The bell was tolling for Jaguar/Land Rover’s 5.0-liter supercharged V8, with the engine recently appearing in the Land Rover Velar and Defender. Thankfully, Land Rover is out to prove that bigger is not necessarily better with the all-new 2024 Ranger Rover Sport SV, which gets a smaller engine with more power and styling that elevates it to a higher plane of luxury.
Smaller Sport SV V8 Comes With More Power
As mentioned, the aging 5.0-liter V8 has been pitched. In its place is a smaller BMW-sourced 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 that makes 626 horsepower and also comes with BMW’s mild-hybrid technology. It also makes 51 lb-ft of torque, but that figure can be boosted to 590 lb-ft when the driver engages Dynamic Launch Mode. Do that, and the big Land Rover can make the sprint to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds before topping out at 180 mph.
These figures are also impressive considering that the SUV weighs over 5,600 lbs but buyers looking to shed a few pounds (or perhaps enhance the Range Rover’s style) can equip optional 23-inch carbon wheels. These hoops are the first carbon wheels to reach this size, and they help cleave 80 lbs of flab, while a carbon fiber hood and carbon ceramic brakes help slice even more weight off. An eight-speed automatic continues to be the lone transmission available, but the newly rechristened SV mode (Dynamic Mode is still used on lesser models) sharpens up various aspects of the driving experience, including the transmission’s shift behavior as well as how stiff the suspension is.
SV Sport’s Seats Let You Feel The Rhythm Of Your Tunes
Slip inside the SV Sport’s interior, and you’ll see that the Range Rover’s core design has carried dove intact, with minimalism and technology continuing to play prominent themes. However, the front seats stand out by offering what Range Rover calls “Body and Soul Seats” (BASS), with the thrones featuring built-in transducers. These transducers allow the seats to vibrate depending on what’s playing through the 29-speaker Meridian sound system. Land Rover claims that the novel feature will allow owners to “feel the music,” though we will wait until we have the chance to experience it ourselves, especially when our Michigan branch has the chance to let their in-house trained musician (and loving spouse) try it out to see just how immersed the seats get you into the music. Land Rover even developed six different modes that aim to demonstrate the full capabilities of this feature (Poise, Soothe, Serene, Cool, Tonic, and Glow).
When Can I Buy One?
The 2024 Range Rover SV Sport will begin making its way to dealerships nationwide later this year. However, while the bulk of the production run will have broader availability, Range Rover will be strictly Iimiting the first batch of SV Sport models to select special orders, with these opportunities only being available to select clients via an invitation-only process. Buyers that get picked this way will get a special Edition One version that comes with exclusive touches inside and out.
Look for pricing and fuel economy also to be revealed later, but the addition of the mild-hybrid system to the 4.4-liter V8 could indicate that Land Rover is hoping for enhanced fuel economy from this fire-breathing beast, especially as fuel regulations continue to tighten around the world.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.