Land Rover Range Rover Sport SVR “Midnight Train” (2021): A bespoke swansong to the supercharged V8

The popularity of the Range Rover Sport from a local context cannot be understated, with an impressive number on local roads and well over 300 pre-owned examples listed for sale on AutoTrader at the time of writing. The sales figures of the Sport are made more impressive by the fact that it’s not exactly a bargain, with prices starting at R1.5-million, and increasing dramatically depending upon how liberal you are with the specification.

Land Rover South Africa has commissioned the build of 27 bespoke Range Rover Sport SVR models with a variety of special paint and trim options unique to South Africa, with names such as izi Khaleni Plum, Bantry Blue and Namaqua Orange among the pallet chosen. The customisation options are endless with these products, something which we managed to experience first-hand.

Styling

The press car is finished in a colour called Stimela sa Sebusuku which in isiZulu means “Midnight Train”. This particular hue is a beautiful shade of satin black, which is contrasted by a host of carbon fibre trim (including the bonnet) and the gloss black 22-inch alloy wheels. There will only be 20 SVR models painted in this colour, making it a very rare car indeed. All of the exterior bits combined with the insane paint job make the SVR one of the most attention-grabbing press cars we have ever driven.

Interior and space

Inside the SVR, the more tactile among us would have a field day, with carpeting better than in most homes, swathes of black and red leather, carbon fibre and even red anodised gear shift paddles behind the steering wheel. There are also special; door sills, with the words ‘Built by Special Vehicle Operations’, etched on either side, while there is also a logo that reads ‘SVO Bespoke’ on the B-pillar, only visible when the front door is open.

The rest of the interior features the same tech as a regular Range Rover Sport, with a fully digitised instrument cluster, digitised climate control and drive mode panel as well as a colour touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto too.

In terms of practicality, this SVR is really only designed to have four occupants on board, however, those four occupants are wrapped in absolute luxury, which is what those after a super luxurious product are looking for. In terms of boot space, there is a capacious 780-litres of space, enough for what is sure to be designer luggage, perhaps a set that matches your SVR’s interior?

Performance and driving impression

Powering the SVR is one of the best sounding supercharged V8 engines you are ever likely to come across. The sonorous soundtrack is backed up by the 423kW and 700Nm of torque from the 5.0-litre motor. The engine is paired with the superb ZF-sourced 8-speed automatic gearbox that sends power to all four wheels. Performance is impressive, with a 0-100km/h time of 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 283km/h.

Out on the road, the SVR provides a surprisingly firm ride around town but does display an impressive amount of agility for such a big and heavy machine. We were not expecting compact sportscar levels of grip and braking performance, so the SVR’s performance is certainly adequate and befitting of this odd genre of car.

Since the SVR is still a Ranger Rover, we head to take it off the beaten path a bit, to explore how much of its capability has been lost amid the carbon fibre, the massive alloy wheels and shouty engine. The answer is, well, not much, with the air suspension system and Terrain Response system, the SVR made light work of some fairly serious off-road paths in our local quarry, in spite of the 22-inch wheels.

Safety

While the Sport is yet to be crash-tested, its larger sibling with which it shares many safety systems has been crash-tested by the Euro NCAP new car assessment programme in 2012. It achieved a 5-Star rating including 91% for adult occupant safety, 84% for child occupant safety, 63% for pedestrian safety and 86% for its safety assistance systems.

Fuel economy

Those that purchase a 2.0-ton-plus supercharged V8 SUV with fuel consumption in mind are setting themselves up for disappointment, with Land Rover claiming a consumption figure of 12.8 L/100km and our weeklong figure coming to 16.8 L/100km.

Pricing

The base price for the Range Rover Sport SVR starts at R2 654 862, however, a product as special as this is fitted with many costly options, making the price closer to the R3.0-million mark.

Verdict

For those looking for a bespoke product that wears one of the most desirable automotive badges available, the Range Rover Sport SVR is an incredibly good option for those looking to custom order a bespoke product to their exact specifications, without going to the likes of Rolls Royce and Bentley. Long live insane cars like the Range Rover Sport SVR.