A lot of rage directed at the Range Rover of late. First with regard to the flattening of the battery I wrote about in
my previous report
. Firstly, yes, it makes sense there are terminals under the bonnet for jumping purposes. But, frankly, with the alarm blaring I could stand precisely half a second peering under there before slamming it shut and holding my head in my hands. So not conducive to poking about in the heat of the moment. And I couldn't check the manual because the flat battery meant the electronic glovebox switch was dead too. Advice to download a pdf to my phone for future ref noted.
"Trust me kids, I know where we're going"
I take the point that worrying about flat batteries does rather dent the 'fit for purpose' Land Rover image and I can understand some of the rage directed at the SVR for its failure to start. But this time I'll accept my part and concede it was probably my fault. I may not be so charitable if it happens again, especially if I end up stranded in an airport car park or suchlike.
More anger, aimed more personally, after our comparison with the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S for my apparent anti-SUV bias. I've admitted being conflicted about the Sport's image and that of cars like it. And I'll stick by the view neither car is shy or retiring, or aimed at the same. Best I can say about the Cayenne is that I respect its ability and Porsche's boldness in spotting the market for such things before anyone else did. In comparison I find the SVR much more likeable though, mainly for the fact it's easier to appreciate a fast 4x4 that's actually trading on some 4x4 heritage.
To wit I've been making the most of the 'small' standard 21-inch wheels and Pirelli Scorpion Verde all-season tyres ahead of putting the call in to the Land Rover press office to arrange the previously discussed swap to the optional £2,400 22s and the more road-oriented Continental SportContact 5s. These will help it live up to the boast of it being "the fastest, most powerful and most dynamically focused Land Rover ever produced" and, should I take it to the 'ring, supposedly mean it capable of knocking out an 8min 14sec lap. But will it make it any more fun as a day to day ownership proposition?
See the video for the full noise!
Frankly I rather like the fact the Pirellis squirm around a bit and give you a sense of the torque vectoring and other cleverness, especially after James and I scrubbed the rears in at Blyton. There's also enough sidewall that I don't totally live in fear of kerbs and enough secondary brittleness to the ride that I don't really want to make it any less comfortable. Finally, and as you'll see, a bit of Range Roverness seems more relevant to the scenic route home from the shops than 'ring lap rubber. I even managed to find a deep enough ford the other day to enjoy the water level graphic on the off-road display. What was that about proper 4x4 identity adding to the appeal? Sure, I know I'm in more danger of scratching the paint than the surface of its off-road ability. But it's still fun, especially with an unsuspecting passenger or two onboard.
So, potentially less comfort, sweaty palms when parking and no more off-roading? Gawd, with blingy wheels on I guess I'll feel the pressure to keep it clean too. Which is a shame because I rather enjoy being the muddiest SVR on the block. Never say never though and I'll be interested to see what the racier rubber offers in return, but I might ask Land Rover if I can keep the 21s in the cellar. Just in case I want to swap back and return to some nursery slope green laning.
Watch the Blyton Park video
here
FACT SHEET
Car: Range Rover SVR
Run by: Dan
On fleet since: November 2015
Mileage: 12,023
List price new: £106,635 (Basic list of £95,150 plus £450 for Solar Attenuating Windscreen with Laminated Hydrophobic Front, Rear Door and Quarter Light Glass, £600 for 8 inch High Resolution Touch-screen with Dual-View (includes one set of WhiteFire headphones), £4,000 for Meridian Signature Reference Audio System (1700W) with radio and single slot CD player, MP3 disc, file compatibility and conversation assist with 23 speakers and subwoofer, Contrast Painted Roof - Santorini Black, Sliding Panoramic Roof including Powered Blind, £185 for Adjustable, Auto-dimming, Heated, Powerfold Memory Exterior Mirrors with Approach Lamps (approach lamps include illuminated Range Rover graphic), £700 for Surround Camera System with Towing Assist, £750 for Wade SensingTM with Blind Spot Monitoring with Closing Vehicle Sensing and Reverse Traffic Detection, £600 for Traffic Sign Recognition and Lane Departure Warning, £1,000 for Head Up Display, £900 for Park Assist featuring Parallel Park, Parking Exit, Perpendicular Parking and 360° Park Distance Control, £1,500 for SVR Carbon Fibre Engine Cover and £800 for Digital TV)
Last month at a glance: Dan makes the most of the all conditions rubber before going bling
Photos: Sim Mainey and Dan Trent
