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Breadth of capability. That’s the key phrase the engineers, public relations managers and even the support crew keep using when discussing the all-new Range Rover Sport SV. And with good reason.
There aren’t too many SUVs on the market that can match it for its bandwidth. Within the space of a few hours at the recent launch in Portugal, we hit 233km/h down the front straight at the Portimao race track, carved through country back roads and then drove down a muddy track, across a small creek and then conquered an off-road obstacle course.
Most of its rivals can do some of those things, but none can do all of them.
Range Rovers have always had a Swiss Army knife element to their appeal, but the Sport SV adds a new dimension with its sheer dynamic ability.
The company confidently calls it its most dynamic model yet, which isn’t saying much for a brand that’s history is focused on off-road performance rather than worrying too much about paved roads.
But not only is it clearly the most dynamic Range Rover ever, it’s also now a clear front-runner in the highly-competitive performance SUV market, capable of holding its own against the likes of the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT, Lamborghini Urus and Aston Martin DBX.
The idea of a Tesla that can tow sounds about as likely as an astrophysicist with three Olympic gold medals, who also moonlights as a hand model.
The EV brand has blazed a trail for every other mainstream and premium car manufacturer to jump on the electric bandwagon, and today they’ve still got the biggest batteries and most impressive range ratings, while also having the most extensive extensive network of charge stations made up of Superchargers and destination chargers, covering every state and territory.
They’re not perfect though, often displaying niggling build quality issues and production delays for upcoming models. There’s also a degree of uncertainty bred by a founder who flits between the modern-day space race, manufacturing flame throwers and offering to send miniature submarines to rescue stranded children.
But there’s no questioning the overall impact Tesla has had on the automotive industry, along with the incredible brand awareness and aspiration it’s generated from non-enthusiast Joe Average consumers around the world.
The Model X is also rated to tow, with a decent 2250kg braked rating and an integrated tow bar that folds out of sight when not in use, which both fits its SUV character and encourages you to give it a go.
Range Rover proudly calls it its “most dynamic” model ever, and based on our first experience that’s most definitely true. Its ability to be genuinely exciting to drive on a race track is nothing short of remarkable for a brand whose history is all about off-road prowess.
On the road it shines just as brightly, with its potent engine and state-of-the-art suspension system working in unison to make for a stunningly dynamic large and luxurious SUV. And then, if you need to cut across a field or scramble up a slippery hill, it will do that too.
Range Rover’s claims of ‘breadth of capability’ is apt but arguably an understatement. I’d stop short of calling the Sport SV the obvious class-leader in the high-end, high-performance SUV market because it’s up against some seriously impressive rivals, but the Range Rover offers a broader range of ability than any of its competitors.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.
After nearly 700km of testing with both cars, it’s fair to say that the Tesla is indeed a capable tow vehicle, provided you keep the distances relatively short and plan around charge station locations.
Overall average - Penrith to Bathurst to Penrith
Fuel and energy consumption will always depend on the driving conditions, which is why we chose different routes for each leg of our testing.
Averaged across the two legs, towing the caravan with the Model X used 101 per cent more energy than without, or halved its driving range, which sounds a bit scary.
The LandCruiser by comparison added 63 per cent on average, which is still a big difference, but matters less in the real world when its big fuel tanks would still give you about 760km of driving range, which can be refilled quickly at any diesel-stocked servo.
So you could do a weekend trip with the caravan from Penrith with one supercharge in Bathurst, but it would’ve been highly unlikely to manage the extra 55km if you were leaving from Sydney CBD.
The bottom line is that there’s plenty of things - like smaller camper trailers - lighter than our caravan that will help the Tesla to do the towing job better right now.
Compared to the ‘Cruiser, the Tesla is a lesson in the benefits of a lower centre of gravity and road-focused handling.
As always, bigger batteries and more recharge points will go a long way to rectifying the Tesla’s towing shortcomings, and I'm sure we'll get there eventually.
But no matter what, its acceleration performance under load is simply excellent.
Thanks to our friends at Avida for making this test possible with the use of the 17-foot Avida Wave Tourer Electric Pop-Top single-axle caravan. They can also be reached on 1300 428 432.
Before driving the Sport SV you need to understand its highly complex suspension system that allows it to be so dynamically capable. Range Rover calls it a '6D Dynamic' system, because it can control the car left and right, up and down and corner to corner.
To achieve this the system uses a combination of hydraulic interlinked dampers, height-adjustable air springs and pitch control, which makes it a semi-active suspension set-up similar to the set-up Formula 1 race cars used to boast.
This allows the Sport SV to sit between 10-25mm lower than the other Sport models and with its clever suspension can actually sit flatter in the corner with less pitch and roll - which is the traditional enemy of high-riding SUVs when it comes to handling.
But the suspension is only part of the story, with the intelligent all-wheel drive, rear-wheel steering, torque vectoring and the active locking rear diff all combining to produce an SUV with incredibly impressive dynamic capability.
Put simply, there’s never been a Range Rover that deserved to be driven on a racetrack. The Sport SV changes that, and thankfully the company let us loose on the challenging Portimao circuit in Portugal to put the SV through its paces.
Range Rover management was quick to stress it doesn’t expect the Sport SV to be a race track regular for its owners, but driving it on track did highlight the extreme potential it offers.
With such a powerful engine it should come as no surprise that the Sport SV hauled down the straight, hitting 233km/h at the end of the long front straight, but with speed still rising which suggests its 290km/h claimed top speed is accurate.
Even from those speeds and with 2560kg of SUV to slow down, with the carbon ceramic brakes it was no trouble whatsoever. Instead the braking was strong and consistent across multiple laps.
The steering is the particular highlight, with the rear-wheel steering helping to turn the Sport SV sharper and more quickly than a big SUV like this should.
But while it impressed on the circuit, we also experienced it on some great winding rural roads across Portugal and this is where it shone even more brightly.
This is an SUV that you’ll genuinely enjoy driving with its ability to carve through corners and blast down anything resembling straight road.
But to ensure it lives up to the Land Rover badge on the front, we also drove it off-road. Nothing too serious at first, just muddy ruts, across some water and over some rocks.
But then we were guided through a course that showed off its articulation potential, which is far greater than the average owner will ever need.
However, to achieve this Range Rover removed the carbon-fibre front splitter, so it’s not the most off-road friendly model the brand offers.
Energy consumption is just one element of a tow vehicle though, with stability, braking and acceleration performance being the most important details.
The big ‘Cruiser is always a safe bet for towing heavy loads, but it's fair to say its off-road ability, tall body and short wheelbase mean it could be better on the road, and the Tesla goes some way to proving that.
With all those batteries mounted nice and low, the Tesla is significantly more stable with 1.7 tonnes on the back than the LandCruiser, in all conditions. It’s also helped by that longer wheelbase.
The Tesla’s airbag suspension is another surprise advantage, and while it can be a bit choppy around town over minor bumps, bigger bumps on the highway are soaked up really nicely and it all settles quicker than with the LandCruiser - even with the caravan on the back.
Tesla is famous for instant acceleration at any speed, and this effect remains when towing. The LandCruiser’s twin-turbo V8 (with max torque available from 1600-2600rpm) has long been a benchmark for tow vehicles, but the Model X makes it feel sluggish by comparison.
You know how caravan vehicles are usually the slow ones up hills? This time, we were the ones doing the overtaking, even up the steep bends heading out of Lithgow. To overtake, it just takes the slightest flex of your right foot.
Clearly there’s a big caveat though when it comes to how much energy it’s consuming while you’re enjoying that performance, and it’s deceptive because it doesn’t make any more noise like a conventional engine when you’re pushing it.
You’d also think the weight of the van would overcome the engine-braking effect of the regenerative brakes, but they are still very effective at conserving your brakes downhill and preventing the car from running away from you, and no doubt giving the batteries a bigger boost at the same time.
On that note, the LandCruiser’s cruise control also does a great job of witholding speed on downhill runs, proactively dropping gears to engine brake enough to keep the Avida Wave in check.