2024 Range Rover SV SWB Review: Taking on the World’s Best

Growing up, Range Rover was the epitome of luxury SUVs. It was the vehicle active, wealthy folks drove, and many more aspired to. Nothing short of a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen made a statement like a Range Rover.

But the world has gone SUV crazy, and every manufacturer is getting in on the action. High-riding utility vehicles now appear in Rolls-Royce, Bentley, and Aston Martin lineups. Heck, even Lamborghini and Ferrari have SUVs.

The shine that was once the exclusive domain of Range Rover is now a crowded place. Not one to back down, the manufacturer has responded by offering an ostentatiously extravagant trim, simply called the SV.

What’s New for 2024:

The current generation Range Rover is only a few years old, so there aren’t a lot of changes to it for the 2024 model year. The biggest update to the SV (which stands for Special Vehicle Operations) trim is a healthy increase in horsepower. The BMW-sourced turbocharged V8 engine now makes 606 hp, making the model now officially labeled as the Range Rover SV P615 AWD. Up from 523 hp in 2023, the V8 makes nearly the same level of power as the BMW X5 M Competition.

But, if the SV trim still isn’t quite exclusive and pricey enough, there is a new customization program called SV Bespoke. This allows customers to customize the SV to their hearts, and wallets, content.

Exterior Style:

In regular wheelbase form, or SWB in Range Rover speak, the SV is only 198.9 inches (5,058 mm) long. So, despite its commanding presence on the road, the Range Rover is shorter than a Honda Pilot.

The SV is available in more flavors than Baskin Robbins, with 32 exterior paint color choices. Our tester arrived in Sunrise Copper with a satin finish, which is a $10,500 option. Once paint is selected, there are no fewer than 13 wheel choices. The Range Rover SV seen here has the 23-inch Satin Dark Grey with Black Contrast alloy wheels.

Besides the multitude of wheel and paint choices, the SV distinguishes itself from lesser Range Rovers by having unique front and rear bumpers, SV metal plate exterior accents, and pixel LED headlights. To further dress up the SUV’s exterior, our tester has the SV Intrepid exterior accents as well as the black anodized metal finisher options. This replaces all the shiny chrome bits with black and/or black chrome trim pieces.

Powertrain and Fuel Economy:

As mentioned, Range Rover’s 5.0-liter supercharged V8 was retired a few years ago in favor of BMW’s 4.4-liter turbocharged V8. Besides unleashing over 600 hp, it includes 553 pound feet of torque. Paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission, power is sent to all four wheels.

Range Rover claims this set-up can scoot the 5,985 pounds SUV from 0-60 mph in 4.3 seconds (0-100 km/h 4.5 seconds). We don’t doubt those figures at all. In fact, they feel conservative behind the wheel. With so much mass on a soft suspension set-up, the Range Rover SV lurches backwards under hard acceleration, magnifying the rate in which speed is being accumulated. The accompanying soundtrack is great too, albeit a bit more muffled than we’d like.

Top speed is listed at 162 mph (261 km/h), which again is absurd for such a big, boxy SUV. When not driven like one’s qualifying for pole at Silverstone, the 2024 Range Rover SV is rated to deliver 16 mpg (15.1 L/100 km) city and 22 mpg (11.1 L/100 km) highway.

Handling and Drivability:

The 2024 Range Rover SV is decidedly agile thanks to all-wheel steering. By turning up to seven degrees, the rear wheels help rotate the SUV on just a 35.9 foot turning radius. The vehicle also has the sort of offroad capabilities people have come to expect in a Range Rover.

The air suspension can lift the SUV from 8.6-inches (219 mm) of ground clearance up to 11.6-inches (294 mm). There are plenty of drive modes and off-road features as well. This isn’t a vehicle ready to tackle Moab per say, but it can get itself out of stickier situations than most luxury SUVS. It can also tow upwards of 8,200 pounds (3,500 kg).

The one area the Range Rover SV doesn’t excel at is handling. Despite 285 mm wide tires all around, and brake-enabled torque vectoring, there’s no escaping the SUV’s size and weight. Toss is hard into a bend and the entire vehicle starts to lean towards the outside corner. It’s funny that the 2024 Range Rover SV comes with a lap timer included in the driver information center. Who exactly is lapping this rig at their local track day I do not know, but I sure would like to meet them.

Ride Quality and Comfort:

Even if it’s not a corner carver, the 2024 Range Rover SV is still a pleasure to drive. It responds to a driver’s inputs and keeps straight and true on the highway. Set the suspension to the Comfort Mode and it’s cushiony soft. Not as pillowy as the BMW X7, but the Range Rover does still need to have its off-road capability.

Those inside the cabin will have nothing to complain about, other than when it’s time to leave the Range Rover. Up front, the driver and passenger have 24-way power, heated, cooled, and massage seats. The outside rear seats also feature power, heat, cool, and massage functions.

Called Executive Class Comfort Plus, rear seat occupants each get their own interactive display screen, as well as other opulent features like a power-folding center armrest complete with power-opening cup holders. The passenger on the right rear seat can enter recline mode which pushes the front passenger seat up against the dashboard (if unoccupied) while dropping a footrest that joins the rear seat to make a full recliner.

For those that don’t travel lightly, the Range Rover SV can take 40.7 cubic feet of cargo. Fold the rear seats down and it expands to 83.5 cubic feet, but we doubt this SUV will be doing many Home Depot runs.

Interior Style and Quality:

Opulence abounds inside the posh Range Rover with a rich combination of materials. Our tester came with the SV Intrepid Light Cloud Front and Cinder Grey Rear interior. This means the Ultrafabric seats up front are white while the rear seats are grey. There is a matching Cinder Grey carpet and satin black ceramic controls. Of course, the door side sills light up, displaying SV script in this case.

All materials look and feel of quality, and we’re sure many features will impress those outside of our tax bracket.

Tech and Safety:

Standard in the Range Rover SV are a 13.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system, head-up display, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and Meredian sound system. The latter sounds great and so, so clear. As mentioned, the rear seats each have 13.1-inch screens on either side, and another center armrest screen to control features like seats, cup holders, and climate.

Two of the most Range Rover options, which were sadly missing from our tester, are the Equestrian pack and seatback hanger. The Equestrian pack includes mudflaps, rinsible floor mats, etc. to help clean up after a long day at the stables. The seatback hanger is molded right into the top of the front seat backs, making it easy to store coats, blazers, etc. without wrinkling them.

Value Dollars and Sense:

As hinted at several times during this review, the 2024 Range Rover SV is priced at the highest end of the SUV market. It’s double the starting price of entry-level Range Rovers, with a sticker of $210,475 including destination charges. With all the options tallied on, the final figure lands at $232,275 as tested, once again including destination charges.

In Canada, the starting price for the 2024 Range Rover SV is $240,550 (including destination charges) while our tester came in at an as-tested figure of $275,995.

Final Thoughts:

Range Rover has a long history with a lot of pedigree. There’s a reason the general shape of the Range Rover never deviates too much. As aspirational as it has been for decades, the new crop of competitors upped the game and Range Rover had to respond. With the SV, the brand has succeeded.

Power, style, comfort, luxury, and a price to match, very few will get to experience the 2024 Range Rover SV, and that’s the point. This is a vehicle designed for the few that can afford the very best of the best. The celebrities, pro athletes, and Fortune 500 company CEOs of the world. To that end, we think they’ll be quite smitten getting chauffeured around in Range Rover’s uber-extravagant SUV.

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