimate Edition.
