Range Rover Sport SV Edition Two first drive: Luxury and sportiness by definition

For years, Land Rover has been championing its maxim of modern luxury with models that combine elegance, sportiness and utility, something they are unique in. When they decided to globally reposition their strategy, they rebranded what used to be their models as separate brands. Range Rover, Discovery and Defender took on a distinct personality within the Land Rover umbrella.

The Range Rover Sport became the most sporty model within the most luxurious brand of them all, Range Rover, and to take it one step further, the SV Edition Two was born with a 635 PS 4.4-litre V8 twin-turbo petrol mild hybrid engine, 23-inch wheels that in some cases are made of carbon fibre, a unique suspension in its class and, of course, all the Land Rover technology, luxury and widely customisable interiors thanks to the Bespoke service that covers practically anything the customer can imagine.

Gallery: Range Rover Sport SV Edition Two first drive

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Source: Land Rover

The journey began at The Rectory, a small, charming Georgian-style country house hotel in Wiltshire, about 100 miles west of London in the Cotswolds, a region of pretty stone houses and picturesque river villages.

Our first route took us from there to Eastnor Castle, a route that took us through Chelterham, Britain's famous spa town, where high society frequented its hot springs resorts and which is also the birthplace of Brian Jones, a founding member of the Rolling Stones.

The Range Rover Sport SV Edition Two shows its road car side on this route through the British back roads, thanks to the comfort provided by its suspension, soundproofing and SV Performance seats, which, although sporty, are really comfortable. A route to enjoy the landscapes of the English countryside and the luxury of doing so at the controls of a vehicle of these characteristics.

Eastnor Castle is about 50 miles from our starting point. An imposing building spanning an estate of hundreds of acres, it is here that we will be able to test another of the car's strengths, its off-road performance on dirt and mountain roads.

The estate road, a few miles long, full of pheasants, rabbits, deer and foxes, among other species, runs through the middle of a forest where we can test the qualities of this very special Range Rover Sport, when it comes to wading through water, passing through narrow areas and tackling steep gradients, which we can negotiate with no problem thanks to the numerous options provided by the different driving modes and the multiple cameras around the vehicle.

After a pleasant dinner during which we were given a detailed explanation of how the SV (Special Vehicles) service works, the materials it works with and its levels of personalisation and exclusivity, we had the immense luck of being able to enjoy a stargazing experience with a local guide, thanks to a cloudless night, something that is probably not very easy to see in the UK at this time of the year.

And if we'd already tested the Range Rover Sport SV Edition Two's on-road qualities and off-road effectiveness, we still had to test its sportier side, which is best done on a circuit or closed road. Britain is the home of motorsport with thousands of clubs and small local circuits. A very traditional feature is hillclimbs, or hill races, which can be held on open roads, like a rally, or on small private roads, such as Prescott Hill.

A track owned by the Bugatti Owners' Club, founded in 1929, it began hosting small races in 1936. With a twisty, narrow climb, barely a kilometre in length, where small barquetas or Caterham or Ginetta-type cars often compete, it seems impossible to operate with a Range Rover Sport that's almost five metres long.

But another feature that brings us this model and that gives it much greater versatility, is the steering rear axle, so the doubts about whether the car would be able to handle the tight hairpins of Prescott Hill were resolved in the first pass.

A short straight that leaves little time to squeeze the 635 PS from the engine, but does allow the power of its 750 Nm of torque to be seen in an impressive acceleration that puts the car to 62 mph in just over 3 seconds, gives way to a tight, hairpin climb through the middle of a forest. With SV mode activated quickly via a button on the steering wheel, the car automatically sets up the suspension, powertrain, steering, transmission and exhaust to deploy all its sportiness and negotiate the difficulties Prescott Hill throws at us with ease.

A great experience aboard one of Land Rover's most luxurious vehicles on the roads and tracks of its country of origin, visiting places with great charm that help to understand the legacy of the brand and the reason why its owners have been loyal to these cars for decades and that have in the Range Rover Sport SV Edition Two a clear exponent of what enthusiasts of the legendary brand are looking for.

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