Behind The Wheel Of The 2019 Range Rover Sport SVR

Take a spin behind the wheel of the 2019 Range Rover Sport SVR

- Freddy Sherman

Quite simply, the 2019 Range Rover Sport SVR is the most powerful Range Rover ever made. It's also the most not-subtle Range Rover ever made. From its eye-popping Estoril Blue exterior (with cool 22-inch black rims surrounding red brake calipers) to its angry, straight pipe-like exhaust note, this luxury performance SUV loudly announces its arrival visually and sonically.

But don't worry, like the true Jekyll and Hyde vehicle it is, you can go under the radar too. Put the SVR into Comfort mode, turn off the active exhaust, crank up the Beethoven and sink back (a little bit) into the full-grain leather sport seats and people just think it's a bright blue ordinary Range Rover. But always lurking underneath is the ground-pounding power of 575 horses, generated by its supercharged 5.0L V8 engine.

The 2019 Range Rover Sport SVR comes out of Land Rover's SVO (Special Vehicle Operations) division. It's in-house research, development and performance division – think Jaguar's version of AMG. They've created the SVAutobiography Range Rover models, offering the ultimate blend of performance and luxury, along with SVR Range Rover Sport models which are serious, hardcore street racers.

PERFORMANCE

It's just thrilling to mash that accelerator into the floor and launch an angry, 6,600 pound SUV to 60 miles per hour in just over four seconds. As this is a Range Rover, you can achieve similar performance numbers on any surface. A lot of cars will do 0-60 in under five seconds on the road, but what about in the mud or going up a hillside?