Wednesday 24th January 2018

Range Rover SV Coupe for Geneva

Limited run model will pay homage to the original Range Rover

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Land Rover is celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2018, and looks to be doing plenty of reminiscing in the process. Having already announced that they're lumping a V8 in 150 Defenders, the team at Special Vehicle Operations has now chosen to pay homage to the original two-door Range Rover - the car that started the SUV revolution - with a Range Rover SV Coupe.

It isn't certain where in the Range Rover portfolio the SV coupe will sit, though the team claims it will be the first full-size luxury SUV coupe, so somewhere between the Range Rover and the Range Rover Sport sounds about right. Limited to 999 examples worldwide, the RR SV Coupe will be hand assembled by Special Vehicle Operations in Warwickshire to go head to head with rivals from Germany and Italy in the shapes of the BMW X6, Mercedes GLE and Lamborghini Urus.

John Edwards, Land Rover Special Operations Managing Director, said, "Land Rover created the luxury SUV sector with Range Rover almost 50 years ago. In launching the new Range Rover SV Coupé, we will offer clients an alluring combination of peerless luxury and rarity."

There are no details of the exterior and powertrains so far but expect to see the traditional Range Rover features including the floating roof and the castellated bonnet. Inside, we get a bird's eye view of the 2+2 layout with quilted leather seats and a substantial amount of wood running along the centre console. In 1970, the Range Rover was revealed at the Louvre, but for the 70th things are a little more restrained with an official unveiling scheduled for Geneva on March 6th.

[JerryF]

Great to see LR capitalising on its history.

A fitting reminder to the European lovers, where the luxury SUV format was born.

[SidewaysSi]

JerryF said:

Great to see LR capitalising on its history.

A fitting reminder to the European lovers, where the luxury SUV format was born.

Woo hoo. Who gives a st where it was born? I would pick a Landcruiser over the blinged up crap LR sell these days.

[So]

It still has the stupid rotary gear knob and paddles - the idea of someone who has never driven a Range Rover off road.

[Paracetamol]

EOI placed at my RR dealer this am...I am excited!

[dandare]

JerryF said:

Great to see LR capitalising on its history.

A fitting reminder to the European lovers, where the luxury SUV format was born.

I thought that honour went to the Jeep Wagoneer, about 8 years before the Range Rover.
ETA: Sorry, seven years.

Edited by dandare on Wednesday 24th January 08:26

[Torcars]

Could this be the shortened Range Rover based prototype that has appeared in the media of late?

Suggestions were it was a disguised new Defender, but maybe this was it.

I'm wondering if it will be a modern day version of the 2 door concept they had 10 or more years ago. I think it was called the Stormed or something.

As for the limited production run, surely if it sells - as it will - they won't waste all the R & D and make it a full production model.

[So]

Torcars said:

As for the limited production run, surely if it sells - as it will - they won't waste all the R & D and make it a full production model.

Much to the chagrin of the people buying the "limited run". But then this is Land Rover.

[Torcars]

So said:

Much to the chagrin of the people buying the "limited run". But then this is Land Rover.

Indeed.

[Torcars]

Maybe they got this guy in...

https://youtu.be/76WB_BKU5nY

[NomduJour]

Torcars said:

As for the limited production run, surely if it sells - as it will - they won't waste all the R & D and make it a full production model.

Short prototype is the SWB Defender.

This is via SVO so it isn’t going to be a mainstream production model.

[Torcars]

NomduJour said:

Short prototype is the SWB Defender.

This is via SVO so it isn’t going to be a mainstream production model.

Will it be a model in its own right? Or will it be an adaptation of an existing model? Coach built like Rolls Royce of old where you could specify the body from Mullliner or whoever?

How does this work with Type approval? Does it just use that of the base car?

[PhantomPH]

So said:

It still has the stupid rotary gear knob and paddles - the idea of someone who has never driven a Range Rover off road.

I'm guessing you've never driven a modern RR off road either, given your comment. If you had, you would know that (on the right tyres) its ridiculously competent across some surfaces and terrain that it has no real right to be.

Short of extreme off-roading (which nobody is really planning on using a £100k FFRR for, surely?), modern Range Rovers are incredibly capable with both the rotary gearknob and paddles...

[Pintofbest]

Torcars said:

Will it be a model in its own right? Or will it be an adaptation of an existing model? Coach built like Rolls Royce of old where you could specify the body from Mullliner or whoever?

How does this work with Type approval? Does it just use that of the base car?

It's a 2 door full size RR so based on that, that is what the interior and exterior shots show.

[So]

PhantomPH said:

So said:

It still has the stupid rotary gear knob and paddles - the idea of someone who has never driven a Range Rover off road.

I'm guessing you've never driven a modern RR off road either, given your comment. If you had, you would know that (on the right tyres) its ridiculously competent across some surfaces and terrain that it has no real right to be.

Short of extreme off-roading (which nobody is really planning on using a £100k FFRR for, surely?), modern Range Rovers are incredibly capable with both the rotary gearknob and paddles...

I've driven all the modern Range Rovers (since the P38) off road extensively. You clearly haven't; if you had, you'd understand what I said without me needing to explain it to you.

[Brynjaminjones]

dandare said:

I thought that honour went to the Jeep Wagoneer, about 8 years before the Range Rover.
ETA: Sorry, seven years.

Edited by dandare on Wednesday 24th January 08:26

Came here to say this! (I own one)

[NomduJour]

So said:

I've driven all the modern Range Rovers (since the P38) off road extensively. You clearly haven't; if you had, you'd understand what I said without me needing to explain it to you.

Assume you mean having to use the fixed paddles to change manually - haven’t found that particularly taxing.

[wowman]

It's supposed to pay homage to the original two-door Range Rover. Not a bad idea.

In the picture it looks like it's a four door.

...ehm...

[So]

NomduJour said:

So said:

I've driven all the modern Range Rovers (since the P38) off road extensively. You clearly haven't; if you had, you'd understand what I said without me needing to explain it to you.

Assume you mean having to use the fixed paddles to change manually - haven’t found that particularly taxing.

How do you know which way up the wheel is, without taking your eyes off the scenery?

[NomduJour]

So said:

How do you know which way up the wheel is, without taking your eyes off the scenery?

Quick glance at the wheel, if necessary, hasn’t yet seen me tumble to a fiery death (but to be fair, there isn’t so much hardcore extreme rock crawling in the shires).

I can see that it will be a huge issue for the owners of a limited-production £250k coupe though.

[PhantomPH]

NomduJour said:

So said:

How do you know which way up the wheel is, without taking your eyes off the scenery?

Quick glance at the wheel, if necessary, hasn’t yet seen me tumble to a fiery death (but to be fair, there isn’t so much hardcore extreme rock crawling in the shires).

I can see that it will be a huge issue for the owners of a limited-production £250k coupe though.

Which is exactly my point above - nobody in their right mind is using a new FFRR of any kind for 'extreme offroading'. And if they are, they are not using the right tool for the job.